structural based chiropractic, I see the body as an incredible feat of engineering. Each piece is placed in a specific way for a specific function. When everything is in the right place at the right time, then the body will perform the right functions at the right time. My primary job is to correct and maintain the structural foundation of the entire body:
The Spine
When we look an arc made of bricks as shown above, the two sides coming together rely on the central Keystone to connect and maintain the structure. What would happen if the keystone were tilted or shifted a little to the right or the left? Would you expect the weight of gravity to wear one side of the arc more than the other? Would you start to notice some bricks shifting out of line with the others?
But Dr. Chung…how does that relate to what you do?
In my practice, I’m looking for the ‘keystone’ of the entire spine. One of the things that separates me from most chiropractors is that I look for something called the atlas displacement complex. The atlas is the top most part of your spine and acts as the Keystone between the head and neck. When the atlas shifts out of place, it can compress the arteries and veins going into the brain, damage the discs and ligaments, alter your posture, and distort the messages going into and out of the brain leading to a wide range of secondary conditions. Ultimately, it’s not the secondary conditions that matter, it’s the fact that the positioning of the atlas affects the structure and function of your spine as a whole.
How do I know if I have ADC?
Only a chiropractor with a focus on structural correction of the atlas can identify and fix ADC. That requires an in depth exam process and structural chiropractic radiographs to know for sure, but here are some possible warning signs.
You head leans forward in front of your body. You’ll notice this most in the elderly population, but it can start in late childhood/early adult hood. If someone tells you to constantly sit up or pull your head up, this may be you.
Head tilting in pictures – the head tilt is the favorite pose of a college sorority girl, but sometimes it’s truly due to an inability to hold the head up properly.
High shoulders and short legs – if you ever notice that shirts tend to fit you awkwardly from one side to the other, or had it pointed out to you that your shoulders are uneven, you may have ADC. Additionally, tailors, doctors, chiropractors, and PT’s may often times notice that you have a leg that is shorter than the other. If this is the case, many times it is a structural problem in the spine and NOT a leg that is physically shorter than the other.
If you are presenting with any of these signs, ESPECIALLY if you have one or more of these secondary conditions, you may have ADC., and it’s time for a structural evaluation.
