Continuing Education: Bringing Better Chiropractic Care to Traverse City Michigan

6 months ago, our Traverse City chiropractor, Dr. Kyle, began an incredible journey to gain as much expertise as possible in taking care of people. This specifically pertains to becoming as much of an expert as possible in the craniocervical junction. This is the area of the body where the head meets the neck.

This program is called the Diplomate in Chiropractic Craniocervical Junction Procedures, and it takes two years to complete. Candidates travel one weekend each month for the two-year duration to study a different topic. It is run by the Council on Upper Cervical Care of the International Chiropractors Association. The program includes courses in anatomy, neurology, biomechanics, pathology, and advanced imaging.

Dr. Kyle has already gained a wealth of knowledge from the talented instructors. He has been able to bring that information back to better serve the Traverse City community.

FUN FACTS FROM THE PROGRAM THUS FAR:

There is a myodural bridge connecting the spinal cord to a small muscle in the upper neck called the rectus capitis posterior minor. This means that a misalignment in the upper neck can cause spasm of the muscle, which physically pulls on the spinal cord.

There is a vein known as the jugular bulb that sits inside of the head near the ear. If there is a misalignment of the upper neck, it can impede blood drainage from the head and the blood may back up into the bulb. This can leave a feeling of ‘ear fullness’ among many other things.

The input from the upper neck goes directly to the brain for purposes of balance. The vestibular system and upper neck work hand in hand to provide valuable information to the brain to help keep your body from falling. A misalignment in the upper neck can decrease balance and increase risk of falls.

At Shift Health Center in Traverse City we strive to be up to date on the latest research regarding the spine and nervous system. We are specialists in correcting problems of the upper cervical spine and we encourage you to call today to schedule your complimentary consultation!