Multiple Sclerosi

Multiple Sclerosis ( MS ) affects more than one million people around the world. This disease is unpredictable and varies in severity, from a mild illness in some patients to a permanent disability in others.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, potentially debilitating disease that affects the brain, brain stem and spinal cord. MS affects more than one million people around the in world. This disease is unpredictable and varies in severity, from a mild illness in some patients to a permanent disability in others. Symptoms typically begin between ages 20 and 40,with women being afflicted twice as often as men. The most common symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis include numbness and tingling in the arms and legs, difficulty walking, impaired balance, muscle weakness, visual disturbances and memory loss.

Your central nervous system contains millions of nerve fibers that carry electrical impulses from your brain and brain stem to almost every tissue, organ and cell within your body. The degenerative process of MS is called demyelination. This is the destruction of the fatty substance, or myelin, which coats and

protects the nerve fibers. This fatty substance functions much like to the insulation that shields electrical wires. In patients with MS, the body mistakenly destroys the myelin sheath, which becomes inflamed and swollen and detaches from the nerve fibers; then, firm or hardened (sclerosed) patches of scar tissue form over the fibers. Eventually, this damage slows or even blocks the nerve signals from the brain, brain stem and spinal cord that control muscle coordination, strength, sensation and vision. This results in some of the permanent disabilities that may develop in patients with MS.

Medical Treatments For Multiple Sclerosis

 According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the typical medical treatment for MS includes a variety of Interferon drugs (Avonex®, Rebif®, and Betaseron®), Copaxone®, Novantrone® and Tysabri®. For acute relapses, corticosteroids such as Prednisone are used, as well as muscle relaxants, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, central nervous system stimulants and NSAIDS.

Multiple Sclerosis & Physical Trauma

For more than a century, physicians and scientists have unsuccessfully attempted to determine the exact cause of Multiple Sclerosis. The textbook Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatments states there are many factors, including trauma, that may trigger or precede exacerbations.

An article in the  European Journal of Neurology concluded that there is a definite sub group of MS patients where trauma, specifically whiplash of the neck, appears to worsen the natural course of MS. In susceptible individuals, these injuries might unleash critical changes in the central nerve system and trigger the onset of MS symptoms.

Another expert on Multiple Sclerosis, Dr. Charles Poser of The Harvard Medical School, published a similar article entitled "Trauma to the Central Nervous System May Result in Formation or Enlargement Multiple Sclerosis Plaques”. A renowned expert, Poser also concluded that trauma to the head, neck, or upper back can act as a trigger for the appearance of new or recurrent symptoms in some patients with MS. He further stated that only trauma affecting the brain and or spinal cord can be considered significant, as is the case in some whiplash injuries.

At the very least, these studies have shown that trauma does indeed have a relationship with the aggravation or creation of MS. However, in this particular situation, the symptoms of multiple sclerosis may not develop for days, months, or even years after the injury.

Upper Cervical Care & Multiple Sclerosis

Some of the newest and most relevant research on upper cervical care has demonstrated the link between MS and the upper cervical spine. Although upper cervical care is not considered a cure for those with MS, the studies demonstrate the extreme benefits for those suffering with this debilitating

neurological disease.

A study published in 2005 revealed that 100% of the patients with Multiple Sclerosis had a history of upper cervical injuries whether months old or years old. Another recently published case stud that correction of the upper neck injuries may reverse the progression of MS. The research was performed by Dr. Erin Elsler, an upper cervical chiropractor. Through the use of upper cervical care, Elster corrected

chronic upper neck injuries in an MS patient, which may have stimulated a reversal of his MS symptoms. These results have been duplicated in upper cervical centers across the country and have shown the same promising results.

Elster's report was published in the Journal‘ of Vertebral Subluxation Research. It stated that, "According to medical research, head and neck injuries have long been considered a cause of Multiple Sclerosis. But this is the first research to show that correction of those injuries can have dramatic effects on reversing MS."

In light of these recent reports, it is absolutely essential, if you have MS, that you have your spine and nervous system examined by an upper cervical doctor.

If you suffer from Multiple Sclerosis and would like to seek the help of an Upper Cervical Health Center doctor, call Dr. Grammer an Upper Cervical Chiropractor at (704) 588-5560 for the Charlotte, NC metro area  or visit the Web site at www.UpperCervicaiCare.com for a clinic in your area.

Upper cervical care has "given life back" to countless Multiple Sclerosis sufferers. Your Upper Cervical doctor knows how to develop a program specific to your needs. Most health insurance companies recognize the benefits of upper cervical care and include it among the services they cover.

What is a Subluxation?

Some of you may be wondering what this word SUBLUXATION means. Yeah it is not a word that you hear in everyday medicine because it is a term that is used in chiropractic only. There are many definitions of subluxation and how it functions in the body. Here is a general definition how B.J. defined it. "A condition of a vertebra that has lost its proper juxtaposition with the one above or the one below or both, to an extent less than a luxation, which occludes an opening, impinges nerves and interferes with the transmission of mental impulses from the brain." 

Some of you are thinking, "ah a pinched nerve." But there is a lot more to it than just a simple pinched nerve or a bone that is out of place.
There are many different opinions on what a subluxation is; some chiropractors even differ on what they see subluxation as, some don't even believe it exists. This lack of continuity is what has held us back from a more unified group of practitioners. There is often more debate on why one's practice method or definition of subluxation is wrong then there is on the similarities. For the purposes of this post I will stick with the definition above in the context of upper cervical.
The physiological aspects of a subluxation deal with a bone that has lost its proper position and nerve that is being interfered with, these are core principles to subluxation. This interference is often likened unto a garden hose. As the hose is obstructed, i.e. stepped on the flow diminishes. But subluxation is not just a diminished flow of nerve impulses; there could be too much flow or an abnormal pattern of flow. It all comes down to an abnormal flow of the nerve impulses to and or from the brain.

The nerves are part of a system, there are nerves that take signals from the environment and send the signals to the brain, like the incoming mail. Then there are responses that come from the brain to the environment. Now I want to clarify something here the environment that I speak of could be the skin, the digestive system, the heart or circulatory system, and all the other parts of the body that are controlled and regulated by the nervous system. When there are problems with the flow of the signal to and from the brain the results will have problems and this is the basis for the cause of disease. It all comes together now as you process what a subluxation is and how it works.

In upper cervical it is the top two bones in the neck that are most important. All nerves in the body are associated with this area whether it is direct or indirect, this is a crucial area. They either pass through these two bones, which is every nerve minus the twelve that are called cranial nerves, or they are associated with it by connections or synapses in the area. Minor stress on the tissue can cause a malfunction and again this abnormal flow is what can cause disease.

Subluxation is not the beginning of disease it is again a result of an outside force acting on the body. I am going to talk briefly on what are the possible causes of subluxation. Some are subjective but none the less relevant. The obvious cause is a traumatic force. Slips, a blow to the body, car accident, child birth, and anything that can transfer energy into the body via motion are all things that can cause a subluxation. Now there are the more hidden causes; sleeping on your stomach or sleeping poorly, bad posture, lack of exercise, diet, stress, and many more unknown contributors. These are the root causes of subluxation that in turn can cause disease in the body.

This information is a brief overview of the term subluxation and how it can cause disease in a person. There are many causes of a subluxation and many problems associated with them, but Ihope you have a better understanding of what subluxation is and is it possible that you may have one that you have been living with for years and not known that it could be the cause of you XYZ problem.
For those of you that are visual learners here is a brief clip on what subluxation is.
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Sick of Dealing with Depression?

Antidepressant drug usage is on the rise. One out of 10 women in America are now taking prescription drugs to combat depression.

Millions of stressed out Americans swallow pills daily in hopes that they will work some kind of magic and make their life a little easier, a little less stressed. They think that maybe this pill, that white powder, or these capsules will make them feel better once they dissolve in their stomach, enter the blood stream, travel| to the brain that it will do something, do anything to relieve their present state of dis-ease.

Can anyone miss the heavy advertising on television of the various antidepressants? As you watch these commercials, note the careful language they use in suggesting that depression "may" be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Then they go on to tell you how the medication "can correct” this biochemical imbalance. Antidepressant pharmaceuticals is a multi-billion dollar industry, and what many Americans don’t know is that there has never been definitive research that proves that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. The problem with the theory that depression is a  consequence of a "chemical imbalance in the brain" is that depression can be both triggered by and resolved by life events. In fact, the relationship between brain chemistry and life experience is a two-directional phenomenon: Life experience affects brain chemistry at least as much as brain chemistry affects life experience.

A true diagnosis of major depression involves some combination of most of the following: inability to feel pleasure of any kind, loss of interest in everything, self—hatred or guilt. inability to concentrate or to do the simplest things, sleeping all the time or not being able to sleep at all, dramatic weight gain or loss, and suicidal thoughts or actions. Truly depressed people do not smile or laugh; they may not talk; they are not fun to be with, they do not wish to be visited. They may not eat and sometimes have to be fed with feeding tubes to keep them alive, and they exude a palpable sense of pain. Depression is a thing unto itself, an undeniably physical and medical affliction.

A Growing Trend

More than 17 million children worldwide have been prescribed psychiatric drugs; more than 10 million of these are in the United States. These drugs include addictive stimulants, antidepressants and other  psychotropic (mind-altering) drugs for educational and behavioral problems.

In 2003, the FDA approved Prozac® for treating depression in people 18 years and younger. However, reports of young people committing or attempting suicide while using the drug became too numerous to ignore. The following year, the FDA reviewed 24 studies and concluded that the drugs in question doubled the risk for suicidal behavior. 

By 2004, the FDA ordered that the most serious alerts, called ”black—box warnings,“ be added to all antidepressant drug labels. This warning clearly states that antidepressants raise the risk of suicidal thoughts and hostile behavior in children and adolescents, in spite of the evidence and clear warnings, preschoolers are now the fastest growing age group taking antidepressants.

Health or Money?

David Healy, in Let Them Eat Prozac {NYE} Press, 2004], calls it “a creation of depression on so extraordinary and unwarranted a scale as to raise questions about whether pharmaceutical and other health care companies are more wedded to making profits from health than contributing to it"

Dr. Irving Kirsh, a University of Connecticut psychology professor had to use the Freedom of information Act to extract startling information from the Food and Drug Administration. in over 50% of the trials used by the FDA to approve the six leading antidepressants, the drugs failed to outperform the placebo sugar pill.

Upper Cervical Care

While science has not determined the exact cause of depression, research has pointed towards a likely involvement of the brain stem and upper cervical spine in many mood disorders. in fact, the brain stem (whose lower portion is located in the uppermost part of the spine) is involved in the regulation and control of brain chemistry as well many other vital functions.

Even a mild concussion to the head, neck or upper back can increase the risk of depression. Studies show that depression is a common diagnosis in patients with whiplash, an injury that can directly affect the upper neck and lower brain stem. Following the trauma, mood disorders can be triggered immediately, or they can take months or even years to develop. Exciting new studies show “significant improvement“ in depression test scores after specific upper cervical corrections. This noninvasive and safe alternative should be the beginning point for all who believe that they are suffering from depression.

The goal of upper cervical care is not to treat the disease, but to correct head and neck alignment and restore “brain to body communication” thereby allowing the body to heal on its own without the use of potentially dangerous drugs or surgery. 

Welcome to Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

A SIMPLE CONCEPT 

Upper cervical care is based on the universal law of cause and effect. For every effect or symptom (physical or mental), there must be a cause. Upper cervical doctors focus their efforts on locating and removing interference to the nervous system that may be the cause of your health condition. Removing this interference can allow the body to heal itself naturally without the use of potentially harmful drugs or surgery. An upper cervical correction is gentle and there is no forceful pulling, twisting or jerking motion of your neck. The correction is applied using a precise and controlled touch that allows the head, neck, and spine to return to their proper positions, restoring balance to the body and removing the interference.

The most common misconception about upper cervical care is that it only helps back and neck pain. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although our doctors can certainly help those suffering from neck and back pain, these patients represent a small fraction of the patients seen in an upper cervical doctor's office. Patients suffering from a variety of conditions have had their health restored through upper cervical care. This approach confirms the fact that the body is a self-healing organism directly controlled and coordinated by the central nervous system which is protected by your skull and spine.

WHAT IS UPPER CERVICAL CARE? 

 Upper cervical care is a rapidly growing form of chiropractic that focuses on the intimate relationship between the first two bones in the neck called the upper cervical spine, and a vital portion of the nervous system, known as the brain stem. This relationship is essential to the body's ability to preserve and restore health. Think of the brain stem as the control center that extends down an opening in the base of your skull, making it vulnerable to injuries or irritation around the upper neck. The brain stem works like a telephone cable with thousands of individual wires or nerve fibers sending signals back and forth between the brain and spinal cord to every cell, organ and system in the body. Every nerve impulse between the brain and the body must pass through the brain stem. The nervous system is responsible for all communication within the body. It controls your immune system, emotions, vision, hearing, balance, breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, muscle tension, posture, hormones, and every other function. irritation or pressure within the central nervous system can interrupt communication between the brain and the body, thus creating a variety of health problems.

The top two vertebrae, the Atlas and Axis, are especially vulnerable to injury or misalignment because they are the most mobile segments of the spine. If neglected, an upper cervical misalignment can lead to irreversible spinal degeneration and chronic ill health. Upper cervical misalignment s can be caused by falls, auto accidents, sports, job injuries, concussions, physical or emotional stress, poor posture, or even birth trauma.

 HOW IS UPPER CERVICAL CARE DIFFERENT? 

While excellent medical care is available for critical situations and acute trauma, these cases represent a small portion of today's health care problems. Many people live with chronic conditions that have progressed for years despite traditional health care. Furthermore, in recent years, side effects from drugs have become a major concern for patients (e.g. Celebrex®, Vioxx® and Oxycontin®). By some accounts, hundreds of thousands die annually in the United States due to medical errors and adverse side effects.

Too often, patients discover upper cervical care after having undergone years of traditional health care that only treated the symptoms or effects of their conditions. Prolonged treatments that ignore the cause may permit health problems to worsen to the point that they require surgical intervention. This is where upper cervical care differs from traditional medicine. Upper cervical care strives to correct the underlying cause of health problems. Doctors who are part of the international network of Upper Cervical Health Centers have extensive post-doctorate training and education in the brain stem and the upper cervical spine. Countless patients across the country have achieved a greater state of health without the risk of potentially harmful drugs or surgery.

WHO CAN BENEFIT?

Everyone — infants to seniors, mothers-to-be, athletes, and accident victims will benefit from a healthy spine and nervous system. If you have a health problem, the doctors of Upper Cervical Health Centers will strive to correct its cause, not just treat the symptoms. If you are symptom-free, upper cervical care is one of the best ways to stay healthy. Upper Cervical Health Centers has offices throughout the United States and Europe.



If you are interested in learning more about upper cervical care or would like to find an office located in your area, please visit UpperCervicalCare.com.

In the Charlotte, NC Metro are you can contact Dr. Grammer at 704-588-5560 to make an appointmnet.

A Renascence to Life

I have to apologize for my lack of diligence in keeping this blog updated. For the past two years my time has been strapped and I have had little free time. The waters have settled and now I can devote more of my time to the things I love, Chiropractic, and to be more specific Upper Cervical Chiropractic. I have a series of posts that I am going to publish in the year mainly as education for the masses. They will range from condition base approaches, philosophical principles, to research articles. These articles will be posted weekly in order to serve the suffering of the world.

Reducing Blood Pressure with Chiropractic!

Many people struggle with the problem of high blood pressure. Cardiovascular disease is the greatest killer in America and high blood pressure is a major contributer. This brings me to my topic of how an upper cervical treatment may be an option to help you or a loved one control blood pressure.

*I have to caveat that in no way is there a suggestion that you should stop taking any medication, consult with your prescribing physician and monitor you blood pressure.*

There was an article that was published in the May 2007 issue of the Journal of Human Hypertension that was a significant finding. Using a double blind(neither group knew if they were getting the real thing), placebo-controlled study there were 50 people picked that had hypertension (high blood pressure) They were treated and monitored over an 8 week period and the end results were astonishing. There was an average of 17 point drop in the systolic(first number) and a 10 point drop in the diastolic(second number). This is the effect of two separate blood pressure medications. The only vertebrae that was adjusted was the first bone at the top of the spine, Atlas. There is power in chiropractic and it is not just for neck and back pain.

The technique that was used is called NUCCA, National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association, which is a low force light touch method. It is not the only techniques that can get similar results.

Here is the link to the article. I could only post the abstract. When I find the article in full form I will try to get it up so you can take a look at it.



This is a special that was on ABC, take a look.

Doctor of Chiropractic compared to Medical Doctor

Many people are unaware of what it takes to be a chiropractor. There are those that belittle it and think it is a sham of a profession filled with hocus pocus, snake oil, and charlatans. Unfortunately there are dishonest people in every profession which become a stigma for the others. I wanted to put the knowledge and professionalism of a chiropractor into perspective. The best way to do this is to draw a comparison to something everyone is familiar with. The chart below is a comparison of schooling that a typical chiropractor has to complete in order for him or her to gain a license with that of the typical medical doctor. This is in no way an attempt to attack or discredit the medical profession but only a way for those of you who are skeptical or who think chiropractic is a sham to put a perspective into your opinion. My only wish is that you think and analyze the information before you jump to conclusions.



There are some areas where one profession has a greater training than the other. There is also the area of specialization. Just as there are specializations for medical doctors there are specializations for chiropractors, for example pediatrics, neurology, upper cervical, sports, and rehabilitation. These types of programs are often done after chiropractic school is completed. If you are looking for a specific type of care you can find it in chiropractic. Chiropractors are not just for low back pain.

Colic, Constipation and Sleep Disturbance Helped in an Infant With Chiropractic

Published on January 1, 2010 comes a case study in the scientific journal, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health that documents the case of a two week old male infant who was helped with chiropractic, after suffering with a number of abdominal problems, along with an inability to sleep properly.

In this case the infant was brought to the chiropractor by the mother who was under care during her pregnancy. The two week old boy was in distress and suffering from excessive crying, abdominal distension, constipation, and gas. He was unable to sleep properly and was clinching his fists in obvious pain. The mother reported that her infant son was unable to have a bowel movement or belch. He was unable to sleep during the day and was only sleeping sporadically at night.

Because of their child's inability to sleep properly the parents were also being sleep deprived. The mother's general practitioner even went so far as to recommend anti-depressants and tranquilizers, however; she tried an over the counter sleep aid instead.

The chiropractic examination showed a crying infant in apparent distress with areas of muscle spasm, tight ligaments and multiple vertebral misalignments in his spine. Chiropractic care was initiated using specific techniques designed to correct the vertebral subluxations found in this infant.

The results on this infant were immediate. During the adjustment the child belched, and immediately following the adjustment the child had a bowel movement before he even had a chance to leave the office. Within five adjustments his mother reported that her son's bowel movements had started to become more regular, and he was belching better after meals. The mother noted that in the initial part of care, if she had missed a visit that the child's distress would return, but would be corrected upon her son's next visit.

This case study reported that after 16 adjustments, his mother noted significant and longer lasting abatement of his symptoms and crying. His colicky behavior and constipation had resolved. His bowel movements had returned to normal and he only cried when he was either hungry or sleepy.

The study author wrote in his conclusion, "Resolution of all presenting symptomology was noted following the introduction of chiropractic care concomitant with a reduction in vertebral subluxation

Is Chiropractic for kids?

Some of you may be wondering if chiropractic is safe or necessary for children. Some have asked at what time can I get my child adjusted? I know people who have their chiropractor come into the hospital and check their child and if needs be give the child a correction within minutes after birth.

There are some that may children don't need to be adjusted because they haven't experienced any significant trauma yet. But one thing we forget is that every child has experienced something traumatic that often causes their first subluxation, birth.

As a child is delivered vaginally they typically present face to the rear, if you are lying on your back that's face down. The doctor then rotates the head to get the body to follow so that the shoulders can be manipulated through the pelvis. This rotary force is tremendous in relation to the size of the child. The next step after the head rotation in the shoulder presentation which can be the most detrimental to a child. There is downward traction applied on the neck that has been estimated to exceed at times 90 lbs. This is on average a force that is 10X the infants body weight. Imagine a 180 lb man receiving 1800lbs of tractional force on his neck, it would probably kill him. The interesting note is that this is “far from being what most obstetricians would regard as a great force.” (Towbin, 1996) This process is on an average birth with no complication.

This trauma is magnified if the child is extracted with forceps (not used that often anymore), or suction devices. The stress that is placed on the fragile neck is enough to cause damage to not only the surrounding nerves that go to the arms but also the brain stem and spinal chord.

Some be thinking, "whew! My child was a cesarean section so I am good." There is a great deal of trauma that is associated with a child that is not allowed to travel the birth canal. First, there is degree of suction that is naturally given to the child as it travels out that helps the respiratory system function upon birth. Second, most often when a child is delivered C-section at full term the baby has a faced and is sitting on the cervix ready to travel out. When the infant is then pulled in the opposite direction via an incision there is a degree of suction that has formed around the head causing cervical, or neck traction.

I wanted to share with you a tremendous story that I ran across, it brought me to tears and was a reminder to me why I was lead to this profession.


I am not trying to scare you or make you feel like you are a bad person if your child has had any of theses procedures, in fact my third child was C-section and my fourth will be also due to complication that happened, life happens and there are things that we can't control. The point that I want to make is that children have been through a lot in there relatively short lives and don't discount their lack of age as an indicator to their need for chiropractic.

There are many success stories that are emerging from parents that bought their child in with a disease that doctors said would be permanent and upper cervical chiropractic became that treatment that gave them hope. Some of the most popular success stories are autism, ADD, and ADHD, and general behavioral disorders. I am amazed how often I hear stories of success in regards to these diseases/disorders.

If you are wondering if you should take you child to be checked ask yourself some questions. Has my child ever had a significant fall, down the stairs, from a tree, out of bed, and so on. Has my child ever had a blow to the head, ball, falling backwards and hitting it on the ground, hand upside the head. These are some of the thing that can and more often do cause a subluxation in a child. We often dismiss the even, pick up our child and brush the dirt off them and tell them to go play failing to consider what might have happened.

It is never too early to get your child checked for subluxation. Upper cervical techniques are not the "twist and pop" style that you might think of when you hear Chiropractor, they are low force, very specific, and can be used on a 1 hour old baby to a 98 year-old patient with osteoporosis. The only thing that might be a problem is that there are very few truly Upper Cervical doctors in the United States. Some states are without a single one.

If you are want to know the closest one to your area drop me a line and I will point you in the right direction or give you the closest alternative. I don't care who you go to as long as you get well and your children become well.




Works Cited
Towbin, A. (1996). Laten Spinal Chord and Brain Stem injury in Newborn Infants. Devlope Med Child Neuro , 11:54-69.

A Start to a New Beggining

I am opening this blog to help others see the benefits of Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic. When most people think of Chiropractic they think of back pain, or neck problems, they rarely think of other problems like autism, colic, ear infections. The on thing about chiropractic that is misunderstood is the philosophy.

Chiropractic treatment is not a treatment for pain, though that is the main reason why people seek out a chiropractor, its purpose is to restore the body to homeostasis, or equilibrium so that the body can regulate itself.

The goal of Upper Cervical is to restore the nerve flow from the brain to the body so when the body senses something that is out of "wack" the brain can effectively respond and the body can react to that response in the appropriate manner. When there is disruption in the flow, weather from the brain out or from the out to the brain that is when you have a problem and your body experiences disease or dis-ease.

This is an educational blog and not a forum for debate. My goal is to post information that all can benefit from. Some of the topics will be on diseases that you may think are not even remotely related to chiropractic. My goal is to post articles, studies, and other information and try to relate it to the everyday person. If I can I will post the articles for personal review if you so feel inclined. I hope the information is clear and easy to understand. If you like the blog spread the word because after reading an article you may say to yourself, "I bet my friend would be interested in this." If you are skeptical ask questions. If you have a problem with it go elsewhere.

I leave this last note to those of you who have had a bad experience with a Chiropractor and think they are all the same. let me ask you one question. If you had a bad experience with a medical doctor would you stop going to all medical doctors? There are many ways a chiropractor can treat a problem and many different techniques, Upper Cervical Specific is one of those techniques.