Did you know that 3 trillion (3,000,000,000,000) channels of communication run to and from the brain through the top bone in your neck? Did you also know that this top bone, the first cervical vertebra, actually surrounds and protects part of your brain, the brain stem? You knew all this didn’t you? You probably also knew that this first bone is specially designed, not only to protect the brain stem and spinal cord, but to give the skull its greatest degree of mobility. It is also designed to restrict movement that would endanger the delicate tissues within. (No neck spinning around like an owl’s… get it?)

This top vertebra (neck bone) is called the atlas after the Greek character whose eternal job it was to hold up the world. Since this bone holds up and supports your head, atlas is a pretty good name.

Imagine what happens if the atlas bone were to shift a bit cock-eyed, become “a little out of whack”, as they say. Whether from an accident, stress, bad posture, too fat of a pillow, or overly repetitive work or other activity, this bone can become misaligned. Then, buddy, you don’t have your head on straight!

This is not entirely a cosmetic problem. Remember the first sentence? Three trillion channels of communication run through the atlas from the brain to all parts of the body. These communication channels carry information on the function of your heart, lungs, kidneys, arms, legs, reproductive organs. The function and health of every cell, tissue, vessel, and cavity is directly related to the strength and ability of these nerve channels to transmit information from the tissues to the brain and from the brain to the tissues.

With your atlas “out of whack”, so goes the rest of you. Interference to the stability or misalignment of the atlas is likely responsible for more physical disability than you might imagine. Along with the resulting nerve malfunction caused by the stressing atlas misalignment, pain and swelling often occur after the damage.

The good news for people who do not have their heads on straight is this: Chiropractors set people straight, everyday. Many conditions respond to the same procedure! Chiropractic adjustments. Careful movements are made to the atlas which return the spine to its normal strong position. Once the atlas is returned to normal, function follows and pain and inflammation eases.

Give us a call, today. We’ll set that atlas straight and keep it properly supporting your world.

Click to Call