The Watertown Chiropractor to see - Chiropractor Watertown

What is Involved in Upper Cervical Care?

Consultation and Examination

A routine interview and examination is necessary to ascertain your current health status and medical history. This is important for establishing a health baseline if you are a new patient and to assess your progress if you are a patient under our care.

Computerized Infrared Thermography

This is a neurodiagnostic procedure primarily used by neurologists and upper cervical chiropractors. It is performed by moving a sensitive temperature scanning device along the sides of the spine. Any irritation to the nervous system along the spine will be detected in the temperature differential scans. This procedure is performed at every visit before an adjustment, to determine if an adjustment is needed, and afterwards to determine if an adjustment has made a correction to the nervous system.

Precision X-ray

If during your examination we discover nervous system irritation, an accurate determination of the upper cervical vertebrae's position must be made. Since standard x-ray technology is inadequate for this purpose, a high-precision laser-aligned x-ray instrument is used. The x-ray images are then analyzed by the practitioner to determine the three-dimensional displacement of the upper cervical vertebrae. Be assured that radiological examinations are performed only when clinically necessary to ensure proper patient care.

Precision Adjusting

The uniqueness of the bony anatomy of the upper neck dictates the use of a unique adjustment to correct a misalignment. We use specially designed tables which help relax the spine when an adjustment is performed. For those patients unable to get into the required position due to their condition, other tables are available. The adjustment itself is done by hand to the upper neck area.

Post-Adjustment Recuperation

In upper cervical chiropractic care, a mandatory recuperation period is important for two reasons. The first is to give the nervous system time to respond so that an accurate post-adjustment thermographic scan can be obtained. The second is to allow the ligaments and muscles holding the vertebrae to begin to stretch and adapt to the change in the bones' position. Following an adjustment, the patient is escorted to a recuperation suite and remains there for approximately 20 minutes before the post-adjustment scan is taken.