Do you suffer from back, shoulder, or neck pain? Migraines? Maybe jaw pain? Have you tried various pain-reducing techniques over the years, only to experience disappointment over and over again?
If so, you’re not alone.
Almost all of the patients we’ve seen at our NUCCA clinic have expressed their initial exhaustion in finding the right treatment for their pain.
Our doctors apply a structural correction of the head and neck which (for many people) is an unexpectedly effective form of chiropractic treatment.
NUCCA, or National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association, has thoroughly researched correcting the imbalances of the neck and how this may resolve many painful symptoms such as neck stiffness and poor posture. Backed by NUCCA’s ongoing development and research, we apply effective treatment methods individualized to each person.
In fact, many of our patients have called it their saving grace.
So, what is this NUCCA chiropractic?
NUCCA care is a set of procedures that focus on re-aligning the upper neck and the head. Using a precise adjustment approach, we aim to restore balance and correct posture to the body.
NUCCA founder, Dr. Ralph Gregory, wanted to help his patients find relief from their suffering. He had such incredible success that other chiropractors requested that they teach them his upper spinal or upper neck adjustment techniques.
The difference they saw between his patients’ results and theirs was astonishing. Other chiropractic techniques available at the time simply weren’t as effective as what Dr. Gregory was doing.
I know that a lot of you reading this aren’t familiar with this form of assisting people in pain. So, I decided I would answer some of the questions I get on a regular basis as a Calgary NW chiropractor.
My hope is that you’ll experience that this is a viable treatment alternative – one that might very well eliminate your pain and restore balance in your body.
Dr. Jeffrey Scholten
NUCCA Chiropractic
The Vital Posture™ Clinic
Calgary, Canada
1. What’s the difference between NUCCA and traditional chiropractic?
All chiropractic techniques work by gentle force. Most chiropractic techniques work by attempting to restore joint function and mobility.While typical approaches can be helpful in certain circumstances, it’s not always enough. Due to the complexity involved, this is especially true when it comes to rebalancing the position of the head and the neck.
NUCCA chiropractic focuses on returning the neck and the head back to a more correct position. The atlas, also known as the first vertebrae of the neck, is used to accomplish this goal. As the correction in the head and upper neck is achieved, postural adaptations within the entire body are brought back into balance and stress is reduced.
2. Is NUCCA treatment painful?
NUCCA treatment has been described as underwhelming, as it’s never painful. There is no abrupt movement involved in a NUCCA adjustment and the neck never leaves a neutral position. The doctor applies a short, subtle pressure that takes 3-5 seconds to make small corrections to the position of the head and neck.
The patient feels only a light pressure where the hand meets the neck. The intensity of the NUCCA adjustment is similar to having your pulse taken. In fact, most patients barely feel the adjustment.
3. What can I expect at NUCCA appointment?
NUCCA care is very case-specific. It includes a thorough analysis, part of which is taking measurements and x-rays.
The diagnostic tools we use show how and where a patient’s upper spine is misaligned. From there, the precise corrective force necessary will be calculated to gently bring the head, the neck, and the atlas back into alignment.
At a NUCCA appointment, the patient lies on their side, with their head supported in a neutral position, while the chiropractor places his/her hands on the side of the neck near their ear. Light pressure is applied to make the adjustment, which shifts the delicate bones and alleviates interference created when they are in the wrong position.
4. Does NUCCA chiropractic really work?
Yes, NUCCA adjustments aim to reduce stress to the body, restoring appropriate communication and support self healing. The average patient sees a greater than 50% reduction in postural distortion within 2-3 days of the initial visit.Most chiropractors make a visual examination of the patient’s posture. They place their hands along the spine to feel where the vertebrae might be stuck. Based on this, they make their adjustment. As mentioned in question number #1, this may not always be enough, especially when it comes to dealing with complex situations that can arise in the upper neck.
It’s no secret that the upper neck misalignment is the most complex and difficult region of the spine to align, but when the correct structural correction is made, patients will notice a response throughout their entire body as normal alignment and posture is restored.
NUCCA chiropractors, in order to care for the upper neck, must make measurements and a series of x-rays of the patient’s spine. A NUCCA chiropractor must be precise and accurate first before they make their adjustment. This technique of diagnosing imbalances of the neck ensures that each adjustment is calculated and personalized to each patient’s circumstances.
5. Is this form of neck manipulation really safe?
NUCCA chiropractors understand how leery a person might be at the idea of neck manipulations. Strictly speaking, NUCCA procedures don’t involve manipulation. This form of treatment has also been shown to be very safe.
Many have been surprised at how at ease they are during their NUCCA visits.
Our ability to perform adjustments to the upper neck that feel like you’re having your pulse taken, is due the sophistication of our analysis of joint angles and the relative position of the vertebrae. When the upper spine is out of alignment, it’s often off by no more so than by a 16th of an inch, therefore precision is necessary.
6. Is NUCCA treatment expensive?
NUCCA is an unexpectedly cost-effective form of treatment. Our goal as health care practitioners is not just to relieve your pain, but to also correct what went wrong at the source. In turn, we aim to reduce your need for frequent visits. Most importantly, correcting your body’s imbalance may eliminate your reliance on painkillers, allowing your body to heal itself.
More care is typically needed in the early stages of treatment but will gradually be less necessary as your muscles stabilize your new postural balance.
The initial visit will cost $149 and you’ll receive a comprehensive consultation, postural and gait analysis, baseline testing, and a preliminary exam.
Your second visit is when your first adjustment will take place. It will take 2 to 3 hours of your time and what you will spend varies based on what is required due to the complexity of your situation. The doctor will intensively go over the problem areas to ensure that you also understand the findings of your diagnosis before your actual treatment begins. You will then receive your first NUCCA correction.
If you are a candidate for NUCCA care, treatment fees average to $175/month during the recovery phase. Your subsequent visits ensure that your post-adjustment spine is precisely in place and doing what it’s supposed to do: correct imbalances and support healing.
Ultimately, the complexity of your injury and the duration of your treatment will define the total cost.
You can decide to continue or stop treatment at any time.
7. How long does this form of treatment take?
Depending on how long ago the injury occurred, the patient usually requires follow-up visits to support the correction and for sufficient healing to occur. Most people with chronic conditions graduate from weekly visits within a couple of months and finish with recovery care within a year.
As every patient is different, it may take several adjustment visits to restore balance in the body.
Putting it all together: No part of your body exists on its own
Many tend to see the body as a series of separate systems.
Granted, we all have respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems just to name a few, but it’s inaccurate to think that all of they all work independently.
No part of your body exists on its own.
Each system is, in some way, connected to the others. An imbalance in one can contribute to an imbalance and compensation in another.
Similarly, issues in the upper neck can contribute to pain throughout the body, not just in that one specific area. The discomfort you’re experiencing might very well be related to a neck imbalance.
We hope this helps demystify NUCCA chiropractic care and why our team stand by this technique of rebalancing your body to assist you in finding relief from your pain.
