When struggling with pain, finding the right way to heal is crucial. You’ve likely considered chiropractic care for pain relief, but maybe you’re unsure where to go.
First, you should determine what pain symptoms you’re looking to treat. If you have back pain, you might wonder about the benefits of upper cervical chiropractic vs. regular chiropractic care.
Different types of chiropractic care can help you with different causes of your symptoms. Thus, learning more about different treatments and their benefits can help you find the right care.
To help your journey towards healthy living, we’ve compiled some information on upper cervical chiropractic vs. regular chiropractic treatment below.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic vs. Regular Chiropractic Care
When you think of chiropractic care, you may not realize that not all chiropractic care is the same.
In reality, there are many different types of chiropractic care and techniques out there!
To make things simple, the word chiropractic is often used as an umbrella term for the various focuses of care practiced by chiropractors.
As a whole, these chiropractors share a common goal of helping your body heal itself. How this is achieved, however, can vary on what type of chiropractor you see.
Regular Chiropractic Treatment
The term chiropractor refers to a professional who makes hands-on manipulations to the spine.
Let’s say you’ve been dealing with lower back pain and visit a chiropractor.
After your initial consultation, the chiropractor may create a treatment plan to manage lower back pain by adjusting the mid and/or lower part of the spine.
Depending on the patient’s needs, this may be the only treatment that they need to feel healthy and happy.
However, each case is different. And, as you’ll see in the next section, there are variations of chiropractic care and specialties that can be advantageous for patients that need specialized care.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic Treatment
In conjunction with treating the mid and lower spine, a chiropractor with a specialization in upper cervical chiropractic care can treat misalignments at the upper spine.
At the top of your spine, where your skull and spine meet, you have two bones—the atlas and axis. Through this connection at the top of your spine, your brain communicates with the rest of your body.
A misaligned atlas and/or axis can prevent your brain from communicating properly with your body. This misalignment can lead to other issues in your spine—like lower back pain—and throughout the body, like migraines and insomnia.
Accordingly, after assessing the full spine, a chiropractor with specialized upper cervical training may determine that adjustments at the upper spine may be the appropriate treatment for you to reinitiate the communication between the body and brain.
All in all, visiting an upper cervical specialist broadens the scope of treatment options and allows you to find long-term relief.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic vs. Regular Chiropractic Care: Who to See?
In the end, the appropriate care will differ from person to person. However, you can seek guidance from an upper cervical chiropractor first.
At your initial consultation, your chiropractor will conduct a comprehensive examination, complete with x-rays and physical examination to determine if upper cervical care is right for you.
Even if it isn’t, your upper cervical chiropractor will refer you to the right professional for you, such as a full-spine chiropractor.
Are you looking for the right chiropractic care for your symptoms?
Call Begin Within at (480) 699-3086 for a complimentary consultation to get started today!
