Lavallee chiropractic, Augusta, ME

1. Lavallee chiropractic, Augusta, ME Dr. James Lavallee, D.C.

2. Spinal cord pressure radiograph closeup of c1 Thank you in advance for taking the time to discover chiropractic and its powerful effects on human health. • Each year more than 15 million North Americans choose chiropractic for safe, natural and effective relief from back pain, neck pain, headaches, extremity pain, poor overall health, low energy levels and much more. • With regards to back pain: we’ll discuss a common issue seen in practice that responds greatly to chiropractic care, likely seen in practices in respect to patient symptomology.

3. Spinal cord pressure radiograph closeup 2 • Spinal cord pressure is easily verified with open mouth Xray. Either C1 laterally slides or C2 rotates moderately to severely in respect to the odontoid process/Dens. • Patients with a severe subluxation of C1/C2 usually are difficult patients because they don't seem to respond to prior treatment. • Most cases require 12 visits with the need to sleep on the opposite ear/shoulder to fully resolve.

4. upper cervical complex  (C1/C2) • Top down view of C1/C2 spinal canal: the spinal cord at this level normally takes up 80% of the spinal canal volume - there isn’t a lot of spatial tolerance. • Red Sox cheap seat example

5. The Narrowing of the spinal canal is seen here. This causes spinal cord pressure and the cascade of symptoms that typically follow. • This is what C1/C2 does to the size of the spinal canal if it laterally slides or if C2 rotates. It reduces the canal size causing a constant pressure on the spinal cord; in particular, the outer nerve fibers which will encompass nerves radiating to the head. • This causes a severe subluxation that not only puts pressure on the nerve roots, but on the spinal cord itself - this results in a series of symptoms that escalate as a hierarchy over time. • This is easy to see if known what systems are effected - Xray can confirm this.

6. Spinal cord comparison • The size of the spinal cord ct C1-C2 level in comparison to C3-C4 level. • Almost 3X larger but yet the spinal cord/brainstem has to pass the smallest and most narrow vertebrae. • Couple the fact that C1/C2 complex has a huge range of motion making it susceptible to misalignment – putting direct pressure on the spinal cord results in the miscommunication and malfunction of the body.

7. Spinal cord pressure symptoms caused by C1-C2 subluxation: • Patient typically can fall asleep but can not stay asleep,  they generally wake up around the same 20 minute window every night if they go to bed at a set time.  Caused by neurotransmitter shortage due to upper cervical spinal cord pressure (dopamine and serotonin typically). They wake up for no reason. • Cervicogenic headache:  is a tell tale sign in 80% of cases that I see in the office.  Starts behind one ear and radiates in the pattern of a half moon from the back of the head (lateral occiput area) to the eye of the same side. Rarely does it occur on both sides. Patients describe this pattern and usually tell me that it ends behind the eye, describing a pressure from behind the eye that presses from the back to the front -  "like a rod is being pushed from the back of my skull out through my eye on the same side.“ Only shows up in children 20% of the time. • Chronic sinus issues:  Generally they start as a frequent sniffle that lasts weeks and turns into chronic congestion. Often these are cases that end up with sinus surgery and report no improvement. This is caused by constant disruption of the nerve supply the sinus tissues. • Ear issues generally one-sided: common complaints start with tinnitus that progresses to a sterile effusion.  • Vertigo: most patients explain it as a shifting of vision from side to side when they stand up initially. The vertigo then progresses in frequency and intensity but generally switches to a "swirling" version as it becomes more severe. This form of vertigo is caused by spinal cord pressure that disrupts the electrical communication via ansa cervicalis to the superior cervical ganglion and finally to the vestibular cochlea apparatus. Ultimately, the cells that produce perilymph and endolymph produce too much fluid which would be similar to adding too much mercury to a mercury switch... It’s going to trigger many cilia for proprioception at the same time instead of one. • Finally, loss of hearing in the same ear... Ironically, the first chiropractic adjustment in 1897 was for hearing loss in one ear.

8. If you present with the following: • Problems falling asleep, or, more commonly, can fall asleep but wakes up around the same time every night (20 - 30 minute window). • Unilateral headache that starts sub occipital and radiates up the scalp and behind one eye • Chronic sinus issues • Tinnitus • Sterile effusions (discharge) behind the ear drum • Vertigo • Unilateral hearing loss of unknown origin Hearing loss Vertigo Effusions Tinnitus Sinus Headache Sleep issues

9. Feeling vs function

10. Proper communication and coordination of the nervous system to the body is the key to proper function - this is why my business cards differ from many other chiropractors. Many contain images of vertebrae or a spine, whereas mine show the nervous system because that is what is important to a healthy functioning human. I hope this was informative!