Meniere’s Disease: Can Upper Cervical Chiropractic Help This Condition?

What Is Meniere’s Disease?

Meniere’s disease is a condition that affects the inner ear, causing intense bouts of vertigo, dizziness, and tinnitus or high-pitched ringing. Particularly common amongst young to middle-aged adults, there is no known cause of Meniere’s disease, making it very difficult to treat. While there is no cure for this condition, there are ways to ease symptoms and improve quality of life. 

Signs and Symptoms of Meniere’s Disease

The primary side effect of Meniere’s disease is frequent episodes of vertigo, causing feelings of dizziness, loss of balance, and loss of coordination. Other signs and symptoms of Meniere’s disease include tinnitus (ringing in the ears), a feeling of fullness in the ears, and frequent bouts of nausea. 

How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Meniere’s Disease

The cause of Meniere’s disease is believed to be related to dysfunction in the inner ear. Specifically, the disease is thought to be triggered by changes in fluid build-up in the eustachian tubes (small canals connecting the ear to the nasal-sinus cavity). This relationship has led some researchers to link the onset of Meniere’s disease to injury or misalignment in the upper cervical spine. 

Because of their role in supporting the base of the skull, the vertebrae which make up the upper cervical spine play a key role in regulating the function of craniofacial arteries and musculature. Unsurprisingly, misalignment in one or more of these vertebrae can have a dramatic effect on craniofacial function, causing local inflammation, soft tissue adhesion, and swelling in the eustachian tubes. Left untreated, inflammation and swelling in the eustachian tubes can quickly lead to an abnormal build-up of fluid in the inner ear, potentially leading to conditions like Meniere’s disease.

How Our Upper Cervical Treatment Works 

Our chiropractic specialist, Dr. Gordon Elder, is a trained practitioner of the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Technique. This technique prioritizes the gentle correction of misalignments in the upper cervical in order to restore natural function to the spinal column and allow the body to re-engage its natural healing mechanisms. 

During your initial appointment, Dr. Elder will perform a brief examination of your spine to determine whether you are suffering from Meniere’s disease due to a vertebral misalignment in the upper cervical spine. This whole process only takes between 25 and 30 minutes. 

At your next visit, Dr. Elder will use advanced 3-D imaging techniques to pinpoint the exact location of any spinal misalignments. At this point, you’ll also have an opportunity to review your scans and have a chat with Dr. Elder if you have any questions. 

Finally, Dr. Elder will target the affected area with a series of precise adjustments, re-seating the misaligned vertebra in its correct position. These adjustments are precise and gentle, so you don’t have to worry about any painful cracking or popping. 

Following the initial adjustment, patients will return for regular, gradually spaced-out check-ups to ensure their adjustment has stayed in place for 3 months. Over the course of 3-5 months, most patients average between 10 and 15 appointments with Dr. Elder.  

If you’re struggling to live with Meniere’s disease, come and speak with Dr. Elder about healing your body. Dr Elder is based in Lubbock, Texas, but also services Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, El Paso in Texas, and Hobbs in New Mexico.

Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.

An Alternative and Natural Treatment for Post-Concussion Syndrome

What is Post-Concussion Syndrome?

Post-concussion syndrome is a condition characterized by the long-term persistence of concussion symptoms following a concussion event. Unsurprisingly, post-concussion syndrome is most common amongst people recovering from car accidents, sports injuries, or other physical impact trauma events.  

Signs and Symptoms of Post-Concussion Syndrome 

Typical signs and symptoms of post-concussion syndrome include cognitive defects, recurrent headaches, fatigue, dizziness, blurry vision, insomnia, confusion, and concentration difficulties. 

How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects This Condition

The upper cervical spine is a series of stacked vertebrae that connect the spinal column to the base of the skull. During a concussion event, a sharp impact to the head or neck can push one or more vertebrae in the upper cervical spine out of alignment. 

Due to the upper cervical spine’s proximity to the brainstem (the connecting link between the brain and the spinal cord), a misalignment in the upper cervical vertebrae can disrupt the flow of nerves between the spinal cord to the brain. Left untreated, this kind of disruption to regular brain or nerve function can result in the presentation of post-concussion symptoms. 

How Our Upper Cervical Treatment Works

Dr. Gordon Elder is a trained practitioner of the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Technique. This technique focuses on identifying and targeting spinal misalignments to restore function to the spinal column, re-engage the body’s natural healing mechanisms, and treat the root cause of persistent concussion symptoms. 

When treating post-concussion syndrome, Dr. Elder uses advanced diagnostic techniques, such as 3-D imaging, to determine whether you’re suffering from a spinal misalignment. Following your initial round of examination appointments, you’ll be given a brief report outlining Dr. Elder’s findings and an explanation of the best course of action.

To correct your vertebral misalignment, Dr. Elder will perform a series of gentle, non-invasive adjustments (based on the results of your diagnostic imaging) to restore the upper cervical spine to its natural position. These adjustments are quick, precise, and gentle, so you won’t experience any painful cracking, twisting, or popping. 

Following the initial adjustment, patients will return for regular, gradually spaced-out check-ups to ensure their adjustment has stayed in place for 3 months. Over the course of 3-5 months, most patients average between 10 to 15 appointments with Dr. Elder.   

If your post-concussion syndrome is preventing you from enjoying your life, get in touch and speak with Dr. Elder about your upper cervical spine. Located in Lubbock, Texas, Dr. Elder also services Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, El Paso in Texas, and Hobbs in New Mexico. 

Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.

How Upper Cervical Chiropractic Can Help Treat Trigeminal Neuralgia

What is Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic facial disorder that causes episodes of intense pain across the face and neck. Often described as a shock-like sensation, the pain typically begins near the ear and moves across the eyes, cheeks, and jaw. 

Trigeminal neuralgia can be triggered by multiple factors, including facial trauma, certain foods, or even weather changes. For some people, even routine actions like using a toothbrush can trigger an episode.

Signs and Symptoms of Trigeminal Neuralgia

The most common symptom of trigeminal neuralgia is the previously described shock-like sensation across the face and neck. This jabbing pain can be so severe that people suffering from the condition cannot sleep. Although most episodes only last for a few seconds, severe bouts can last for several minutes at a time. 

Other symptoms include numbness and tingling in the face, insomnia, and local tension in the cheek, jaw, lips, eyes, and gums. 

How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Trigeminal Neuralgia

The upper cervical spine is the topmost segment of the spinal column, comprising seven stacked vertebrae that support the base of the skull and protect the spinal cord. 

Trigeminal neuralgia is caused by overstimulation or irritation of the trigeminal nerve, a large cranial nerve that supplies facial sensation across the cheeks, forehead, and lower jaw. The branches of the trigeminal nerve connect to the brainstem, the section of the brain linked to the spinal cord.  

Because of the upper cervical spine’s proximity to the brainstem, a vertebral misalignment in this section of the spinal column can compress the trigeminal nerve as it meets the brainstem. This can lead to the misfiring of the trigeminal nerve, causing the onset of trigeminal neuralgia. 

How Our Upper Cervical Treatment Works 

Our treatment program for trigeminal neuralgia focuses on addressing the root cause of the issue, not just the symptoms. To do so, our clinic specializes in the use of the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Technique, a chiropractic method that aims to precisely target and gently correct misalignments in the upper cervical spine. 

Our expert chiropractor, Dr. Gordon Elder, is a veteran practitioner of the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Technique. Your first appointment with Dr. Elder will typically involve a brief (25 to 30 minute) examination to determine if your trigeminal neuralgia is linked to a misalignment in the upper cervical spine. 

If a misalignment is detected, Dr. Elder will use a series of diagnostic tools, including advanced 3-D imaging, to target the precise location of the spinal misalignment. You’ll be able to review our findings in a brief report and approach Dr. Elder with any questions you might have. 

Finally, Dr. Elder will use precise, non-invasive corrections to restore the vertebrae of your upper cervical spine to their natural position. By realigning the upper cervical spine, Dr. Elder is not only removing a painful source of pressure on your trigeminal nerve, he’s effectively rebooting your body's natural healing mechanisms.

Following the initial adjustment, patients will return for regular, gradually spaced-out check-ups to ensure their adjustment has stayed in place for 3 months. Over the course of 3-5 months, most patients average between 10 and 15 appointments with Dr. Elder.  

If you’re suffering from trigeminal neuralgia, we can help! Located in Lubbock, Texas, Blair Chiropractic Clinic also services Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, El Paso in Texas, and Hobbs in New Mexico. 

Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.

Vertigo: An Alternative Treatment Method for This Condition

What is Vertigo?

Vertigo is a sensation of dizziness and instability that occurs without movement. While it’s normal to experience occasional bouts of dizziness, people suffering from vertigo typically report more severe and/or more frequent episodes, often leading to coordination issues, disorientation, and difficulty completing everyday tasks.

Signs and Symptoms of Vertigo

The primary symptom associated with vertigo is a feeling of dizziness or a sense that your surroundings are spinning when you’re stationary. Other frequently cited symptoms of vertigo include tinnitus, headaches, and nausea. 

How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Vertigo

The most common cause of vertigo is dysfunction in the inner ear. In addition to its role in processing auditory signals, the inner ear is also responsible for maintaining the vestibular system, which is responsible for maintaining the body's balance and spatial orientation. 

A number of factors can lead to dysfunction in the inner ear. Vertebral misalignment in the upper cervical spine is one such factor. When one or more vertebrae in the upper cervical spine are out of alignment, the ensuing inflammation can cause soft tissue swelling and inflammation throughout the inner ear. Over time, this can lead to fluid build-up in the inner ear and eustachian tubes, disrupting nerve flow from the vestibular system and eventually triggering the onset of vertigo.

How Our Upper Cervical Treatment for Vertigo Works

Our in-house chiropractor, Dr. Gordon Elder, is an expert practitioner of the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Technique. This method of chiropractic care leverages diagnostic imaging to gently re-align the upper cervical spine, restoring natural function to the spinal column and re-activating the body’s natural healing mechanisms. 

When treating vertigo, Dr. Elder employs a two-step approach to identifying and healing the condition. First, patients undergo a screening process that will determine whether a spinal misalignment may be causing their vertigo. Initial screening appointments generally last around 25–30-minutes. 

If a misalignment is detected, your initial consultation will be followed by another appointment whereupon Dr. Elder will use advanced 3-D imaging tools to pinpoint the exact angle and location of your vertebral misalignment. Afterwards, you’ll receive a full report on the results of your consultation, and you’ll have an opportunity to ask Dr. Elder any questions about your treatment options. 

To correct your misalignment, Dr. Elder will use a series of gentle, precise adjustment techniques to restore the misaligned vertebrae to their natural position, thereby reducing surrounding inflammation and encouraging normal nerve flow.

Following the initial adjustment, patients will return for regular, gradually spaced-out check-ups to ensure their adjustment has stayed in place for 3 months. Over the course of 3-5 months, most patients average between 10 and 15 appointments with Dr. Elder.  

If vertigo is preventing you from living a fulfilling life, get in touch today to speak with Dr. Elder about healing your upper cervical spine. Located in Lubbock, Texas, Blair Chiropractic Clinic also services Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, El Paso in Texas, and Hobbs in New Mexico.

Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.

How The Blair Chiropractic Technique Helps Treat Neck Pain

What is Neck Pain?

Neck pain is an umbrella term for a collection of related symptoms that can be caused by a variety of conditions. It is typically characterized by pain in the neck, shoulders, and back that radiates into the head and down the arms. 

Neck pain is one of the most common causes of discomfort in the United States, with 60-80% of adults experiencing the condition at some point in their lives. 

Signs and Symptoms of Neck Pain

Unsurprisingly, the most common symptom of neck pain is pain, stiffness, discomfort, or tenderness in the neck. Depending on the underlying cause, these symptoms may be present at all times or only when the neck is in a particular position. 

Long-term neck pain is often accompanied by a wide range of secondary symptoms, including headaches, insomnia, trouble concentrating, numbness or tingling, and dizziness.

How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Neck Pain

The upper cervical spine is a group of seven vertebrae that support and sit below the base of the skull. Because of their position in the spinal column, the upper cervical vertebrae play a key role in stabilizing and supporting the muscles, ligaments, and nerves of the neck and shoulders. As a result, proper alignment of the upper cervical spine is essential for maintaining strength, flexibility, and range of motion in the neck, shoulders, and back.

When there is a misalignment in one or more vertebrae in the upper cervical spine, it can trigger a cascade of musculoskeletal problems, including pinched nerves, strained muscles, and poor posture. Without treating the root cause, these problems can eventually manifest as episodic or sustained neck pain. 

How Our Upper Cervical Treatment for Neck Pain Works 

Our treatment for neck pain is focused on identifying and targeting the underlying source of the condition using the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Technique. By employing advanced diagnostic tools, Blair practitioners are able to restore misaligned upper cervical vertebrae to their natural position, alleviating neck pain symptoms and allowing the body's natural healing mechanisms to resume. 

At Blair Chiropractic Clinic, our expert Blair chiropractor, Dr. Gordon Elder, has a two-step approach for treating neck pain. During your first appointment, Dr. Elder will perform a brief assessment of your spinal health to determine whether you are suffering from a vertebral misalignment in the upper cervical spine. Typically lasting 25-30 minutes, this assessment will enable Dr. Elder to give you recommendations on the best course of action for further treatment.

If a misalignment is detected, Dr. Elder will proceed to the second step of your treatment plan. To locate the precise location of the misalignment, Dr. Elder will use a range of 3-D imaging tools to scan the upper cervical spine and pinpoint the vertebral misalignment. You'll have an opportunity to review the findings of this process and ask Dr. Elder any questions you may have. 

Finally, Dr. Elder will perform a series of gentle, low-force corrections to the primary area of concern. The goal of this step is to restore the natural alignment of the upper cervical spine, removing a painful source of pressure on the neck and kick-starting the body's natural healing processes.

Following the initial adjustment, patients will return for regular, gradually spaced-out check-ups to ensure their adjustment has stayed in place for 3 months. Over the course of 3-5 months, most patients average between 10 and 15 appointments with Dr. Elder.  

If you’re suffering from neck pain, don’t suffer in silence. Located in Lubbock, Texas, Blair Chiropractic Clinic also services Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, El Paso in Texas, and Hobbs in New Mexico. 

Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.

Relief from migraines, vertigo, trigeminal neuralgia, backpain and more in Luboock.

Actual Patients tell their stories of improvement from migraines, vertigo, nerve pain, and back pain after starting Blair Upper Cervical Care in Lubbock.

I’ve been having migraine headaches for thirty-something years now. 

I have had back problems my entire life. The nerve pain got so severe that I couldn’t sleep at night. 

The one and only adjustment I’ve had, I’ve only had mild headaches, my vertigo had gone away. 

I’m able to climb roofs, do everything I need to, physically, and play with my kids. 

With no jerking, popping, or twisting, we seek to find the problem, restoring the body’s ability to heal itself since 1949. 

to find out if BlAIR upper cervical may help you or to schedule a screening, call: 806-747-2735

Why I am an Upper Cervical Chiropractor:

Dr. Gordon Elder , the Director of the Blair Chiropractic Clinic in Lubbock, TX tells the story of how and why he became an Upper Cervical Doctor.

I didn’t grow up thinking that I was going to be a Chiropractor. In fact, I had lots of other dreams and plans. It wasn’t until I was in college, studying for business, that I realized that I needed to change my major and that it would be good for me.

When I was four, I was in a car accident and as I grew up, I didn’t think much about it but, when I was ten, I started getting sinus infections that wouldn’t go away unless I was actually on drugs. As soon as I would get off the drugs, the sinus infection would come back. That’d occur three or four times. My mother, who had been seeing a Chiropractor, mentioned it to him. The Chiropractor asked to check me, and sure enough, it was a bone in the top of my neck that had moved and was putting pressure on some nerves and was affecting my immune system.

So, he didn’t treat my sinus infection but, he put that bone back into place and it allowed my body to restore itself and to heal.

Didn’t make a big impression on me at the time; I was only ten. My mom had been seeing this Chiropractor for a little while because of migraine headaches. In that same accident, when I was four, she started getting migraines after that, every day, all day. Now, she’d had migraines before, since junior high, but they weren’t all day, every day. So, they got significantly worse after this accident, and she saw a

Chiropractor and it got better. A friend referred her to a Blair Chiropractor and suddenly she started improving. In her case, it was a slow process but, instead of just pain relief or pain management, it became her body attempting to heal itself and progressively doing so.

I grew up with that. I didn’t really think about it. We had occasional chiropractic appointments to make sure that I was still in alignment. I didn’t have to be adjusted very often; maybe after a wrestling bout or match occasionally. I went through high school aiming for the air force academy. And when I didn’t make it into the air force academy, thinking maybe Business?

And I started studying business and I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t really exciting. I don’t know, it just wasn’t a really great fit.

Now, as it happens, I married a beautiful young lady who had a lot of health problems and I told her that she should see my

Chiropractor. She was a little resistant because she had had a bad experience, like so many people have. But this Chiropractor ran a few tests before asking her any questions about what her problem was. And he pointed to her neck and said,

“You’re carrying pressure on your brain stem and nerves right up here.”

And she started crying a little bit, I think. I remember that I was pretty close to tears because that had been something that we had been suffering with or going through. This was after the first year of marriage so, one year of marriage and she had been suffering from childhood with back pain and headaches and neck pain, and it seemed to be getting worse every year. And the interesting thing is that she had this idea that there was some kind of a tumor or some kind of pressure on the brain stem up here but, all the MRI’s and imaging, doctors said, “That can’t happen. There’s nothing there.” And so, she just felt doomed to slowly getting worse every year. Well, this Chiropractor convinced her to let him adjust her neck and he did. She started sleeping better, she started feeling better, it was a very slow, kind of like my mother, a very slow gradual process.
Meanwhile, I was in business school and realized that this wasn’t so interesting, and my wife ended up working for this Chiropractor and then coming home and telling me all of these cool stories about people who were getting well from things that I didn’t even know that chiropractic could help. I thought,

“Wow! This is pretty awesome!”

Also, I knew that my wife was a pretty severe case, and she may need care for the rest of her life just to make sure that she stays in alignment. I thought, “Man, now I have to live next to a Blair chiropractor for the rest of my married life.” Okay, we can do that, but I got a good idea. I thought, “Well look, I’m good with my hands, I like helping people, and... maybe I should be a Chiropractor?” So, I talked to the Chiropractor, and he convinced me that this was probably a pretty good idea.

And immediately I re-found my joy for school. I enjoyed my pre-chiropractic studies, I enjoyed chiropractic college, I enjoyed learning this very specialized technique that wasn’t even taught at the college that I went to. In fact, at the time, I don’t think it was taught at any college. But as I started going to these seminars and learning this technique and learning chiropractic,

I found real joy and excitement in thinking that I can use my hands and I can relieve suffering and I can help people get well.

And that’s really my story of how I got into Chiropractic. It wasn’t a story of me, personally, being sick and getting well, although that did happen. It was more, watching my wife get well and then thinking back about my mother and how she got well.

Schedule of care at Blair Chiropractic Clinic in Lubbock, TX.

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is: “How often do I need to come?”

The goal is to not see you because you are well. Dr. Gordon elder explains the process to get you there.

Once the spine has been injured and it’s affecting the central nervous system, the brain, or the brain stem spinal cord, it takes a while for it to heal. Now, different tissues in the body heal at different rates. Ligaments heal at a different rate than muscles. Nerves, blood vessels, they all have different rates of healing. We have observed that people tend to heal in cycles. And sometimes one thing has to heal before another thing can heal.

So as a chiropractor, once somebody has injured themselves, and I correct the problem that’s keeping them from healing themselves, then I want to check more often in the beginning. Usually, we start out at twice a week. Now, that’s not necessarily a treatment twice a week. I hope it isn’t, but it’s a check to make sure that things are still progressing. And then, we go down to once a week, and then once every other week, and then once a month. My goal is to get you to the point where I’m checking you, if possible, once every six months again without finding anything, in the same way, that a dentist would be looking at your teeth, not wanting to find a cavity.

We don’t rely on symptoms to tell us when to treat you. When something needs to be fixed because as the body starts to go back to its normal position sometimes things will hurt, muscles will get stretched.

So, we do not rely primarily on how you feel to know what you need. We use objective tests for that and that’s what those tests are for.

We know that in the beginning, the bones are more likely to go back out of alignment, and so we check more often. You’re not necessarily going to know, at that time, whether it’s in or out. It may feel like it’s out and it’s not. Or it may feel great, and it’s actually just gone out of alignment and needs to be fixed before you do feel something. So that’s why we design each treatment plan for the patient. But also based on the scientific knowledge we have of how fast things heal and what cycles people go through in that healing process.

About 50% of my patients don’t need another upper neck adjustment during the first three months, but I don’t know which 50% you’re going to fall into. I want to catch it almost as soon as it happens.

In the beginning, if you go back out of alignment relatively quickly, you tend to lose progress or regress relatively quickly. As time goes on you could go out of alignment and the body is stronger. And so you don’t regress quite so quickly so, we don’t need to catch it quite as quickly.

It’s best to keep to the recommended schedule.

There are two common mistakes people make:

1. They start feeling better right away and they stop coming in.

2. The other one is that it takes a while for them to start feeling better, so they get discouraged and stop coming in.

We found that the first three months is the most critical time period. If we can make it through the first three months or three month period without having to readjust the spine, we know that it’s getting pretty stable. So in the beginning you may feel real good, but it’s not stable. So we need to keep checking it to make sure that it stays in alignment long enough to get stable.

On the other end I’ve had patients come in where it’s taken almost three months before they really started feeling better. Just the process that the body had to take to get to that point.

And so I encourage people: Go through the schedule that I recommend at least for the first three months. Once you commit to that and we get through that, then we will discuss what the next step is.

I try not to check you more than I really need to,

and so we will space those off but, based on particular times where we know, okay, things are going to be about this stable at this point. And as we go on, you’re going to become more stable and there are certain mileposts, that once we hit, we know that we can safely go on to the next level. 

Heart Palpitations

Dr. Gordon Elder , Director of the Blair Chiropractic Clinic in Lubbock, TX discusses his experience with helping people with rapid heartbeat.

I know from experience the neck can affect the heart.

I had a patient come in several years ago in January. Over the Christmas vacation, she had been to the emergency room a couple times for rapid heart beat. In fact, it was so rapid, the doctors thought it was impossible and tested it a few times because they couldn’t believe how fast her heart was beating.

She told me that her heart had actually been beating faster before she went to the emergency room and they measured it. She said her whole shirt was vibrating.

The typical intervention for this in a severe case was to go in and burn out some of the nerves in the heart. Now in my opinion, we probably need most of the parts that we have in our body. Occasionally something needs to be removed and medicine is great at doing that. But sometimes parts are removed when something else maybe was the problem.

I asked her to not get the surgery right away (a little risky on my part, right, we are dealing with the heart) and I found a problem and said that I thought it could be relevant. I ran my hand down her back and right in the top part of her back there was one bone that when I touched it, she almost screamed. It’s one of the bones where nerves actually come out and go to the heart and then back up. Now the heart gets its innervation from a couple different places, not just the spine. When that bone was that tender, I thought, okay this is probably a mechanical problem, not an organic one that needs to be dealt with with surgery.

I said, “Don’t do the surgery yet, give me a little while, I am going to adjust your neck and see what happens.” I adjusted her neck, the hot spot in her upper back went away, and her heart calmed down. Every once in a while it would come back and we’d check and sure enough, she was out of alignment again. So I know from experience- and I’ve had other patients after that (not as dramatic)- that the neck can affect the heart.

Asthma

Dr. Elder briefly discusses the connection between asthma and a neck injury.

“Ive helped a lot of people with asthma”

I’ve helped a lot of people with asthma.

I have not helped every single one of my patients that has asthma. Asthma can come from a lot of different conditions, immune problems, or allergies. What I’ve noticed, though, is that generally speaking, people with asthma, when they are in alignment and the nerves are working properly, they can breathe better and manage the asthma better. For some of them, it goes away entirely. For most of them, they can live a higher quality of life.

Arthritis & Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care | Dr. Gordon Elder

Dr. Gordon D. Elder of The Blair Chiropractic Clinic, Lubbock Texas explains how Upper Cervical Chiropractic can help reduce Arthritic pain.

Arthritis can come in many forms but the most common kind is caused by the body’s joints wearing away for one reason or another. Many times, this condition is caused by poor alignment, which makes a lot of sense; if your alignment is wrong, your joints are going to wear wrong.  This causes the inflammation, burning sensation, and pain that’s usually associated with arthritis.  This does not apply to ALL types of arthritis – for example, autoimmune arthritities like Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by a part of the body eating or disintegrating its own joints, which is a different issue.  At this time, we want to focus on arthritis that’s caused by cervical misalignment – which can be repaired over time with proper Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care.

Regardless of the type of arthritis you may have, chances are you’ve had the problem for much longer than your symptoms have been showing. Another one of the challenges associated with treating arthritis is that the problem doesn’t ‘start’ when the joints get hot and swollen.  These symptoms occur after years of the joint being worn down, which is what is causing the irritation and inflammation in the joint.  For example, many of our patients are amazed because we can look at an X-Ray of the neck and ask, “What happened to you 20 (or 50) years ago?”  We can even point out where the trauma occurred, since the X-Ray shows us where the arthritis is developed.

Contrary to what many people believe, having arthritis does NOT mean you’re old; it simply means you have an “old problem. We’ve seen relatively young patients with significant arthritis in their joints, and we’ve seen elderly patients who had virtually no arthritis until, for example, a spinal injury occurs. In these cases, when we fix the patient’s neck and take the pressure off the brainstem, their body starts to move back into the proper position. As this happens, we can relieve the pressure on those irritated joints.

Unfortunately, if the injury or damage has been there for a long time, some of the arthritic symptoms may be permanent. However, when a patient’s body is healthy enough to straighten things out, it has the ability to “work around” the damage. In many cases, people with arthritis can live fairly normal lives, not having to think about the pain of the arthritis because everything else is functioning properly and the body can compensate for the damage.  Upper cervical alignment can play a big role in this as well, because of how closely this area of the neck is associated with total body alignment.

If you or someone you know is experiencing severe pain from arthritis, we would love to see how we can help. Upper Cervical Chiropractic care has shown tremendous success in helping patients get back to normal, without being burdened by arthritic pain.  At Blair Chiropractic Clinic in Lubbock, TX , we want to fix the underlyingnproblem you’re having.  Our motto is “Find it, fix it, then leave it alone”.  Visit www.blairclinic.com or call (806) 747-2735 today to speak with a member of our staff about scheduling a screening.  

Why Is The Atlas Bone So Important? | Dr. Jordan Jensen

Image depicting the Atlas Bone, highlighted in red.

The Atlas Bone is the topmost (or highest) vertebra in the neck. It is the vertebra that is in contact with the Occipital bone– a flat bone located at the back of the head.  It’s named after the Greek Titan, Atlas.  The story of Atlas is based in Greek Mythology.  The short version of the story is this:  Zeus, who was considered to be the ruler of the Greek gods, was known for mistreating and abusing those around him.  He continually humiliated the other gods and cheated on his wife with many lovers, among other things.  Zeus’ treatment of the Titans led to an uprising in the heavens, which included the mightiest Titan; Atlas.  The rebellion was unsuccessful, and as punishment for participating in the rebellion, Zeus sentenced Atlas to forever bear the weight of the heavens on his shoulders, lest they fall and destroy the earth.

The image of Atlas holding up the heavens is one that is recognizable by many people even today. That image is why Atlas the Titan is the namesake for the Atlas bone in your C-1 vertebrae.  The Atlas bone stands on the top of your spine and body, like Atlas standing on the earth. The head and brain sit atop the Atlas bone, just like Atlas balancing the heavens. The function of the Atlas bone is the same as well; as Atlas was responsible for holding up the heavens, the Atlas bone is responsible for holding your head and brain in place at the top of your body.

If you notice the position of Atlas, he holds the heavens in a way that keeps the weight of the ball balanced on his body.  This is important because it’s this ability to balance the heavens that kept them from falling and destroying the Earth.  There’s a similarity here with the Atlas bone, as well. The weight of the human head and brain is roughly the same as the weight of a bowling ball.  If the balance is off-center, it creates stress, forcing the body to reposition.  The conclusion is, if your Atlas bone is not properly positioned or balanced, it can create stress that gets carried to the rest of the body, and up into the brain. 

Being on our phones as much as we are and working long hours at a desk make us more susceptible to this imbalance and unfortunately, it’s linked to a number of unwanted symptoms and conditions including headaches, neck pain, back pain, migraines, nausea, seizures, colic, trigeminal neuralgia, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and ADHD.  It’s amazing to think about, but every area of your body that has nerves (which is pretty much your whole body) can be negatively affected if the Atlas bone is out of alignment with Occipital bone above or the Axis bone (C2 vertebra) below. 

Thankfully, upper cervical chiropractors primarily study the Atlas bone and seek to restore the bone to its best position; and you don’t need to crack or twist your neck to do it.  Since the Atlas bone connects the head to the spine, the position of the bone can have a significant impact on the body’s nervous system.  Every nerve in the human body leads back to the spine, so there are many things that can be impacted by improper alignment of the Atlas bone.

If you or someone you know is experiencing severe pain or any of the other symptoms and conditions listed above, we would love to see how we can help. Upper Cervical Chiropractic care has shown tremendous success in helping patients get back to normal, without being burdened by chronic pain and debilitating ailments.  At Blair Chiropractic Clinic, we want to fix the problem you’re having.  Our motto is “Find it, fix it, then leave it alone”.  Visit www.blairclinic.com or call (806) 747-2735 today to speak with a member of our staff about scheduling a screening or ask any questions you might have.