What Is NUCCA Chiropractic And How Does It Balance Your Body?
NUCCA
is an acronym for
the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association.
The NUCCA procedure is unique because it frees the nervous system of interference by using a precise, non-invasive, gentle touch technique.
NUCCA Chiropractic can help you feel better regardless of your circumstances because your central nervous system affects all human function, therefore when it is inhibited, varying conditions or problems may result, but when it’s clear, optimal health and well-being can be realized.
The focus of the NUCCA work is on a small misalignment of the bone structure that connects the head and neck, a condition called the Atlas Subluxation Complex. This misalignment can block the communication between your brain and body causing pain, stress, tension, and overall physical and emotional dysfunction.
The NUCCA procedure brings several generations of clinical research to correcting the serious problem of the Atlas Subluxation Complex. By using precise and objective x-ray views of the head and neck, mathematical measurement and analysis are made of the misalignment.
Once the misalignment is understood by the doctor, there is no need for further x-rays because correlating the relationship between posture and upper cervical misalignment allows posture to then be used thereafter to judge alignment. There is also often less need for repeated corrections because returning the bones of the neck to a normal position also normalizes function in the body.
To read more about NUCCA, please visit nucca.org
NUCCA FAQs
Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that your body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism. The body’s functions are controlled by the brain, spinal cord and all the nerves of the body.
If the nervous system is impaired, it can cause malfunction of the tissues and organs throughout the body and is known as a subluxation. Chiropractic is the science and art of locating interference to the nervous system (subluxations) and removing them so the body can function optimally and health can be restored.
There are three basic causes of subluxations. Physical causes could include a difficult childbirth, accidents and injuries including slips and falls,repetitive motions and improper lifting. Emotions such as grief, anger and fear can cause subluxations. Chemical causes could include alcohol, drugs, pollution and a poor diet.
You can have subluxations and not even know it. Like the early stages of tooth decay or cancer, subluxations can be present before warning signs appear. Body imbalance is determined by leg length disparity, postural measurements performed on an instrument called an Anatometer, bi-lateral weight difference and computerized thermographic and EMG analysis.
Once body imbalance has been determined, precise x-ray analysis, using physics and mechanics is used to calculate a formula for each spinal correction. Each formula is calculated for that individual patient, no two spinal corrections are alike.
Sometimes but rarely. Today’s hectic lifestyles are a constant source of body imbalance. Fortunately, our bodies have the ability to self-correct many of these problems. But many times it doesn’t, and that’s when we need to see a NUCCA doctor and have our body balance restored.
Once body balance is restored, the body has a much greater ability to maintain this balance and clear problems up on its own.
Yes. A New Zealand government study found that adjustments are “remarkably safe.” By avoiding drugs and risky surgery, chiropractic care enjoys an excellent track record. A thorough exam can identify the rare person for whom chiropractic care might be unsuited.
The precise and gentle nature of the NUCCA spinal correction requires NO SNAPPING, POPPING OR TWISTING OF THE NECK OR BACK. The adjustment is safe and effective.
It has been estimated that over 10,000 combinations exist of vertebral displacements. Each combination requires a different, precise adjustment which is determined from the analysis of the patient’s x-rays.
To not see is to guess, and we will not guess when it comes to your health. Only 3/4 of 1 degree of brain stem pressure is necessary to create improper function and ill health. Each movement of 1/4 of 1 degree is equal to .17mm. The work we do is very precise and we must measure what we have done to ensure it is effective, that is the key behind the success of NUCCA in patients holding adjustments for up to years at a time.
A full set of NUCCA pre and post x-rays is only equal to 1/6 of the total amount of radiation the Department of Health considers safe within a 90 day period. We only take those views which are necessary for quality care.
Some patients experience almost instant relief. Others discover it can take four weeks (musculoskeletal symptoms) to 3 months (systemic problems) depending on the severity of the condition. Many factors can affect the healing process:
How long have you had your problem
Are you keeping your appointments
Are you getting the proper rest, exercise and nutrition
Are you in otherwise good condition
Within a short period of time (usually 30 days), most patients sense enough progress to fully carry out their doctor’s recommendations. Many patients who complete initial intensive care and reach stabilization, only come in 3 or 4 times year to maintain the progress they have made.
Yes. Rest assured that your chiropractic doctor is specifically trained to deliver a completely safe and gentle NUCCA spinal correction which requires no bending, twisting or cracking of the spine.
The doctor will specifically design a treatment plan to get you the best results in the shortest amount of time and for the least amount of money depending on your specific circumstances and case.Our job is to offer you the very best care and we stand ready to help all patients, regardless of their health goals. How long you decide to benefit from chiropractic care is always up to you.
The length of time will depend upon how long the vertebrae (spinal bones) have been displaced, how successful the adjustment is in reducing the displacements, how much damage has been done to the nerve tracts and fibers, the vitality of the patient, and the rate of response of the nerve fibers to the adjustment.
The function of the adjustment is to restore misplaced bone structures to their normal positions and re- establish the normal pathways for the nerve tracts and fibers so that performance of the nervous system can improve, thus promoting healing.
Patient progress is determined by the degree of the presence or absence of the objective and physical signs of imperfect performance of the nervous system: leg length checks, mobility checks, thermographic pattern measurements, spinal column distortion measurements, evaluation of symptoms as compared to the objective signs, and other methods such as the Anatometer used by some doctors.
If correction made by the adjustment is still holding, the sensitivity of the nervous system may increase, making the patient more aware of his/her distress. This is important to the recovery of the patient, and is usually temporary.
Adjusting the patient on the basis of increased sensitivity or in reaction to his previous adjustment, will retard his/her progress. Adjustments are given only on the basis of lack of proper performance of the nervous system.
Most subluxations have existed for years, causing harm to the nervous system and its control of the bodily functions. When the subluxation is removed by the adjustment, repair of the damage caused must take place before the patient can recover. Repair of tissue takes time.
No two subluxations are identical; therefore every adjustment is different.
The neck (cervical) vertebrae, when interfering with the nervous system, cause problems throughout the body and the pain from a subluxation is most frequently expressed some distance from the location of the subluxation. Muscular imbalance will twist or distort the pelvis as well as the entire spine.
Many benefits accrue to the chiropractic patient other than those for which he/she sought chiropractic care. Some of these are:
Better performance of the nervous system resulting in improvement in respiration, cardiac rate control, circulatory improvement, better functioning of the digestive tract, better elimination
Improved spinal balance through correction of the pelvic alignment
Realignment of the gravity center of the body, causing better posture
Correction of spastic contracture in skeletal (body framework) muscles, thereby resolving back pain
Equalization of leg lengths providing better body-weight distribution and protecting spinal discs
Improved positions of internal organs.
If the nervous system is steadily improving in its performance no adjustment will be given.
No, it will retard your recovery. Recovery is speeded up by the degree of correction obtained through the adjustment, by the care that the patient takes of the adjustment, by good living habits, and by the length of time the adjustment holds.
Yes, sensation of any kind is conveyed from the sense organs in the body to the spinal cord and brain over those nerves referred to as sensory. If the subluxation decreases the ability of these sensory nerves to convey messages to the central nervous system, the patient may feel quite well yet be very ill. This is somewhat like certain drugs given to relieve symptoms and which act by lowering or blocking the sensory input to the central nervous system.
Yes, if the same subluxation recurs and to the same degree. The intensity of the symptoms agrees rather closely with the severity of the subluxation. However, if the adjustment has held for a considerable period of time, it will require time for the symptoms to recur. Just as it takes time to get well, it takes time to get sick. This is the reason you should check after a fall, not wait for symptoms to appear again.
No, we are subject to our environment and must continually adjust to it. Within that environment are disease-producing organisms, pollutants, poisons, and other irritants to which the body is subject and must adapt. If the body cannot adapt through the nervous system mechanisms, a subluxation can be produced.
The only sure way is to have your chiropractor check you for the physical signs.
It indicates strongly and positively that a major change has taken place in the subluxation factors. The area should be x-rayed again.
Very rarely does this happen and only after injury. Patients who suggest that a correction has occurred are judging by the symptoms. They feel better and believe that the reason for feeling better is that the subluxation has corrected itself. Frequently, an increase in the subluxation factors due to some injury will make the patient symptom-free, but only temporarily; later he/she will become more ill if an adjustment is not given. If the subluxation recurs slowly, the patient will feel exceptionally well for a day or two before subluxation sets in.
Not unless there has been a rather severe injury. The vertebrae of the cervical (neck) spine have little to hold them, especially the atlas which is held only by ligaments and muscles and must support the weight of the head. It is more vulnerable to injury than are the other vertebral segments.
The nerve fibers have had time to increase in size following the adjustment, and the bony pathways through which the nerve fibers pass must be further enlarged by the adjustment to accommodate them.
Imperfect performance of the nervous system is an integral part of the inception of every disease process. Checking the nervous system’s performance to uncover conduction blocks, and removing them, could help prevent many conditions from developing.
An occasional check is advisable after the patient has been dismissed from care. There is always the possibility of a recurrence of the subluxation or of a new and different subluxation giving rise to a new condition with different symptoms. Further, keeping a check on the functioning of the nervous system will help prevent many illnesses.
