What happens when an Upper Cervical subluxation occurs?
How can someone with problems in their low back or legs be helped by a specific Upper Cervical Chiropractic adjustment?
When talking about an Upper Cervical subluxation, one has to keep in mind that symptoms manifest themselves in many different ways from person to person.
Keep in mind that the Upper Cervical Chiropractor will not chase symptoms or diagnose this disease or that disease. But the symptoms are there nonetheless and they are important to the person experiencing them.
The Human Body Is Dynamic
One person might experience low back pain from an atlas subluxation, while another might experience high blood pressure. Someone else might experience severe neurological or GI dysfunction. Everyone’s body responds differently to various external factors. The vertebral subluxation is no different.
Today I am going to address this question in the simplest fashion I can without compromising the science behind it. I will explain it in the most basic way I can so that someone outside of the chiropractic profession can understand it. So just bear with me doctors and students.
Basic Anatomy
Each spinal nerve that exits the spinal column has a dorsal (rear or back) and a ventral (front) root. These dorsal and ventral roots originate from the spinal cord, which is housed within the bony protection of the spinal column.
Between the dorsal and ventral roots are the dentate ligaments. The dentate ligaments connect the dura mater (outermost meninge, or covering, of spinal cord) to the pia mater (innermost meninge, or covering, of the spinal cord). The dura mater attaches to the foramen magnum (the opening where the brain stem exits the skull and becomes the spinal cord) and attaches as far down as the third cervical vertebra (C3).
There is even an attachment between the dura mater and the posterior atlanto-occipital membrane (connective tissue between base of skull and atlas) as well as the dura and the rectus capitus posterior minor muscle at the top of the neck around the base of the hairline.1
Why Is This So Important?
There are numerous spinal tracts in the spinal cord that lead to various parts of the body. The outermost tracts on the left and the right are the spinocerebellar tracts. These tracts determine how tight or how loose your muscles are and they sense the position of your joints. The outermost aspect of this tract goes to the lowest part of your body and the innermost part goes to the highest part of your body.
Go slightly deeper into the spinal cord and you have the spinothalamic tracts just inside the front aspect of the spinocerebellar tracts. The spinothalamic tracts convey pain and temperature to the body in the same distribution as the spinocerebellar tracts.
When the atlas (C1) or axis (C2) becomes subluxated, it will torque the dura mater with it. When this happens, the dentate ligaments then pull the pia mater. When this occurs, the outer aspect of the spinal cord gets pulled along with the pia, causing stress to the spinocerebellar and spinothalamic tracts.
This in turn, sends messages of pain, altered temperature, muscle tightness, and altered joint position sense to the body from the feet up, depending on the actual spot where the dentate ligament is tugging. This is where the sciatic-type pain in people with significant clinical findings occurs.2
Needless to say, having an atlas or axis subluxation can truly disrupt the normal flow of information from the spinal cord to the body. Make sure to get checked by an Upper Cervical Chiropractor on a regular basis to avoid a problem like this.
1. Hack GD, et al. Anatomic Relation Between the Rectus Capitus Posterior Minor Muscle and the Dura Mater. Spine, 1995; 20(23):2484-2486.
2. Erickson, K. Upper Cervical Subluxation Complex: A Review of the Chiropractic and Medical Literature. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Upper Cervical Neurology for “Dummies”!! We all need it explained like this!!
Nicely put, Dr. Schurger
It never ceases to amaze me how complicated this system is. Yet, the principle is so simple. You did a great job explaining it, Dr. Harshe. Upper Cervical chiropractic can have a dramatic impact on so many levels because of the relationship between C1/C2 and the spinal cord. Of course, it is not a panacea, but Upper Cervical doctors often triumph when other methods have failed. Great post, doc.
As a culture we tend to focus more on surgical or pharmaceutical solutions before we consider a procedure which simply returns the body to its intended state. But this is changing as more and more people suffering from a wide range of conditions, embrace chiropractic as they seek a more holistic approach and a healthy lifestyle.
Great explanation Dr. Harshe! its straight forward and self evident that atlas subluxation have a dramatic and detrimental effect on not only the upper cervical area, but on the entire body. thankfully in our generation the hard science is there to back this up as its sure to lead to the “tipping point” when people will be moved to put aside their bias and have a chiropractic upper cervical evaluation and necessary correction as the foundation of their healthcare program. best!