FAQs

Q: What is N.U.C.C.A?

A: N.U.C.C.A is an acronym for National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association. The neck is the cervical portion of your spine and when there is a structural misalignment of the bones in this area, the entire body will compensate placing undue stress on your joints. Pain, dysfunction and even disease can result.

Q: Why do you only focus on adjusting the top of the neck?

A: The top two vertebrae along with the skull do not have interlocking joints unlike the rest of the spine. These bones are held in place by soft tissue such as muscles and ligaments. This allows for greater mobility when you turn your head, however, it also makes this portion of the spine more susceptible to damage and injury. Even one degree of misalignment of the atlas (C1/top vertebra) can cause a neurological insult to the brain stem.

Q: How can you move a bone using such little force?

A: How much force is necessary to open a lock if you have the right key? Remember that there are no interlocking joints in this portion of the neck. Using highly specialized radiography your N.U.C.C.A doctor will be able to calculate your exact degree of misalignment, then using the atlas and the weight of the patient’s head to gain a bio-mechanical advantage (leverage), it takes less pressure to perform the adjustment than it would to take someone’s pulse. Often times patients cannot even feel the adjustment being made.

Q: Who stands to benefit from N.U.C.C.A care?

A: Anyone who has a measurable misalignment of the top vertebra that is causing dysfunction within the central nervous system. Like having your dentist check for cavities, N.U.C.C.A doctors are trained to check for specific degrees of small misalignment that may be affecting entire body posture. Outward evidence in the form of an elevated shoulder, elevated hip, a head that isn't centered, and leg length disparity are obvious signs of postural imbalance that indicate neck misalignment. These changes, at any age, are signs that can be addressed before secondary conditions (symptoms) become apparent.

Q: How is N.U.C.C.A different than “traditional” chiropractic?

A: Most forms of traditional chiropractic address joint dysfunction and “fixated” joints along the entire spinal column and pelvis to increase mobility and decrease pain. N.U.C.C.A chiropractors focus on restoring the structural balance of the entire body by relieving stress that has been placed on the brain stem which controls the postural musculature. The result is a painless structural correction that promotes normal nerve function and sets the stage for healing and restoration. Care isn't necessarily rendered based on symptoms, but rather on measurable corrective outcomes.

Q: Why are you adjusting my neck when it is my low back that hurts?

A: In most instances, low back pain occurs as a secondary result of head and neck misalignment causing a structural imbalance throughout the entire body. When this is present, muscles throughout your neck, back and legs will compensate allowing uneven weight distribution across numerous joint surfaces. In the areas of greatest compensation and degeneration is where the pain signal will be the loudest. Where the pain is and where the problem is may not match. Corrective care will always focus on the source of pain, not the pain itself.

Q: How often will I need to be adjusted?

A: Your doctor will determine a specific care plan based off of the exam, x-rays, and neurological testing performed in our office and is different for every patient. As evidence of postural balance becomes apparent, visit frequency can be reduced and results can continue to progress. Our goal is to correct the cause of your health concerns in as few visits as possible and teach you how to maintain your correction over a lifetime.

Q: Will I be adjusted each visit?

A: The frequency of which you will be adjusted is determined by how well your body is capable of holding an adjustment. At each visit, the doctor will look for objective signs of misalignment and an adjustment will only be rendered if there is a misalignment (subluxation) present. Lifestyles, activities and stress levels will vary, but as muscles are retrained in a balanced pattern the need for an adjustment will be reduced. In short, "if it isn't broke, we won't try to fix it."

Q: How long will I have to take care of my spine?

A: Much like brushing your teeth or maintaining the benefits of a workout regimen, periodic check-ups are recommended once your initial phase of care is over in order to maintain the progress you have made towards regaining and optimizing your health. In our office, we have multiple protection plans available for patients once they have completed their initial phase of care and have become stabilized.

Q: Can you help someone with (insert diagnosis)?

A: The truth is, we do not treat any specific disease or condition other than the structural misalignment of the spine when it is causing less than optimal central nervous system (CNS) function. Every organ, tissue and cell in your body relies on the CNS to function at 100{b85f92d41f32e11536dd913cce40b22a86049444ce8ae72eb2006c7822b53637}. Here is a brief list of some of the secondary conditions we routinely see relieved in our office:

• Migraines
• Low Back Pain
• Osteoporosis
• Digestive Disorders
• Meniere's Disease
• Numbness & Tingling into hands
• Tension Headaches
• Sinus & Allergy problems
• PMS Symptoms
• Amenorrhea and Dysmenorrhea
• Vertigo & Dizziness
• Childhood Bed Wetting
• Ear Infections
• Sciatic Pain
• Chronic Shoulder Pain
• Multiple Sclerosis
• "Failure to Thrive" in infants
• Constipation
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Post Concussion Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• High Blood Pressure
• Decreased Lung Function
• Immunocompromised Individuals
• Disc Herniation
• Torticollis
• Brachial Plexus injury at birth
• Balance in the elderly (Cerebellar Ataxia)
• TMJ pain
• Seizure Disorders
• Bell's Palsy
• Tourette's Syndrome
• Asthma
• ADHD & ADD
• Colic
• PTSD
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Infertility
• Spinal Stenosis