No. There is a misconception that once one begins seeing a chiropractor, they need to see one for the rest of their life. The healing process requires time and follow-up treatments to help stabilize the spine until the body can maintain the aligned position on its own. The longer your spine has been misaligned, the longer it will typically take to obtain postural strength and stability.
National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association. Whew, that’s a lot, which is why we simply refer to it as NUCCA (pronounced ‘new-ka’)
Yes. NUCCA is one of the safest forms of healthcare available. The NUCCA adjustment is gentle, and requires no twisting of the patients neck or spine.
Yes. NUCCA care is gentle and safe for children of all ages, beginning with infancy. Because the birth process can be traumatic, we recommend that children be checked for an atlas misalignment even when symptoms are absent. This is an important time to be checked for a misalignment because the newborn’s nervous system is developing, governing every process in the body, and cannot do so correctly without an aligned atlas vertebra.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There are misalignments in our body for a long time before symptoms present. Someone can be out of alignment and not even know it. Once a misalignment is corrected, the body can heal, and symptoms begin to reduce. We aim to objectively measure whether or not you are holding your alignment so that we can adjust you before your symptoms return.
The healing process takes time, and every individual responds differently to treatment. Some patients feel immediate improvement even before they leave the office, while others experience gradual improvement over time. If you were to break your arm, your medical doctor would realign the displaced bones and then provide a cast. You would wear the cast for about six to eight weeks, the typical healing cycle for bone. Correction of spinal misalignments follows the same logic. If the integrity of the muscles and ligaments is compromised, adequate time is necessary for these structures to heal in their aligned position. The longer a misalignment has been present, the more time is required for healing. Fortunately, most individuals recover quicker than they had expected.
No. Individuals only get adjusted if they demonstrate an atlas misalignment, determined when the patient presents with unbalanced hips on the Anatometer. We design our visits so the patient can receive a correction only if a misalignment is present. If a misalignment is not present, the NUCCA practitioner will document the necessary measurements to determine the changes and patterns the body is going through to manage progress properly.
For the same reason one can move a pile of heavy bricks with a light push of a wheelbarrow: leverage.
Although the patient feels only a slight pressure behind their ear while being adjusted, applying adequate force is applied to the neck. Using the first vertebra and the weight of the head to gain a biomechanical advantage, the doctor places their own body on a calculated angle to ensure the adjustment is specific to the patient’s individual misalignment. The force during the NUCCA treatment is so gentle and precise that many patients are unaware of any intervention whatsoever.
This depends upon many factors specific to your situation. Our goal is to give your body the opportunity to heal by creating a healthier and balanced alignment. The longer you hold your adjustment, the stronger and more stable it becomes and the less often you will need to be checked. Generally speaking, you will need to come in less during NUCCA care than with other types of intervention.
The upper cervical spine is the focus of NUCCA, a specialized form of chiropractic care. With traditional chiropractic methods, a doctor may use an instrument to adjust the atlas or use their hands. With NUCCA, the upper cervical spine is the leverage point to align the entire spine. That’s why NUCCA chiropractors don’t need to adjust the rest of the spine – the NUCCA technique works by aligning the upper cervical spine, allowing your body to realign the midback, lower back, hips, and pelvis.
Short answer, yes. Typically, your body has been out of alignment for a long time, creating muscle memory in this compensated position. After your first adjustment in our office, we will give you recommendations regarding daily activities to help maintain alignment. Every patient is unique, and our office has no “cookie-cutter” approaches. Every aspect of your treatment is customized for your individual goals and needs.
We do not accept insurance at The Balanced Atlas, so you will be responsible for paying for your treatment. Most PPO insurance covers out-of-network chiropractic, and you can submit the superbill receipt our office provides. If you have a Health Saving Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA), you can use those to pay for treatment in our office.
