Chiropractic care is for more than just the neck and spine. Adjustments can be made throughout the body that affect the whole body. Ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows, feet, hands, and the cranium (skull) can be adjusted to address the source of symptoms.
It is common to think of the skull as one solid bone, but it is made up of 22 interlocking bones that move. Damage to the cranium can happen during birth or trauma at any stage of life. Concussions and other brain trauma can cause the bones of the skull to misalign and result in various health problems.
If not corrected, these issues can become chronic and cause a lifetime of pain, cognitive disorders, learning disabilities, and other health problems.
WHAT ARE CRANIAL ADJUSTMENTS? ISN’T THE SKULL JUST ONE BONE?
Neuro Cranial Integration (NCI) is a chiropractic treatment used to treat misalignments within the skull and down the spine as these misalignments can lead to a wealth of health problems when not treated.
There are thirteen separate bones in the skull that fit together like a puzzle. They are not fixed or fused. Instead, these bones are held together with connective soft tissue and blood vessels. Though the amount of movement between the bones is small, they can become misaligned through trauma or injury. These misalignments can interfere with the central nervous system or blood supply to the brain resulting in an onset of health problems.
NCI allows chiropractors to use a light force with their hands to unlock or release the misalignments, removing the pressure on the brain and neurological system as a whole.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING CRANIAL MISALIGNMENT?
These misalignments can interfere with the cerebral spinal fluid that naturally flows throughout the brain and down around the spinal cord to protect and nourish the nervous system. The symptoms or effects of cranial misalignments vary depending on the parts of the brain that are misaligned. Misalignments that occur during childbirth or early childhood may result in cognitive disorders, speech impairment, and learning difficulties. Other common symptoms include chronic headaches or migraines, problems with balance, vision problems, auditory problems, nausea, emotional problems, and behavior problems.
IS IT PAINFUL?
No. Many patients report that they are very relaxed during cranial adjustments and feel no pain. Some say they experience a feeling of light-headedness or fatigue afterward and some may experience soreness in the neck muscles. However, it is very safe and any discomfort will not last long. This is even true for children and can be very important for them if they do suffer from misalignments as cranial bones need to expand and contract while the brain grows during childhood. If the cranial bones do not return to their normal alignment, this can lead to health and developmental issues.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM CRANIAL ADJUSTMENTS?
Anyone who has suffered trauma to the head should be examined for misalignments. NCI has helped patients struggling with headaches and migraines. Cranial adjustments are not just for the young or elderly.
Cranial treatments are meant to help your body to function the best it can and not to absolve specific conditions that may result in or be symptoms of cranial misalignments.
For more information on NCI and how you can benefit from treatment, please contact Hunt Spinal Care today.