Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic is a specific chiropractic technique that focuses on the atlas vertebra, which is the topmost bone in the spine (located at the base of the skull). The atlas is considered crucial because it supports the head and plays a significant role in the alignment of the spine.
The Atlas Orthogonal technique is non-invasive and does not involve manual manipulation of the spine. Instead, it utilizes a percussion instrument that delivers a precise and gentle adjustment to the atlas vertebra. The goal of this technique is to restore proper alignment to the atlas, which can have positive effects on the overall alignment of the spine and nervous system.
Misalignments in the atlas can contribute to a variety of health issues, including headaches, neck pain, back pain, and other neurological and musculoskeletal problems. The technique is often promoted as a way to address these issues without the more traditional manual adjustments associated with chiropractic care.
An Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractor has specialized, post-graduate training in the structure, function and biomechanics of the upper cervical spine. The A. O. Technique (Atlas Orthogonal) is a safe, effective and gentle program utilizing precision treatment without drugs, surgery or spinal manipulation.
Chiropractic care can help alleviate pain and discomfort, helps you return to normal activity and prevents recurrence. The aim of chiropractic care is to promote good health and wellbeing.
- Ease pain naturally
- Effective, cost effective and safe
- High levels of patient satisfaction
- Deal with the underlying cause
- Reduce future recurrence
- Assist natural healing
- Make a quicker recovery
- Stay fit and active for longer
- Enjoy your normal activities
- Learn how to help yourself
Depending on the skills of your chiropractor and the therapies he chooses, the aims of treatment are:
- Reduce pain and inflammation
- Increase tissue healing
- Balance nervous system activity
- Release and realign tight joints
- Improve muscle strength and flexibility
- Support good nutrition and organ function
- Refine posture and body movement
- Help you with ergonomics and exercise regimes
- Assist a healthier mental and emotional life
- Enhance balance and coordination
Chiropractors often help with the kinds of problems where people have been everywhere and not been helped. If you desperately need surgery or are suffering from a life threatening illness you need medical care. If you’ve had the medical all clear but are still having problems then you might find chiropractic care can help you.
We believe that receiving chiropractic care, to help make sure your spinal joints are moving correctly is an essential part of being healthy. Just like a balanced diet, regular dental check-ups and being active, chiropractic care can help contribute to maintaining your wellbeing. Everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, needs to move well, think well and eat well. Whether you have a specific problem or not, we believe regular chiropractic checks can help identify and deal with problems before they have a more severe impact.
Your response to treatment depends on your condition, the length of time you have had the problem, your age and the degree of your disability. Your chiropractic doctor will tell you the frequency and length of treatment typically recommended for your condition.
People choose chiropractic as they often get quick results. Individual cases vary and chronic conditions obviously need more treatment, but studies show that people with low back pain get back to work much faster with chiropractic care.
You might also consider the benefits of regular chiropractic adjustments even when you feel healthy. Sometimes you won’t know you have a disorder of the joints, muscles, ligaments and nerves until it becomes acute and painful. So, just as you see your dentist to have your teeth checked and the optician for eye exams, regular visits to your chiropractor can catch related health conditions early, the theory being that this helps prevent them from developing into more severe pain episodes. Remember, your spine is susceptible to wear and tear like your teeth and your eyes so we recommend a regular service to look after it.
The body is self-healing, providing it is not being damaged in some way quicker than it can heal then all works well. The skill of a good chiropractor is to try and help identify these obstacles to normal healing and find a way to help you deal with it. These obstacles are usually some kind of stress which can be physical, chemical or neurological so a treatment intervention might address any of these. Very commonly chiropractors find one cause of stress on the body is tight joints. To help treat these, gentle manipulative techniques, known as adjustments, are used to restore correct function, mobility and good alignment to the joints. As a result, nerve and muscular function can be expected to improved.
During your first visit, the chiropractor will want to know about your health history as well as your current complaint. Your home and work life as well as your level of physical activity may also affect your health, so don’t be surprised to be asked questions about these.
Although chiropractors use their hands for most treatments, they also use other methods such as ice, specialized adjusting instruments, and personalized exercise programs, muscle-testing and neurological exercises. Your chiropractor can also give you information and guidance on how you can stay healthy through proper nutrition, general exercise and lifestyle changes.
Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) care for patients of all ages, with a variety of health conditions. They are especially well known for their expertise in caring for patients with back pain, neck pain and headaches using their highly skilled manipulations or chiropractic adjustments. DCs also care for patients with a wide range of injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system, which includes the muscles, ligaments and joints. These painful conditions may involve or impact the nervous system, which can cause referred pain and dysfunction distant to the region of injury. In addition, chiropractors offer advice to patients on diet, nutrition, exercise, healthy habits, and occupational and lifestyle modification.
Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest nondrug, noninvasive forms of health care available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness, stiffness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current research shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.
Neck pain and some types of headaches are treated through precise cervical manipulation. Cervical manipulation, often called a neck adjustment, works to improve joint mobility in the neck, restoring range of motion and reducing muscle spasm, which helps relieve pressure and tension. Neck manipulation, when performed by a skilled and well educated professional such as a doctor of chiropractic, is a remarkably safe procedure.
Some reports have associated high-velocity upper neck manipulation with a certain rare kind of stroke, or vertebral artery dissection. However, evidence suggests that this type of arterial injury often takes place spontaneously in patients who have pre-existing arterial disease. These dissections have been associated with everyday activities such as turning the head while driving, swimming, or having a shampoo in a hair salon. Patients with this condition may experience neck pain and headache that leads them to seek professional care at the office of a doctor of chiropractic or family physician, but that care is not the cause of the injury. The best evidence indicates that the incidence of artery injuries associated with high-velocity upper neck manipulation is extremely rare—about one to three cases in 100,000 patients who get treated with a course of care. This is similar to the incidence of this type of stroke among the general population.
If you are visiting your doctor of chiropractic with upper-neck pain or headache, be very specific about your symptoms. This will help your doctor of chiropractic offer the safest and most effective treatment, even if it involves referral to another healthcare provider.
When discussing the risks of any healthcare procedure, it is important to look at that risk in comparison to other treatments available for the same condition. In this regard, the risks of serious complications from spinal manipulation for conditions such as neck pain and headache compare very favorably with even the most conservative care options. For example, the risks associated with some of the most common treatments for musculoskeletal pain (i.e. over-the-counter or prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and prescription painkillers) are significantly greater than those of chiropractic manipulation.
Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that overuse and abuse of prescription opioid pain medications is among the leading causes of accidental death in the United States.
Doctors of chiropractic are well trained professionals who provide patients with safe, effective care for a variety of common conditions. Their extensive education prepares them to identify patients who have special risk factors and to ensure those patients receive the most appropriate care, even if that requires referral to a medical specialist.
Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest nondrug, noninvasive forms of health care available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness, stiffness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current research shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.
Neck pain and some types of headaches are treated through precise cervical manipulation. Cervical manipulation, often called a neck adjustment, works to improve joint mobility in the neck, restoring range of motion and reducing muscle spasm, which helps relieve pressure and tension. Neck manipulation, when performed by a skilled and well educated professional such as a doctor of chiropractic, is a remarkably safe procedure.
If you are visiting your doctor of chiropractic with upper-neck pain or headache, be very specific about your symptoms. This will help your doctor of chiropractic offer the safest and most effective treatment, even if it involves referral to another healthcare provider.
When discussing the risks of any healthcare procedure, it is important to look at that risk in comparison to other treatments available for the same condition. In this regard, the risks of serious complications from spinal manipulation for conditions such as neck pain and headache compare very favorably with even the most conservative care options. For example, the risks associated with some of the most common treatments for musculoskeletal pain (i.e. over-the-counter or prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and prescription painkillers) are significantly greater than those of chiropractic manipulation.
Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that overuse and abuse of prescription opioid pain medications is among the leading causes of accidental death in the United States.
Doctors of chiropractic are well trained professionals who provide patients with safe, effective care for a variety of common conditions. Their extensive education prepares them to identify patients who have special risk factors and to ensure those patients receive the most appropriate care, even if that requires referral to a medical specialist.
Joint tension is caused by some kind if stress affecting the joint. This stress can be physical, chemical or neural. Physical stresses can include slips and falls, accidents, repetitive motion, lifting awkwardly, poor posture and lack of fitness. Chemical stresses can include alcohol, drugs, pollution, poor diet and poor digestive and eliminative function. Examples of neural stresses include emotional stresses, such as grief, anger and fear; poor balance and coordination, too much or too little activity in various areas of the nervous system; too busy; pressure of work, finances and relationships.
A joint that is not functioning properly is often associated with a local loss of motion, which may cause alterations in the movement of surrounding joints which by compensating can become damaged. The muscles that attach to the spine are often affected, nerves may be irritated or compromised and the disks and tissues around the spine can become inflamed and degenerated. The joints and muscles can provide feedback to the nervous system which can also affect your balance and posture, as well as other related systems.
Some of the indicators that suggest a joint is stiff include tenderness, soreness and stiffness, spasm, tightness or weakness, head pain, and reduced mobility. Pain may or may not be felt.
The joint tension can sometimes cause mild aches and pains. These are often ignored until a more severe injury occurs. Like tooth decay, there is usually a gradual decline. A thorough chiropractic assessment can locate these areas of tension and discover their severity.
Clinical experience suggests that individuals with chronic conditions such as degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) or recurrent neck pain, back pain or headaches may experience less frequent and less severe symptoms when under regular chiropractic care. Stressful life situations, repetitive physical and postural strain from daily activities can also increase tension in the joints and muscles, which chiropractic care can help you manage. Whether on-going chiropractic treatment can prevent back pain from occurring in the first place, or prevent a previous condition from re-occurring, requires further study. However one study found that on average chiropractic patients who continued with chiropractic-maintenance care had 12 fewer days of severe pain on average in a year than people who stopped chiropractic care.
Yes, the strength of chiropractic is that it can help to prevent discomfort, pain and may even help reduce the physiological changes of stress that lead to health problems, by reducing the likelihood of stress hormone release and optimizing the nervous system control of the body. Chiropractic is suitable for everyone. It is appropriate to visit a Chiropractor even if you have no pain, as restrictions in movement and alterations in nervous system function can often be detected before symptoms appear.
Patient results vary. Many report tremendous improvements and are able to totally resume their previous levels of activity. People who have neglected themselves for too long or have delayed seeking care often see slower progress. After improvement, many patients discover that periodic chiropractic check-ups can help avoid a relapse.
In order to properly diagnose a patient’s condition, x-rays are commonly taken. These x-rays are used to check vertebral alignment, disc degeneration, proper curvature, scoliosis, and other serious pathology. Many chiropractors use x-rays to document a patient’s progress as well. With the advancement of high-speed film and limited exposure, the amount of radiation used is far outweighed by the useful information gained by actually seeing the patient’s spine.
That would be very helpful. If you have had X-rays, CT or MRI please ask for a copy from the radiology department who took them. They should be able to provide a computer disk of them, providing it wasn’t too long ago.
Because chiropractors rely on the natural recuperative powers of the body, medication is not commonly used with chiropractic care. Typically, chiropractors use ice or moist heat to help control pain or muscle spasm. When properly applied, these methods can have an analgesic affect without the unwanted side effects of many medications. Chiropractors and medical doctors now enjoy strong working relationships. In severe cases, referrals may be made to other health care professionals if services outside of the scope of chiropractic are needed.
Pregnant women frequently get amazing results from chiropractic. Chiropractors are trained in special techniques for adjusting pregnant women. Because of the inability to take medication for pain, the natural approaches of chiropractic are the logical choice for pregnant women. More and more, obstetricians are referring to chiropractors due to the effectiveness of spinal adjustments for pain relief. Also, techniques designed to naturally turn a Breech baby are safe and effective. Lastly, women under chiropractic care have a significantly faster delivery than those who are not.
Even today’s “natural” childbirth methods can cause spinal trauma. Studies suggest that infantile colic, poor appetite, ear infections, or erratic sleeping habits can be signs of spinal distress. Pediatric adjustments are gentle, safe, and offer a drugless alternative that many parents prefer. Pediatricians commonly refer to chiropractors for a natural approach for infant health problems.
Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns checked for vertebral subluxation. Naturally, chiropractic adjusting procedures are adapted for the child’s spine. Many childhood health complaints can be traced back to nerve interference somewhere in the spine. Having the spine checked throughout childhood could prevent health problems that emerge in adulthood. Parents often prefer chiropractic care for their children because of its safe, non-invasive nature.
Discs are known as the “shock absorbers” of the spine and are made up of a fibrous outer ring and a jelly-like center. Commonly, a variety of disc problems throughout the spine may be referred to as a “slipped disc.” A disc cannot actually slip because of the way it attaches into the bones above and below. Discs can tear, decay, bulge, or dehydrate, all of which can be serious problems. However, discs cannot slip.
A pinched nerve is a rare occurrence. Most likely, the pain you are experiencing is an adjacent spinal bone out of its proper alignment, causing irritation, slight compression, or stretching of a nerve. These misalignments, called vertebral subluxations, can distort the impulses being sent between the brain and the body. Any interference to these nerve signals can produce disorders in the tissues and organs.
Doctors of chiropractic are educated as primary-contact healthcare providers, with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to the musculoskeletal system (the muscles, ligaments and joints of the spine and extremities) and the nerves that supply them. Educational requirements for doctors of chiropractic are among the most stringent of any of the healthcare professions. The typical applicant for chiropractic college has already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work.
Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, the requirements become even more demanding — four to five academic years of professional study are the standard. Doctors of chiropractic are educated in orthopedics, neurology, physiology, human anatomy, clinical diagnosis including laboratory procedures, diagnostic imaging, exercise, nutrition rehabilitation and more. Because chiropractic care includes highly skilled manipulation and adjusting techniques, a significant portion of time is spent in clinical technique training to master these important manipulative procedures. In total, the chiropractic college curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience. The course of study is approved by the Council on Chiropractic Education, an accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Severe shooting facial pain is the hallmark symptom of trigeminal neuralgia. However, we suggest looking out for other critical indicators like uncontrollable facial spasms and jaw, teeth, and mouth pain.
There are numerous methods to relieve trigeminal neuralgia pain, such as applying ice or a cold compress to the affected facial areas, taking pain medication, or massage. However, if you would like to explore a more promising remedy that brings long-lasting relief, we recommend trying Upper Cervical Chiropractic.
Absolutely! Frequently, trigeminal neuralgia develops from a misalignment in the upper neck. When the neck bones are forced to shift from their normal position, they irritate nearby tissues like the trigeminal nerve. Naturally, by addressing postural imbalances with the help of Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic Care in Dubuque, you can alleviate the pressure on the nerves and begin seeing improvements in your symptoms.
A number of factors can contribute to back pain—from repetitive injuries or physical overexertion to poor posture. If these symptoms persist for over two weeks or worsen over time, it’s important to visit your doctor as soon as possible.
Yes. Whether you’ve experienced chronic discomfort for years or have only been having problems recently, seeing Dubuque Upper Cervical Chiropractors could be what you need to manage your pain better.
With their knowledge and experience, chiropractors can help you find relief from back pain without resorting to medication or surgery. Instead, through careful assessment of your condition and using advanced imaging scans of the C1 and C2 bones, they can recommend a series of adjustments suitable to your needs.
These adjustments are designed to restore the normal alignment of your spinal column and relieve the tension buildup on your back muscles, joints, and ligaments.
