This post is for the chiropractic students who might be unsure where their chiropractic careers are taking them. You might be interested in Upper Cervical Chiropractic but not totally sure it’s for you, or you might not be interested in it at all.
Either way, these two books, if read, will open up the floodgates of thought and make you question everything you think you know or understand about chiropractic, especially Upper Cervical Chiropractic.
Volume XVIII- The Subluxation Specific - The Adjustment Specific by B.J. Palmer
Volume XVIII is generally regarded as the green book where B.J. Palmer really explains the why behind upper cervical. There are chapters on definitions, chiropractic neurology, and interpreting spinographs (x-rays) among others. The back of the book contains research results for over 5,000 cases adjusted with HIO. All in all, it is a hefty read, 866 pages total.
Many Upper Cervical Chiropractors will say this is a hard read, and it is, but for me it was fascinating and amazing. Everything I read, B.J. Palmer published back in 1934. I felt like I was reading things as they were today in 2009. Dr. Palmer was a true visionary and his thoughts and ideas were almost too far ahead of his time. This book really convinced me of the reasoning, philosophy, and the overal “why” of Upper Cervical Chiropractic.
Upper Cervical Subluxation Complex: A Review of the Chiropractic and Medical Literature by Kirk Eriksen
If you are a science-minded person, meaning you look at everything with a skeptical eye and always need proof or validation, this book is exactly that for Upper Cervical Chiropractic. In fact, even if you plan on adjusting full spine, you need this book. Full spine chiropractors still address the atlas and this book validates every aspect of that practice.
With over 1200 articles validating the subluxation theories we profess, the use of taking analytical x-rays, using instrumentation to determine vertebral subluxation, leg length analysis, you can’t leave this book out of your personal library.
If you go through each chapter, as well as the appendices, and you aren’t convinced that the upper cervical spine is one of the most important areas in the body, if not the most important, then I’m not sure what to tell you. It’s an amazing resource and one I am grateful I have. Thanks to Dr. Kirk Eriksen for putting it all together for us!
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Excellent choices. Might I also recommend Volume 20.