Spinal Health Flows from the Top Down

The atlas balances your skull. That makes it a pivotal part of the spine. Since the head weighs about 12 pounds, the spine holds it up fairly easily. However, once you throw in a misalignment at the atlas, the balance shifts. The body begins to compensate through shifts along the spine and the surrounding soft tissue. The head stays on straight, but this is when other issues begin to occur.

One shoulder raises up higher than the other. Next, one of the hips will drop lower than the other. Finally, the legs will be slightly different lengths, or perhaps even more than slightly different depending on the degree of the misalignment and how long it has been there. Before you know it, pain sets in where the biggest changes have taken place. This is often in the lower back, and if it irritates the sciatic nerve, sciatica can be the result.

A general chiropractor may provide temporary relief by pushing the lower back into proper position. However, until the upper cervical misalignment is corrected with great precision, the pain will recur.