Upper Cervical Care Condition of the Week: Low Back Pain
Irritation to the nerves in our low back occurs when the support structures interfere with the foundation of the body, the brainstem. Remember that the brainstem is the origin for all our trillions and trillions of nerve fibers that control our entire body.
Many treatments and protocols focus on the lower back when the actual cause of the problem could very well be in the Upper Cervical spine. Read my story here with low back pain and sciatica. The upper neck can indeed be THE factor in the development of lower back pain for the following reason. The brainstem has thousands of sensors responsible for maintaining both proper posture and alignment of the spine, as well as the balance and stability of the head.
These sensors are constantly monitoring the head position, making the necessary changes throughout the lower spine to insure that the head remains upright and our brains level. If our brain becomes un-level, two things will occur:
1) Our eyes would have a hard time accommodating and focusing on different stimuli causing blurry/double vision.
2) Our inner ear fluid can get distorted (which is responsible for our equilibrium and balance) and cause us to be dizzy 24/7.
Any folks suffering from vertigo out there know exactly what I’m talking about. If your foundation is off, it only makes sense that your inner ear fluid would get distorted, but vertigo is another discussion for a different week. Our brains don’t enjoy having vision and balance problems. Therefore, the brain will compromise and compensate using ANYTHING in our body to make sure the brain is as stable as possible.
When the spine is aligned, it is extremely strong and stable. However, due to the fact the top two bones are freely moveable, a possible misalignment of these top two bones leaves our brainstem vulnerable to injury. When a misalignment occurs at the top of the neck, the spine compensates or adapts in an attempt to protect the nervous system from any further damage. This starts a domino effect from the top to the bottom of the spine. When the head is thrown off balance, the lower spine is compromised, the pelvis is tilted, and the ramifications go all the way down into the musculature of our legs and feet, resulting in an internal weakness and a spine that is imbalanced.
When the spine is aligned, it is extremely strong and stable. However, due to the fact the top two bones are freely moveable, a possible misalignment of these top two bones leaves our brainstem vulnerable to injury. When a misalignment occurs at the top of the neck, the spine compensates or adapts in an attempt to protect the nervous system from any further damage. This starts a domino effect from the top to the bottom of the spine. When the head is thrown off balance, the lower spine is compromised, the pelvis is tilted, and the ramifications go all the way down into the musculature of our legs and feet, resulting in an internal weakness and a spine that is imbalanced.
Allow me to say this again, the brain will compromise ANYTHING in the body to make sure it can function the best it can. Yes, that means twisting, pulling, and shifting of muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, and joints throughout our entire body! Ever wonder why we usually get conditions like plantar fasciitis in only one foot instead of two?? What about joint replacements? It’s very rare to have a double joint replacement. It’s always one hip that goes. It’s always one knee that goes. Why is that?!? It’s called Body Imbalance and it’s due to this domino effect of a misaligned Upper Cervical spine, affecting your brainstem, affecting the alignment of your ENTIRE body.
This domino effect also makes the spinal muscles, bones, and discs more vulnerable to injury, which is an accident waiting to happen. If never addressed, an upper cervical misalignment (the foundation) can lead to premature arthritis and irreversible spinal degeneration.
Believe it or not, most people are walking around with this problem. Do you ever “people-watch” at the mall or at an amusement park? Watch your neighbors and loved ones. On the other hand, look in the mirror yourself! Is your head tilted? Are your ears level? Is one shoulder higher than the other? Is one hip higher? Can you lie on your back with both buttocks and heels touching the floor equally and without pain? Ask your spouse, son, daughter, neighbor, or your cat to check and see if your legs are equal in length. While lying on your back, if one leg is shorter than the other, you are more than likely misaligned at the Upper Cervical spine and are a ticking time bomb for lower back and joint problems later in life. Go to the cause and get your foundation corrected! You all know the saying, if the foundation is stable, everything else will be stable. Without the foundation, the entire structure will be compromised. The image below is courtesy of the late Dr. Daniel Clark and explains exactly how an Upper Cervical misalignment can cause Low Back pain, or any joint/muscular pain for that matter! Please share this article if you found it useful or educational! We get our cars checked regularly to make sure the alignment and structure is working properly; do the same for your alignment and structure. We can always get a new car; we only get one body. Take action with your health!
Yours in Health and Wellness,
Dr. Josh
