Atlas Joint Chiropractic? Thoughts please....

[Brightstar]

Has anyone ever had manipulation on their Atlas joint on the neck from a chiropractor? I have been advised by Andrew Bartzis ( Galactic Historian) this would heal a long standing health problem. Can anyone recommend a such a chiropractor as I know this is a specialised technique and not for everyone. Thanks!

[waves]

I did about 10 years ago, and didn't notice any effect. I didn't do it to address any issue, the pitch was that we're all born with our atlas misaligned and resetting it would have a very long list of benefits. This chiropractor felt around my neck area, 'yep, you're off". After about 1 minute and $250 and a sort of stranglehold and and only slightly painful jerk he felt again, "yep, you're fixed". I think this issue warrants comparing opinions of numerous chiropractors and even regular doctors. If it was as huge a beneficial deal as is claimed, you'd think there'd be more mentions of it here and there, and there have been next to none that I've noticed.

[Bill Ryan]

Has anyone ever had manipulation on their Atlas joint on the neck from a chiropractor? I have been advised by Andrew Bartzis ( Galactic Historian) this would heal a long standing health problem. Can anyone recommend a such a chiropractor as I know this is a specialised technique and not for everyone. Thanks!

Yes, I have (several times over the years). These kinds of adjustments in the neck and upper body (and anywhere in the spine and elsewhere, too) can sometimes make an astonishing difference, that's greatly leveraged (magnified) from the millimeter or two that a joint might actually move when adjusted.

Clearly you need to find someone local to yourself who you can meet and 'feel out' before you commit to any sessions. Any good chiropractor would totally understand that. (If they don't, then they're not a good chiro!)

Follow your intuition. Personal recommendation helps a great deal, of course. If you meet someone who you feel you like and trust, and they seem to have the experience and understanding needed, then give it a go. Chiros can almost never do any damage (unless they're totally incompetent, which very few are). And sometimes they can change lives.

[Sunny-side-up]

I had a lot of regular, weekly work done. Back then my neck was so bad (Worse now :( ) that the plastic model they show patients couldn't be put into the shape of my neck!

My whole body, head to toe is bent and miss-aliened, I have given up on chakra balancing :( it must be fantastic to have a good skellington and a full flowing energy.

Hope you have great results with your neck Brightstar :sun:

[Hazelfern]

Excellent chiropractic saved me from a lifetime of pain in my neck. I had to go through many
chiropractors to find a really good one. That made all the difference in the world.
If they use some type of 'tool' when adjusting, that is not a good sign IMO.
The neck is the last adjustment in the 20 minute session and it is absolutely luscious when done right.
I am sitting when Doc Weber gets to the atlas joint, it is a rather odd position and is not really all that pleasant, but the first time he adjusted it, on the drive home I noticed a marked clarity in my vision.
Colors and detail increased dramatically. It was a temporary effect but very nice!
I would really love to have the means to go 2x a month.

[TargeT]

I'm headed to a chiropractic next week.. I'll see if she knows what this atlas joint is all about ;)

really I've just got a stiff/painful neck & assume it's a slightly pinched nerve.

[Hym]

I have adjusted my own atlas, out of one of the many variations in movement that are natural to me, and it made a dramatic difference. There should be a whole series of movements and positions that create a natural inclination, and invitation created by the energetics alone, to self-adjustment. Maybe it's already out there.

I have always thought that a vast majority of clinicians, chiropractors, osteopaths, massage therapists haven't even thought about their duty to inform their clients as to the causes, if they have the patience (thus the basis of having "patients") to look deeper, of each misalignment and disease. This position adjusts that....That habit in your structural body creates that misalignment....This food, this drink heals that imbalance.....that food, drink creates this chemical demand/imbalance/addiction......This exercise strengthens this reflex connection to this stressed organ and it's organ energetic connection.....I do know some of this from TFH reflexology.

$250 seems to be a cost I've seen. But really? Is that because the one teaching the practitioner charged a lot to convey the method? Not sharing the alignment for a much lower, normal fee is insulting to any healer and the mark of a disconnected soul to the power of service.

[Constance]

Hi Brightstar :sun:

Yes, I have an adjustment of my atlas and many other various chiropractic treatments over the years.

When I was 14-years-old, someone pulled a chair out from underneath me - the old mischevious prank that never fails to amuse everyone but the one who hurts themselves.

From that moment onwards, I suffered from relentless back pain that radiated down my legs and into my feet. The pain was excruciating and unrelenting if I spent any time on my feet or ran or walked etc.

It finally dawned on me in my late twenties to see a chiro. I saw a quite a few different ones who were completely ineffective for the treatment I needed. Then, I went to see a chiropractor who worked on me 3 times a week for 6 months.

It wasn't the atlas method but a chiro who was passionate about working with me to heal a very long term issue, in the way that the body specifically required it.

He was very methodical about what treatments he gave me each time and I came to trust him in a way that you do when someone is so in tune with what your healing needs are.
To aid with healing, he also offered dietary advice. Foods that aid the nervous system with rebalancing and strengthening pathways. It was specific to my individual requirements.

Now, not only do I no longer suffer from back pain, I was able to go through an entire pregnancy and labour without any back pain whatsoever.

Unfortunately, he closed up shop in Melbourne and is now up on the Gold Coast practising but I am still indebted and grateful to him today, for all the work he did.

I agree with what Bill says about using your intuition in relation to receiving a treatment. Once, when I required a treatment after having an accident, I went to one Chiro who suggested that to get through the treatment I required, it would cause me a lot of pain. I just felt that I couldn't work with someone who would suggest that to any patient under his care!
I slowly backed out the door...
I went somewhere else and the issue was fixed gradually without any of the pain he said I would have to endure.

Recently, I posted about a boy here.

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?87526-Chiropractic-helps-teenager-stuck-in-acute-pain-for-4-months-with-extreme-kyphosis-dead-leg&p=1029376&viewfull=1#post1029376

It is a very moving story about how he hurt his back whilst pulling out a tree root and how a practitioner, who uses the Gonstead method, was able to help him recover completely.


You can read more about the Gonstead Method here.

http://gonstead.com/what-is-the-gonstead-clinical-studies-society/

The Gonstead method does sometimes involve manipulation of the Atlas IF that is what you specifically require. Rather than working in a generalised way, they work specifically on what areas require work for the individual.

They are extremely thorough in their diagnoses and they do more neurological tests than any other chiro I have ever worked with in order to see the overall picture.


Good luck and let us know how you get on with it all...

:heart:

[FinallyNow]

I started going to a chiropractor in 2004. Overall I thought it was going well. Then I had an additional injury to the sacrum and or base of my spine near my coccyx and it really created problems in the treatment. In retrospect this particular chiropractor was way too forceful with his adjustments. If I were to choose one now I would go with someone that was lower impact with their adjustments. The other prime issue this doctor had is the practice of using heel lifts. I hope that chiropractors in general are no longer doing this. He told me based on my x-rays that my one femur was more than a half an inch shorter than the other. So to correct that he had multiple millimeter thicknesses of heel lifts for one shoe or the other. This went ok for awhile but after that additional injury he was torquing my neck and my atlas was not staying in place anymore. Intuition told me that it must be soft tissue creating the appearance of a shorter leg and that ended up being the case when in 2010 I finally went to an Upper Cervical Specialist.

It felt amazing at first but took some time to establish greater stability. The nice thing was I was correct in that my leg was not shorter than the other at least to any appreciable degree. I got rid of the heel lifts right away and my body began to balance itself.

My guy was a knee/ chest guy. Thats a specific school. I would agree with the other member above that the machines seem to be a bit more problematic and the human touch is what seems to really help. I had a friend that was not helped at all and likely made worse with one. The idea is to not go back to get it adjust on a regular schedule at all. That in some cases can be part of the problem. When a UC person corrects it initially they generally or possibly all of them do not want to touch it again until it needs it. The ideas beging that muscle memory and strengthening lead to ligament integrity when one stops adjusting so much. Do no harm right. This is an individual thing I would imagine. Atletes likely have no problem with my first guy but others with any sort of health issues need someone that is lighter with their adjustments.

So, overall very good experience with Upper Cervical. I do not think it is a be all end all as I did at first. The body can get stuck and although the atlas is a master control there with the medula oblongata in that all nerves pass through it, other parts of the back and body can get stuck and need another practioner or perhaps some sort of adjustment to free up the healing "downline" as I like to call it.

Certainly I'm not giving any medical advice just passing on some of my experiences over the years. There are good resources online and either 6 or 8 different techniques or schools that they are trained under. Oftentimes the UC practitioner has to be a chiropractor first and then they specialize I believe. Best.

I will say however, that there may be a case for it not being done on a certain percentage of cases as well. Why would I say that because it can be quite uncomfortable when those loosen up and in some cases if your only one or two millimeters off it may be awhile before one regains stability. I had to spend a lot of time winding my life down to very little activity. Mine was out more than many however, so it took a long time to regain stability.

[Napping]

Hi guys,

I'm immersed in the industry being a physiotherapist myself and indeed there are some very good chiro's out there, however, just as there are plenty of bad physio's there are plenty of bad chiro's too......believe me! I've seen several very bad outcomes from cervical (neck) manipulation, particularly the upper cervical like you are referring to. They are not suitable for everyone and even the most experienced guys get it wrong, which is why I personally would look at less aggressive techniques to achieve the outcome you're after.

I would be very, VERY cautious assuming that this is not a risky procedure. The consequences can be diabolical. I would ensure that the chiro/osteo/physio does a comprehensive history and examination prior to getting stuck in there like many do. I personally would never get it done to me as it just doesn't stack up in the risk/benefit analysis, but that's just me.

Cheers,

Matt

[Hazelfern]

I will add, in my opinion and experience, men have the right stuff to make
better chiro practitioners. You need physical strength to lay hands on the bones
and put them back in place. If you were in the Philly area I could make a recommendation.

As Breal said and I suggested, you have to find a quality chiro.
I went through 10 before I came to Ken, and that was through
a friends urging. At that point I was so turned off to chiros that
it took 3 weeks for me to 'allow' him to help me. Meaning, I had
multiple sessions where I blocked him at every turn.

[mosquito]

I'd recommend you try a McTimony chiropractor (they're all over the UK). Their methods are very subtle and gentle, more like being nudged than twisted and wrenched. They also treat the whole body, rather than just focus on one area. I've had my atlas tweaked on a number of occasions, with no adverse effects.

[Hym]

Gonstead, McTimony. Good advice from the pros. I didn't mention the many things I know from others going to bad practitioners, and one scary experience I had when one, I did some work for, "gifted" me with one of his brutal adjustments, one I was happy that it was performed quickly. Dodged that pain, I did. The guy has been sued more than a couple of times. When does a community of his peers tell him, with all of the good advice he has to offer, that he's in the wrong profession?
A note of success here. I met a man who was a massage therapist before he became a chiropractor. He was great and he did tell me what muscle group was out of balance, and he gave me exercises to balance it out, and he did tell me what nutrients strengthened the muscle group.

[lilac]

Yes, I went to a lecture about 7-8 years ago, where the Atlas Joint adjustment was explained. There was no demonstration and I never saw the "device" that was used. I was told it was a trade secret. It cost about $250 Cdn. I didn't feel worse. Really not sure if it helped me or not. What I do know that helped my chronic neck pain over the span of 20-30 years was the NUCCA method = Neck and Upper Cervical Chiropractic assoc. It is very non-invasive, non-scary and for me, extremely effective. I could walk into the chiro's office with my neck cricked, get adjusted, and have complete relief 30 minutes later. These days, I am thrilled with Pilates. I'm even considering getting back on the ski hill, after hanging up the boards 10 years ago.

[bettye198]

I am going to jump in here for a moment. My husband is a Chiropractor of long standing and he is, you might say, ahead of his time. He stopped doing forceful adjustments when he graduated but instead traveled back and forth across the country to study with energetic medicine guys ahead of their time. Thirty five years later, he still practices non force technique, all energetic with pulse points and some various muscle movements and we have lifetime patients. It is a very tricky thing to hope you will not hurt someone during adjustment. You want a Dr who is confident and successful and knowledgeable. If you are cautious, I recommend finding a Dr using the B.E.S.T. method ( bioenergetic syncronization technique. ) You can call Arkansas under Morter Health Systems online and find a practitioner near you. Dr. Ted Morter is long gone now ( he traveled the world and taught) but his family members are the legacy and teach and practice. Dr Ted was in touch with the Universe and created the technique over many years. It seriously works. Good luck.