I've already had surgery. . .now what?

Just last week . . .  3 people came into the office as new patients seeking answers they thought they had found.  Each of their necks looked just like the one over there  ---->   Take a quick peek at the film on the right.  Do you see all those screws and the rods?  There are 10 screws and 2 five inch rods bolted into her neck.  The surgery was done over 10 years ago with the promise that it would end the pain in Linda's neck and head.  That was 10 years ago.

A few days ago, Linda came in seeking, once again, the resolution to her problems.  Now, however, she had more problems.  Pain that radiated into her arms, loss of strength, trouble sleeping, eye movement disorders, and absolutely no ability to turn her head left and right.   She was almost a shut-in due to the pain.  

Linda asked me the same question I hear almost every month, "Can you help me?  I've already had surgery. . now what?" In order to understand the root of the problem, any problem in fact, you have to first get to the root of the cause.  In over 90% of the cases like this I have seen, the root of the problem was never addressed.  Linda's pain issue wasn't that she lacked hardware in her neck, her problem was that her neck was injured 20 years before her neck surgery and was never corrected.   After 20 years of degenerating, the pain became unbearable.  So she sought the advice of a surgeon.  He did his best work.  5 of the 7 bones in her neck will never move again.  No movement = no pain, right?   Not so quick.   No movement = no life.  

Life is motion.  Don't believe me?  Go to a funeral.  Who's the only one not moving?  Ok. Sorry.  That was a rough example.  You get my point.  The human body is designed and created to move.  No doubt, you've heard the phrase, "Use it, or lose it?"  It couldn't be more true in this case.  Spinal joints that lack movement will inevitably become fused solid.  It's a process known as progressive spinal degeneration. It is also called osteoarthritis.  It leads to degenerative joint/disc disease and will always lead to . . (gasp). . spinal stenosis.  

On the other hand, if the joints can be properly aligned, they can heal!  Normal motion will return, vital nerve information will travel freely throughout the body and the innate healing of the body will resume.    Linda had 2 bones left that moved somewhat freely.  Her problem was the 2nd bone in her neck, the axis, was completely misaligned after a motor vehicle accident over 3 decades ago! 

One tiny upper cervical subluxation, caused her entire spine to shift and become unstable.  It was a half-second fix.  It took an hour to find it.  But correcting it took less than 0.5 seconds.   She had instant pain relief and immediate return of motion to her neck.  Her grip strength was even normalized.   Even after 30 years.  

SO. . . .the take home point:   even if you've already been bolted together,  there may still be hope for you!  Find yourself a specific, upper cervical doctor (www.upcspine.com) or contact me.  I'd be happy to help you in a few different ways.  I'd be honored to have a consult with you, or do my best to find someone closer to your neck of the woods.  

Let's do something great together.  

I've already had surgery. . .now what?

Bedwetting and the neck . . . is there a connection??

As a parent, there are lots of things worse than a few wet sheets now and then.  Vomit, diarrhea, the flu. .. those are just nasty.  But, repeated episodes, night after night after night.  Yeah that gets old.  So what exactly is the trouble with those children who are constant bedwetting?  What's the cause for enuresis (fancy medical term for bedwetting)?  

   

 Let's take a step back for a minute and look at how the bladder is controlled. First, it like every other part of the body, is connected with nerves that eventually find their way back to the brainstem and brain.  After all, that's the reason we have nerves in the first place.  The nerves are like electric lines that transmit vital information from the brain to the body parts so that they can function.  

The bladder is basically a large muscle.  When it's full, a nerve signal is sent from the brain to the bladder muscle (known as the detrusor muscle) and it signals it to empty.  The muscle is a type of smooth muscle, not uncommon in other organs.  The bladder begins to squeeze and urine is forced out.  

  

 For bedwetters, this isn't always the case.  They want to stay dry.  Of course they do!  So why doesn't their brain send the correct signals?  Well, it does; all the time.  Often times, children who wet the bed have a problem with the nerves in the neck  and those signals from the brain never quite make it to the bladder.  I know, you might be wondering, "Yeah but my kid doesn't have neck pain or problems."  Maybe.   But here's the link:  the nerves that leave the 3rd, 4th and 5th vertebrae in the neck are responsible for controlling the breathing muscle, the diaphragm. 

 In kids, a normal healthy reflex -the phrenic reflex- causes the child to take a deep breath when they are in a deep sleep.  Have you ever watched your child sleep and wonder if they will ever take a breath again?  The breathing slows down and as it gets slower and deeper, the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the blood rise.  When they get too high, the reflex kicks in and the child breathes.  Bedwetters often have irritation to the nerves that control this reflex.  So for them, the reflex is there, but impaired.  Instead of breathing regularly during sleep, they fall into a very deep sleep.  The CO2 levels raise and the smooth muscle in the bladder slowly relaxes.  End result:  oozing urine out of the bladder.  The problem with the bladder may be a problem in the neck.  

When's the last time your child was checked for spinal nerve irritation?  If the bladder isn't getting the correct brain messages, what else might be lacking?  Have your child checked TODAY.  If you want me to do it, I'd be honored.  If I can help you find someone else. . . please feel welcome to contact me and we'll make it happen.  

Bedwetting and the neck . . . is there a connection??

Arthritis and age: a complete myth

I bet at least one time in your life, you've heard or have been told that arthritis is something that happens to us as we age- it's the inevitable result of growing old.  Am I right?  I know that if I had a nickel for every time I heard that statement, I'd have a LOT of nickels by now!   But gambling and healthcare simply do not mix, so for now, let's stick with what works: rock solid facts, ok?
  
            In my office, every day of the week, I see x-rays.  Lots of x-rays.  I see neck and low back films, MRI's, CT scans and did I mention x-rays?  Some of these images come to me from other offices, some from the hospitals and some have been taken at my office.  As I study the images, it's very apparent to me that YES, some of the people do have arthritis in their spines.  Some of the people do not.  BUT, what's most interesting, is that for the people that DO show signs of arthritic changes (spinal degeneration), the arthritis is NOT throughout the entire spine. WHAT?  Ok, let's explore what I just said.  Imagine you are looking at the film at the top of this post.  Do you see how there are 7 vertebrae?  (They are even numbered if you look real close!)  This person is 40 yrs old.  DO you see the 5th and 6th bones?  They look like tree stumps almost don't they?  THAT is athritis.  SO, let me ask you this:  If arthritis is due to aging, why at the ripe age of 40 is this person already showing arthritic changes to the spine?  Is 40 old?!  I sure hope not or in 6 years I'm next!  OR, how bout this one:  IF arthritis IS due to aging, why don't the other vertebrae also show signs of arthritis?  After all, those bones belong to the same person.. . they are the same age therefore they should ALL be arthritic, right?
 
    What's that?  You say they don't look the same??   YOU ARE RIGHT!  You just discovered what I'm talking about:  arthritic changes in the spine (spinal degeneration) has absolutely nothing to do with age and EVERYTHING to do with injuries (called subluxations) that have never been corrected!  The bones that are stumpy, bumpy and lumpy are the ones that were subluxated (injured) years ago and as a result of never being corrected, they now are wearing improperly, much like the tires wear on a car that isn't aligned!

What's vital to grasp is this:  When the spine moves and functions as it was designed to do, the nerves that exit the spine can also function properly.  When a vertebrae is subluxated (injured/misaligned) the nerves, ligaments and muscles related to that vertebrae also become compromised.  This results in abnormal spinal biomechanics.  If corrected early, the joint heals appropriately and functions correctly.  If not, it heals incorrectly  and the arthritis (abnormal wear and tear patterns, aka spinal degeneration) is set in motion.  In essence, the aging process is accelerated at that joint. YUCK!

At Gibson Upper Cervical, we don't deal with arthritis:  we work at preventing it altogether.  Call today for your complimentary consultation:  Together we can do great things!  814.371.7412

Arthritis and age: a complete myth

Why didn't I know?

 Recently, an 8 year old little girl came into our office with the following list of health issues: chronic ear infections, nosebleeds, constipation and restlessness.  She didn't eat very well or often.  From the outside, she looked like a "normal" little girl.  But underneath the surface, she was very sick and heading for a lifetime of health issues.  When I explained to her grandma about the upper neck bone, the atlas, being subluxated, or out of its proper alignment with the skull, she was a little confused.  She wondered how it may have gotten that way.  After some investigative work, it was determined there was a strong correlation with the forceps-assisted delivery and her current status of health.  HOW?  Simple.  During a "normal birth, the neck of the infant is stretched and twisted upwards of 2x the normal length.  Now with the use of forceps, that force is substantially increased.  The bottom line:  Little "Kayla" was subluxated from day one.  And for the next 8 years, her little body fought to keep her healthy.  At age 1, it was colic.  Age 2, the ear infections began.  Age 4-7, the nosebleeds and constipation set in.
    Two weeks have passed since her 1st upper cervical adjustment.  "kayla" has been adjusted 2 times.  In just over 14 days, she has no more nosebleeds, eats like a horse (remember it was a chore for her to eat most anything), has been to the bathroom numerous times per day and is finally sleeping through the night. As for the earaches, her grandma reports that all is well.  Time will tell the rest of the story but for now, there are two parents, one grandma and a little girl whose lives have all just changed through the power of an upper cervical adjustment.   At the end of the visit, the grandma asked the question we hea almost daily: "Why didn't I know about Upper Cervical?"  Now you do.

-Dr. Andy
www.gibsonucc.com

Why didn't I know?

“I like smiling, it’s my favorite.”

Although more than 50 different types of smiles have been identified and studied, one type in particular visits my office on a consistent basis- the Duchenne smile. Consisting of two subtypes, 1.) a Duchenne smile involves contraction of both the zygomaticmajor muscle (which raises the corners of the mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (which raises the cheeks and forms crow's feet around the eyes). 2.) A non-Duchenne smile involves only the zygomatic major muscle. Consider the difference between the two this way: real vs. fake. Real or Duchenne smiles indicate genuine spontaneous emotions since most people cannot voluntarily contract the outer portion of the orbicularis oculi muscle. On the other hand, we are all very good at faking a smile for various reasons.

This is interesting, but why is it so? What's going on upstairs that creates these two different smiles? Scientists have discovered that these two types of smiles are actually controlled by two completely different parts of our brain. The ‘say cheese’ smile is controlled by the motor cortex while emotion-related movements, like the Duchenne smile, is controlled by the limbic system (the emotional center of the brain).

But, does it truly matter if your smile is contrived or authentic? It matters a great deal to your life satisfaction and quality of life! The pathway of the chronic pain nerve fibers end at different places in the brain than do those delivering acute pain. Because chronic pain nerve fibers end in two places in the brain, namely, the limbic system and the hypothalamus, the interpretation of the signals on those fibers is subject to two main processes. The limbic system processes the emotions and the hypothalamus releases stress hormones. The limbic system is stimulated during the acute pain experience. During acute pain, the limbic system tells the spinal cord to hold back on the pain signals. Temporarily, the brain does not want to receive these signals. With the limbic system working hard to repress the pain signals, and also in cases of stress, the spinal cord is abuzz with activity. The spinal cord can only stand so much stimulation gracefully, after which the pain threshold is reduced. The result is a chronic pain situation where the patient is hypersensitive to pain.

So how does all of this tie into smiling? People in chronic pain usually don’t smile much and if so, it’s the ‘say cheese’ smile. It’s a mask; a fake; a front to cover up what’s really going on inside. The pain signals inhibit the body from truly experiencing and expressing a genuine smile. An upper cervical subluxation is more than just an anatomical event. It’s not just a bone out of alignment. . .it’s a life out of alignment. Everything is affected . . . even smiling.

With the pain signals absent, the stress hormones decrease, the limbic system relaxes because the spinal cord is relaxing. After a UC correction, the REAL person inside begins to rise up, heal and even comes out through those tiny muscles of the eye (OO and Z). In other words, a REAL person begins to smile FOR REAL. They can’t help it. With the absence of pain and the presence of increased function, the REAL begins to shine through. Maybe I’m more like Buddy the Elf after all. I guess I like smiling too.

Call today and get your smile back!

Gibson Upper Cervical

Big on smiles

814.371.7412

“I like smiling, it’s my favorite.”

Convenient Amnesia?

Amnesia: a partial or total loss of memory.

How can forgetting about something ever be a good thing? Well, as strange as it sounds, that is a common occurrence in my office. Like most of my other posts, this phenomenon seems to follow a very similar trend or pattern that occurs about three to four weeks into Upper Cervical Care. Here's how it goes:

1.) A person comes in with a laundry list of health challenges (pain, numbness, dis-function, etc. .. .)

2.) They receive their 1st UC correction.

3.) We check them several times per week to determine ho well they are holding their correction. (afterall, it's not the number of adjustments that helps a person heal, it's how long they hold the correct adjustment in the correct position!)

4.) A few weeks later, the person will come in and announce something like this: "You know Doc, you might think this is weird, but I used to think about pain all day long and I never realized how much of my day was consumed with it until I stopped having pain. I guess I forgot about the pain."

5.) A 46yr old female recently told me how she forgot about her 20 year struggle with diabetic foot pain. Everyday, she said it used to be a chore to put on and tie her shoes. Well, one day she says, "I just got up and was putting on my shoes. I forgot my feet hurt! They felt fine and I thought, I've been doing this for several days now and it just dawned on me that my feet don't hurt."

NOW THAT is convenient amnesia. I'm sure most people would agree, to forget about pain, or dis-function due to a return of health is never a bad thing. The question is, what are you waiting for? Your return to health could be as simple as the people mentioned above. The common thread they share is their willingness to try specific Upper Cervical Chiropractic.

Forget about what you may have been told (ie, you just have to live with it; there's nothing else we can do for you; etc.. . ) and try something new. You may just forget about your problems!

Call today to take charge of your life!

Gibson Upper Cervical

814.371.7412

Convenient Amnesia?

Awestruck. . . again.

Hello friends! We are now well into this thing called 'practice' and I'm finding out there is a reason that clinical life is called practice: everyday there is room to grow and improve. This past month I've had the absolute honor of serving and seeing some amazing people. Time and time again, I am finding myself awestruck from one polar extreme to the other. Let me explain.

• A new patient comes into the office, usually from a personal referral and I get the opportunity to meet them for the first time. After looking over the initial paperwork and finding out why they came to see me (what is the health challenge), I am awestruck at the amount of suffering a person endures.
• I'm awestruck at the amount of money that has been spent on previous medical visits and prescriptions that have clearly not worked as 'promised.'
• I'm also awestruck at the amount of faith that is placed in the medical model (a.k.a the family doctor) when a health crisis arises. Having no other place to turn, the patient eventually ends up in my office on the suggestion of a friend.
• After a few precise x-rays, thermographic, posture and rang-of-motion exams, I'm awestruck at how a minute misalignment of the top neck bone (the atlas) produces devastating effects on human physiology.
• I'm awestruck at the profound impact a simple, precise upper cervical correction has on the patient who had "no hope."

Finally, I'm awestruck at the amazing intelligence of the body to correct horrible afflictions, once the upper neck is restored to a place of balance and brainstem pressure is removed.

Again and again and again. The same story is repeated with each new patient. Awe, shock, wonder, amazement. Repeat.

At Gibson Upper Cervical, we don't complicate the matter. We don't guess. We don't give you an 'experimental treatment.' We reproduce with exacting specificity the simple things. Why? So we can enjoy the feeling of being awestruck. .. . again.

Gibson Upper Cervical

Restoring Hope. Renewing Health.

Awestruck. . . again.