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The Combination Lock & Complex Health Challenges
Many of my clients have really complex health challenges. Even before they start with Upper Cervical Care, they've seen a dozen different practitioners over a decade or so with little/no improvement. Then their atlas adjusted and WOW!
For many people, that atlas adjustment seems to be the missing piece of the puzzle. For other people, however, it makes a positive difference ... but they still have other issues that it does NOT solve. Complex health problems can be like a combination lock: you need all the digits in the correct order, or else nothing happens!
Upper cervical care may be one important piece of the puzzle if you frustrated looking for a solution for your complex health challenges. As an Upper Cervical Chiropractor, I know my own limitations. Let’s assume that you’ve started care, and we've addressed all the potential chemical, physical and mental stresses that may be impacting your nervous system.
Objectively, your adjustments are healing the way that I expect … but subjectively, you feel no difference at all. Now what? Yes, we do need to be sure that we allow adequate time for your body to heal. Remember that your nervous system takes one month to heal for every year that the problem as been there. That said, it should be clear within the first few weeks of starting care that something is changing.
So what if it isn’t?
I use the analogy of a combination lock to describe these complex health situations. A combination lock requires that you have multiple digits all aligned in the correct sequence before the lock opens at all. If you have only one misalignment in your entire body, then all we have to do is figure out that one missing piece to the puzzle is, make that one adjustment, and your problem will be solved
. But what if you have 2 or 3 digits in your combination lock? Will your problem be easier or harder to solve? Let’s even say that we figure out all 3 parts of the combination … but if we have them in the wrong order nothing we still won’t see any change.
For all the advances in science and technology, there are still many great mysteries when it comes to the human body, the nervous system, and healing. When you consider the element of time (i.e., healing takes time), limitations of matter (i.e., some damage cannot be undone) plus the infinite number of potential combinations, when it comes to restoring health it is a potential nightmare of a task!
Complex Health Made Simple ...?
“I am a doctor. My job is simple. I only need to know about every disease in the universe.” Complex health challenges usually have more than one missing piece to the puzzle ...
If they were simple, surely someone would have been able to figure it out before! There is an expression in healthcare that “Common things happen commonly, and rare things happen rarely.” In other words, a skilled and knowledgeable doctor can narrow the infinite field of possibilities to usually a few dozen possible combinations ora less with just a few simple tests.
What I do as an upper cervical doctor is no different. Without a doubt, I know correcting the alignment of your neck has a powerful impact on improving the function of your nervous system and on restoring health, But if you have more than one independent issue that is affecting your nervous system, then it's going to take more than upper cervical care alone to solve the problem.
True, if the only thing you have going on is an atlas misalignment, I might be able to offer you are the last digit in the sequence, in which case what I do will look like magic. However, you may have multiple independent things going on, and I may only be able to solve the first digit. If so, you may not feel any different even though what we are doing is a necessary part of the process to open the lock.
Common Parts of the Combination Lock
Over the years, I’ve learned to look for certain complex health variables that may inhibit the progress of your care. The potential list is endless, but there are a few key ones that appear commonly enough to mention here.
- The Upper Neck - It is the gateway for all the neurological communication that occurs between your brain and body. If you want "the power" on as close to 100% as possible, it is imperative that these particular vertebrae (C1 and C2) are properly aligned. Full stop.
- Jaw Problems (Temporomandibular Joint, aka TMJ) - Head, jaw, or face injuries; a history of braces; and having missing teeth in the back of your mouth all have a direct impact on your upper neck and nervous system. The only question is, “Which came first?”
- Heavy Metal Poisoning - Amalgams (mercury), industrial pollution (lead), and excessive exposure to vehicular exhaust (cadmium and arsenic) are all neurotoxic substances that accumulate in the brain, kidneys and adrenal glands having a massive impact on your health.
- Chronic Infections - Root canals and other common infections including parasitic infections, the Epstein Barr Virus (Glandular Fever), and Borrelia (Lyme Disease) may go undetected for years, all the while exhausting your immune system and draining your energy.
- Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) - We still do not know the full impact of mobile phones, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. on the human body, but for some people with greater sensitivity to these things, the negative effects are massive.
- Upper Cervical Minors - With upper cervical work, a “major” is the primary vertebra that needs an adjustment, usually atlas or axis. A “minor” is a secondary vertebra that may also need an adjustment: C3-C7 … but maybe buried down a few layers in the dark. Hence, it is not always clear what, how, or if it needs to be adjusted also.
- Lower Body Minors - If not the neck, it is usually something with the foot or ankle that causes a pelvic twist, destabilizes your spine, and creates myofascial tension that ascends upwards causing additional problems along the way.
What "Health care" Really Means
Jaw and dental problems are a very common part of the complex health challenge. Often, the most complicated dental patients have a problem with their upper neck ... and the most complicated atlas patients have a problem with their mouth! Upper cervical care is an essential part of the healing process, but it may take more to achieve the results that you desire.
As I described previously, when we have multiple layers of trauma stacked on each other over months, years or decades, we may never know what we’ll discover, or how long it will take when we start the healing process. Many people over the years have described their complex health issues as “a challenge.”
If only it could always be so simple, you and I would both be happy! The reality is that it can be a frustrating endeavor for us all! No doctor has it all figured out. If he or she did, all the rest of us would be practicing the exact same way with 100% success. Until our science and technology evolve to that point, we continue to do the best with the knowledge and tools that we have.
It is little comfort if you continue to struggle even after weeks of care. I hope only that I may offer you the perspective that your efforts are not in vain, but a necessary part of solving the combination lock. Even the “unsuccessful” efforts may be steps in the correct direction.
So even if I do not have all the answers for you, I would still hope that you will trust me as an advisor, who will give you my very best effort to discover the answer you are looking for. “Care” isn’t just a trivial word I throw around. So when I say that I care for you to reach your goals, I hope you know just how serious I mean it.
What to do Next?
If you have been experiencing the type of complex health challenge I've just described, please get in contact with us to find out how we may be able to help you. Granted, the only thing I may be able to do is to point you in the right direction ... but if that's one step further than you are now, that will be a good thing. You can reach our practice on 07 3188 9329.
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