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Upper cervical care: a unique approach to healthcare
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Content
UPPER CERVICAL CARE:
A UNIQUE APPROACH TO HEALTHCARE
by
Guillermo David Vázquez
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(BROADCAST JOURNALISM)
May 2012
Copyright 2012 Guillermo David Vázquez
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract iii
Upper Cervical Care: A Unique Approach to Healthcare 1
Bibliography 24
iii
ABSTRACT
Approximately 133 million people in the United States – nearly half the country’s
population – suffer from at least one chronic health condition of any kind, accounting for
83 percent of all health care spending. Projections indicate this rate will increase. By
2030 the number of Americans afflicted by a chronic condition is expected to rise to 171
million – an increase of more than one percent per year.
Musculoskeletal conditions such as low back pain, arthritis, and headaches are the
leading cause of activity limitations among working age adults. Among these, chronic
back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under the age of 45.
The patient in this documentary reported suffering from lower and upper back pain,
arthritis, muscular spasms, numbness, headaches, fatigue, depression, anxiety and
insomnia for approximately 10 years. After receiving treatment from medical specialists
for several years without more than temporary relief of his symptoms, he found an
alternative treatment called Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic. After six months of
care, he reported a marked amelioration of all his symptoms.
Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic is based on the premise that when one or both of
the top two vertebrae of the spine – the atlas and axis – become misaligned, they create
pressure on the brainstem, leading to chronic musculoskeletal and neurological
conditions and an overall state of degenerative health. Practitioners of this treatment
allege that by realigning these vertebrae, they are removing interference from the nervous
system allowing the body to gradually return to optimal function.
Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic was developed by B.J. Palmer and A.A. Wernsing
during the first half of the 20th century and taught at Palmer College of Chiropractic
beginning in the 1950s. Today, there are several hundred practitioners that specialize in
this form of chiropractic. Numerous Upper Cervical Specific techniques have also
evolved – each with its own philosophy on how to best realign the vertebrae.
While studies in chiropractic and, more recently, European medical journals appear to
back the clinical findings of Upper Cervical Specific chiropractors, in the United States,
medical research into the efficacy of this alternative treatment has been scarce. However,
recently, researchers from the University of Chicago conducted a double-blind, placebo
controlled study that shows promising results in Upper Cervical Specific’s treatment of
hypertension. More large-scale research on the efficacy of this treatment continues in
Europe for conditions such as whiplash, ear, nose and throat disorders and multiple
sclerosis.
Through one patient’s story, this documentary explores Upper Cervical Specific practice,
technique, research and philosophy as well as mainstream medical approaches to chronic
health conditions.
1
UPPER CERVICAL CARE: A UNIQUE APPROACH TO HEALTHCARE
(Very slow fade from black)
NAT SOUND
WS of exterior façade of house Aaron is
working on
(construction sounds)
VO AARON SHELTON
CS of Aaron framing the bottom of a
kitchen counter
My line of work is construction work. I
do carpentry, framing, tile, drywall,
electrical, basically anything multi-trade.
SOT AARON SHELTON
WS of Aaron standing against doorframe
And it’s backbreaking work. That’s why
they call it that, man. It breaks your back,
that’s for sure, doing it long enough.
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron in formal interview
I really have noticed tremendous
problems with my back for the last – I
would say good 10 years.
SOT AARON SHETLTON
MS of Aaron getting back up and walking
towards saw
You can see how much I’m up and down
– you know. It definitely takes its toll.
VO AARON SHELTON
CS of Aaron measuring construction
material to cut
My symptoms that I’ve experienced are
headaches, depression, fatigue, pain in my
lower and upper back, shooting pain in
my neck, knots in my muscles, arthritis in
my lower back.
VO AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron standing in kitchen
analyzing floor plans he holds in his hands
Periodically, my left hand would go
numb.
VO AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
WS of Aaron speaking on the phone on
front porch of house
Going to specialists and having them give
me exercises to do, give me medication,
pain medicine, muscle relaxers, but I got
to a point where I was pretty convinced
that I needed to do something different
because I wasn’t getting any results and I
didn’t want to live that way anymore.
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron in formal interview
So if there was something out there, I was
going to give it a shot, and I had come to
2
that point.
CG
Most Americans suffering from chronic
health conditions resort to mainstream
medical care for treatment. However,
some patients explore treatments in
alternative medicine. One of these is
called Upper Cervical Specific
Chiropractic.
(no sound)
SOT DREW HALL, DC: UPPER
CERVICAL SPECIFIC
CHIROPRACTOR
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview with x-
ray equipment behind him
I always tell patients I don’t care how
well you eat, I don’t care how much you
exercise, I don’t care how good your
acupuncturist is, none of those things are
going to correct a structural problem at
the base of the skull.
VO STEVEN RICHEIMER, MD: CHIEF
OF PAIN MEDICINE AT USC KECK
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
MS of Dr. Richeimer in formal interview
with full-spine model in the background
(Fade to black)
I get concerned when the claims are that
anything and everything can be made
better by this. Typically, those types of
claims, I don't think, will pan out.
(Very slow fade from black)
SOT DREW HALL
CS of Dr. Hall drawing angles on female
patient’s x-rays
This is the bottom of her head. We’re
marking out the joints to see how they’re
built.
VO DREW HALL
(continue scene)
Upper Cervical Care is a science, art and
philosophy.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview with x-
ray equipment in the background
It’s a philosophy that your body has
inborn wisdom in it called innate
intelligence. It’s the science of running
neurological tests to determine: number
one, if there’s a vertebral subluxation;
number two, where is it; and number
three, how is it.
VO DREW HALL
CS of Dr. Hall positioning a female
patient for an upper cervical correction
And it’s the art of making the correction.
3
NAT SOUND
CS of Dr. Hall performing correction
maneuver
(bump)
SOT DREW HALL
CS of Dr. Hall tapping patient on the
shoulder
Stay right there. Don’t move at all. That’s
it!
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall standing in front of upper
cervical spine anatomy poster and
pointing at brainstem
There’s your head. There’s the atlas. That
red area right there is the brainstem. The
brainstem comes out the floor of the skull
down to the second cervical and then
below that is the spinal cord. Now this
area, neurologists will call this the center
of life. The reason? That area controls
cardiac function, heart function,
respiratory function, muscle tone
regulation, blood pressure control,
thermal regulations. I won’t keep going.
Basically, this is what controls function in
the body, all right. Injuries can cause this
top vertebra at the base of the skull to
shift out of position underneath the skull.
And when it becomes locked that irritates
the nervous system or the brainstem in
this area and cause the body to
malfunction.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall speaking to a female
patient after her first upper cervical
correction as she lies on the correction
table
Basically what happens is that vertebra’s
been locked under your skull. We just
knocked it back under the body’s control
and over the next few hours and days and
weeks, you’re going to go through all
sorts of changes.
VO DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall performing post-correction
thermography test by running Titron
instrument up female patient’s neck
You go into a medical doctor. He asks
you what your diseases and symptoms or
what your symptoms are. And then he’ll
come up with a name, which is a
diagnosis, all right, and then based on that
diagnosis they are going to prescribe a
treatment plan. Upper Cervical Care is
quite different.
4
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview
I care how my patients feel, but I don’t
care about what the disease or symptom is
because that tells me nothing about what’s
going on in the upper cervical spine as far
as interference to the nervous system is
concerned.
VO DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall explaining post-correction
test results to female patients in his office
Now almost any symptom or disease you
can think of I’ve seen respond in the
office due to correcting the nerve pressure
there, but the fundamental basis of
chiropractic and Upper Cervical is not
about treating effects.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall sitting across from Aaron
taking notes in consultation
Oh a framer. I could use one of those.
Okay. Any history of accidents, car
accidents, fist fights, ski traumas, water
ski, football, you name it. I’ll be here all
day probably.
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron explaining as he sits across
from Dr. Hall in consultation
Yeah – car accident – probably 10 years
ago. I should have probably went to the
hospital but I didn’t. I went to work that
night while I was in the process of getting
material. I was doing a remodel at a
Ralph’s Market.
SOT DREW HALL
(continue scene)
So it was a big one. Okay.
SOT AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
I woke up the next morning I couldn’t
move. So that was one injury. The injury
that was before that injury was the first
one that I probably ever hurt my back was
when I was probably about 10 or 11. I
dove off a diving board, and I landed
really, really flat. And I noticed that...
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall writing notes as he sits
across from Aaron in consultation
I have had a lot of people with that one.
5
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron explaining as he sits across
from Dr. Hall in consultation
And the third injury was – I want to say
that, oh yeah, it was probably 4 or 5 years
ago. I was building a house and I fell from
the second floor to the first floor. The
building collapsed.
SOT DREW HALL
(continue scene)
On your feet. Yeah. Okay.
SOT AARON SHELTON
CS of Aaron’s left leg as he sits across
from Dr. Hall in consultation
I broke this leg, but I noticed that I had
my bags on – my work bags and those
were fully loaded so I had a lot of weight
on me when I went down.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview
When a patient comes into the office, we
have three objective tests that we run on
them.
VO DREW HALL
CS of Dr. Hall checking Aaron’s feet as
he lays face down on correction table
First is called spinal balance test.
Basically, you lay the patient flat, face
down on the table and measure their leg
length. We call it the leg length inequality
test.
SOT DREW HALL
(continue scene)
Hey, just like the other one – left short.
Okay. Turn your head left side Aaron,
please. To the right side, to the middle.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview
We found that the upper neck is what
controls spinal balance or muscle tone
balance to the spine, and when the atlas
gets dislodged and locked under the skull
and it irritates the chord, it causes the
muscles through the spine to become
imbalanced.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall speaking with Aaron about
his test results
Okay. You can get up. Your left leg is
about three-eights of an inch short.
SOT AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
Really? I notice that when I wear pants.
6
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall indicating with his fingers
what the average length is
That is not – I have seen people this far
off. You are about the average of what I
see. What that indicates – the reason that
leg is short isn’t because the bones are
short. What is happening is the muscle
tone throughout the spine is out of
balance pulling the pelvis off – all starting
right there.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview
The second test that we run in the office is
called infrared thermography.
VO DREW HALL
CS of Dr. Hall running Titron instrument
up Aaron’s neck
Basically run an instrument up the neck
that measures the heat that is measuring
the micro-vascularization in the skin. And
the autonomic nervous system is what
controls blood flow through the body.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview
So if there’s an irritation to the central
nervous system there’s certain parts of the
body that it can be controlled differently
compared to the opposite side and that
would result in a heat imbalance.
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Dr. Hall standing behind Aaron
after performing test
The heat coming off my neck…
SOT DREW HALL
CS of computer screen showing Aaron’s
test results
Yes. There’s your picture. I’ve seen a lot
worse, but what it indicates – the atlas is
right at the floor of the skull. You
basically are about half a degree hotter on
the right side of the atlas compared to the
left.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview
Everybody is locked under the skull and
has nerve pressure on the brainstem, will
have a unique heat pattern just like their
thumb print to their misalignment pattern.
So we use that misalignment pattern each
visit that they come in to determine
whether they have a problem or not.
7
VO DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall standing behind Aaron
performing palpation test on his neck
And the third test, which is the least
important that I use in our office, or that
we use in our office is palpation. So we’re
basically scanning the upper cervical
spine for muscle tonicity and tightness
and illicitation of pain when the patient is
probed in certain areas.
SOT DREW HALL
(continue scene)
Does that hurt right there?
SOT AARON SHELTON Yes.
SOT DREW HALL What about right there?
SOT AARON SHELTON Yes.
SOT DREW HALL What about right here?
SOT AARON SHELTON Yes.
SOT DREW HALL What about right here?
SOT AARON SHELTON Uh.
SOT DREW HALL Not as bad.
SOT AARON SHELTON Not as bad.
VO DREW HALL
(continue scene)
This is all trying to establish a pattern.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview
All of these things should show up again
when that person is misaligned again.
And those objective tests are used at each
visit.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall taking x-rays of Aaron
Okay. Don’t move. Relax. You can take
those ear plugs out.
8
VO DREW HALL
(continue scene)
Dr. Hall adjusts Aaron’s chair
Dr. Hall positions device around Aaron’s
head
We will then shoot a set of x-rays on the
patient, and basically, what we’re looking
at is how the joints between the skull and
the atlas fit. Every joint in the body is a
mirror image of one another so if we can
image the outer margin of the atlas joint
fitting to the skull joint we can see is it
even? Has it shifted this way or has it
shifted this way? Is it atlas or axis?
NAT SOUND
MS of Dr. Hall pressing x-ray button
(buzz)
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall changing films on x-ray
machine
One down. Keep holding still.
VO DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall repositioning Aaron on
chair
By individualizing the right joint and the
left joint we can come up with an exact
three-dimensional direction of
misalignment, and furthermore, not only
can we determine what direction it has
moved, we also have angulation off of
their joint anatomy.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview
We are not taking people’s necks and
twisting and popping them. What we’re
doing is we’re coming up with an exact
misalignment pattern unique to that
person and their joint anatomy and using
that as a blueprint to get that vertebrae
that is locked under the skull back under
the body’s control to clear the brainstem
of the nerve pressure.
VO DREW HALL
MS of Aaron getting off the chair and
leaving x-ray room
So they can end up functioning the way
that they’re supposed to and heal and
repair over time.
9
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall at stand going over x-rays
with Aaron
Take a look right here. That right there is
what we call the lateral mass. That is part
of the atlas. Do you see this block right
here?
SOT AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
Yes.
SOT DREW HALL
CS of Aaron’s x-rays
CS of Dr. Hall drawing on x-rays
CS of Dr. Hall pointing at specific area on
x-rays
Those two corners should be even. This
one has shifted this way so the atlas off
the floor of the skull has shifted about
three millimeters. Here, just to make it
clear I’ll draw a graphical representation
of what you see. Here is the joint of the
skull coming up and we usually see this
teardrop shape projection and then you
will see a corner, which is the lateral
margin of the joint, and then the
corresponding atlas joint will come up
parallel and yours is like this. So this
corner should be even with that
articulation.
SOT DREW HALL
MS Dr. Hall turning to face Aaron with
cervical spine model in hand
CS shot of Dr. Hall explaining correction
on model
Your vertebra is out of position up and
forward to the right – up and forward to
the right. So what I’m going to do: I’m
going to get right here. I am going to
introduce a force with a torque like this,
and what that’s going to do is it’s going to
bring that vertebra that locked under the
skull back down and around underneath
the skull.
SOT DREW HALL
CS of Dr. Hall positioning Aaron to
perform an “Anterior Superior Right” – or
ASR – correction of his atlas vertebra
There we go. So that’s the angle we have
above your head of your joint. The atlas
will be using the angle to pull that
vertebra right back in position. There we
go. Don’t move.
NAT SOUND
CS of Dr. Hall performing correction
(bump)
10
SOT DREW HALL
CS of Aaron’s face as he lies on table after
correction
Stay right there don’t move at all. That’s
it. Warm?
SOT AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
Yeah.
SOT DREW HALL Stay right there just for a second. I am
going to leave you there just for a minute.
Yeah, your atlas was begging for that.
SOT AARON SHELTON That was an incredible feeling.
SOT DREW HALL Like what do you feel?
SOT AARON SHELTON Just a weird sensation.
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron in informal interview in Dr.
Hall’s waiting room post-correction
When he first did it, I wasn’t expecting a
kind of light-headedness. That sensation
that I got, I could feel it all the way to my
toes. Relaxing in that room and coming
out here, it feels so much better. I can
definitely tell the difference.
VO DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall helping Aaron off
correction table
If Upper Cervical is so great, then how
come I’ve never heard about it? Or if
Upper Cervical is so fantastic, how come
my neurologist at Cedars Sinai or my
rheumatologist at UCLA hasn’t told me
about it?
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. hall in formal interview
That’s a question that is asked by
probably one out of three patients at the
beginning of their care.
VO DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall using Titron instrument to
scan Aaron’s neck post-correction
The first thing I would like to dispel about
Upper Cervical Care is we do not treat
symptoms or diseases. It’s different and it
bucks the mainstream of healthcare.
11
VO DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview
Any time something new – it doesn’t
matter whether it’s the healthcare system
or the oil industry or what paradigm or
system it is. When something is new and
is groundbreaking that it kind of opposes
the mainstream, it always takes a while to
break in.
SOT DREW HALL
CS of computer screen showing split-
screen of Aaron’s test results with pre-
correction results on left side and post-
correction on right side
(Fade to black)
And I think it’s going to be research that
eventually brings it to the forefront and to
the public.
CG
In the United States, approximately 133
million people – almost half the country’s
population – suffer from at least one
chronic health condition of any kind,
accounting for 83 percent of all health
care spending. Projections indicate these
numbers will rise.
(no sound)
CG
By 2030 the number of Americans
afflicted by a chronic condition is
expected to rise to 171 million – an
increase of more than one percent per
year.
(no sound)
(Very slow fade from black)
NAT SOUND
CS of “USC Pain Center/Neurology” sign
(hospital ambient sound)
VO STEVEN RICHEIMER, MD: CHIEF
OF PAIN MEDICINE AT USC KECK
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
MS of Dr. Richeimer in formal interview
I think in good medicine what we’re
doing is we’re using multiple approaches
for a problem that is not about to heal on
its own.
SOT STEVEN RICHEIMER
MS of Aaron on his knees bending over a
saw
That’ll be anything from certain kinds of
spine conditions, again – assuming
they’ve been present long enough –
fibromyalgia, nerve injuries, phantom
limb pain, complex regional pain
syndrome. There’s many, many, many
conditions that are chronic we can help.
12
MS of Aaron carrying material from saw
to the kitchen
fibromyalgia, nerve injuries, phantom
limb pain, complex regional pain
syndrome. There’s many, many, many
conditions that are chronic we can help.
SOT STEVEN RICHEIMER
MS of Dr. Richeimer in formal interview
And those tools might include medication,
might include nerve blocks, pain
psychology, physical therapy,
occupational therapy, biofeedback,
relaxation training, stress management.
VO STEVEN RICHEIMER
MS of medication isle in pharmacy
I think some of that is a reflection of
us aging. The population’s getting older.
We’ve become more successful through
modern medicine, getting people to live
longer so some of that, in a way, is a good
sign.
VO STEVEN RICHEIMER
CS of pharmacist counting pills
CS of pharmacist filling prescription
CS of prescription placed in bin and being
picked up
Some of it I think is a sign of our not so
healthy lifestyles: that we don’t eat well,
we don’t exercise well, we don’t sleep
well, we lead high-stress lives, we don’t
take care of ourselves physically and
emotionally. And by the time we hit
middle age, we’re starting to pay a price
for all of that. Medicine to some extent is
patchwork. Once a problem is a chronic
problem, then the chance of it getting 100
percent better become low. The body’s
already healed whatever it’s going to heal.
We, with our medicines, our physical
therapy, our pain psychology, etcetera we
can improve the situation.
SOT STEVEN RICHEIMER
MS of Dr. Richeimer in formal interview
I think there are patients who would
probably come to a clinic like ours and
say, "This was great," and other patients
would say, "It didn't really help me."
Although, I think the majority would find
some benefit.
SOT STEVEN RICHEIMER
MS of Dr. Richeimer inspecting patient
files
We have lots of problems with our
medical system, and it’s not necessarily
clear what the fix is for these. A lot of
patients can’t get health insurance. They
can’t afford good healthcare. Or if they do
get health insurance, the health insurance
has limitations on the benefits that may
not match the problem.
13
files clear what the fix is for these. A lot of
patients can’t get health insurance. They
can’t afford good healthcare. Or if they do
get health insurance, the health insurance
has limitations on the benefits that may
not match the problem.
VO STEVEN RICHEIMER
MS of Dr. Richeimer in formal interview
MS of Dr. Richeimer entering consultation
room
If they have a chronic condition, it’s very
likely that they will need more than one
doctor. A primary doctor and then maybe
a specialist in their condition. Our
medical system is not so great in
communicating right now. That’s
hopefully going to change with electronic
medical records becoming more
commonplace – that we’ll learn how to
interface with each other and we can
easily come up with information from
their other doctors or their other testing.
So we’ve got a lot of improvement that’s
necessary.
VO STEVEN RICHEIMER
MS of Dr. Richeimer in formal interview
Obviously, for the non-medical
approaches, we have even a greater need
for data than with the medical approaches.
Well, we certainly need data, too, but
we're just beginning now to start to
produce some studies looking at the
scientific efficacy of some of these
treatments.
VO STEVEN RICHEIMER
CS of Dr. Hall drawing on patient x-rays
My experience with chiropractic care
through my patients has really been kind
of all over the map. Patients tell me that
after a treatment they feel better, but it's
not long-lasting and they have to kind of
keep on going.
14
SOT STEVEN RICHEIMER
MS of Dr. Hall positioning Aaron for x-
rays
In almost any treatment – chiropractic or
medical – there is a huge placebo effect.
In the chronic pain world, probably 35 to
40 percent of patients will have a placebo
response. So, separating that out is
sometimes hard to do.
SOT STEVEN RICHEIMER
MS of Dr. Richeimer in formal interview
I don't know about this upper cervical
care treatment, but one can imagine in the
right circumstance, for the right kind of
problem, that there could be a benefit
there.
VO STEVEN RICHEIMER
CS of Dr. Hall positioning Aaron for an
upper cervical correction
The brain stem is generally the part of the
brain that is the regulator of the automatic
functions of our body – our breathing, our
heart rate, our blood pressure, our
sweating, blood flow control, etc. – all is
sort of regulated by the brain stem. It's
conceivable to me that if there really is
pressure and that pressure is really
relieved that you can have some
beneficial effects.
SOT STEVEN RICHEIMER
MS of Dr. Richeimer in formal interview
I think if they haven’t carefully assessed
the start anatomy and understand what
kinds of pressures are there that there
could be a risk – that they could make a
pressure problem worse instead of better
or have a negative effect on the brain
stem, which, again, would be a dangerous
problem.
VO STEVEN RICHEIMER
CS of Dr. Hall performing an upper
cervical correction on Aaron
If it goes into a chiropractic journal, then
most doctors never look at the
chiropractic journals. So, if it gets into a
mainstream medical journal and it's a
well-done study, I think that would get a
lot of attention.
SOT STEVEN RICHEIMER
CS of Dr. Richeimer in formal interview
(Fade to black)
And at least for me, I think it would affect
how I utilize such a treatment.
15
CG
While chiropractic and more recently,
international medical studies, support the
clinical findings of Upper Cervical
specific chiropractors, in the United States
medical research on this alternative
treatment has been scarce.
CG
However, in 2007 researchers from the
University of Chicago Center for
Hypertension and Palmer College of
Chiropractic conducted a double-blind
study to verify the efficacy of Upper
Cervical specific corrections in the
treatment of hypertension.
(Very slow fade from black)
NAT SOUND
ABC NEWS medical segment graphics
reading “GMA: On-call”
(ABC NEWS jingle)
SOT ROBIN ROBERTS: ABC NEWS
GOOD MORNING AMERICA
ANCHOR
ABC News package: Roberts delivering
story with Good Morning America studio
behind her
GMA On-call. Millions of Americans
take medication to lower their blood
pressure, but new research suggests there
may be a better solution. The idea is that
some people – some people may be able
to toss their pills and visit a chiropractor
instead. So how would it work and is this
method right for everyone?
SOT GEORGE BAKRIS MD:
DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY OF
CHICAGO CENTER FOR
HYPERTENSION
ABC News package: Dr. Bakris in
informal interview in his lab
We designed a double-blind study to in
fact look and see if this procedure was
affecting blood pressure.
16
SOT ROBIN ROBERTS
ABC News package: Graphics showing 17
point drop in blood pressure
Twenty-five patients got the special
adjustment, twenty-five others – a fake
one. The ones who got the real thing saw
their blood pressure drop an average of 17
points – a dip that usually takes two blood
pressure medications to achieve.
SOT ROBIN ROBERTS
ABC News package: Chicago Upper
Cervical specific chiropractor Marshall
Dickholtz Jr. performing correction
But before you run out and get your neck
adjusted, you should know that only a
handful of chiropractors are qualified to
do this kind of thing.
SOT DREW HALL
Dr. Hall in formal interview
I was encouraged when I always thought
doing the work that oh we could publish
all the research you want and they still
wouldn’t listen.
VO DREW HALL
ABC News package: Roberts on left side
and Dr. Johnson on right side of split
screen
But I have kind of been proven wrong
because when the blood pressure study
came out by Dr. Dickholtz in Chicago, I
was encouraged to hear that a medical
correspondent on Good Morning America
actually had positive things to say about
the research.
SOT TIM JOHNSON, MD: GMA
MEDICAL CORRESPNDENT
ABC News package: Roberts on left side
and Dr. Johnson on right side of split
screen
That vertebra at the top of the neck is in a
very critical area where the brainstem, the
lower part of the brain, is involved with
the regulation of blood pressure. So it’s
theoretically imaginable that changing the
anatomy of that area might have some
effect on the regulation of blood pressure.
SOT TIM JOHNSON
(continue scene)
(Fade to black)
I’m telling you, this catches our attention
because of the significant drop in blood
pressure. It absolutely deserves more
study.
17
CG
In 2008 the government-funded National
Institutes of Health granted 2.6 million
dollars to the Palmer Center for
Chiropractic Research, part of which
would be allocated to conduct a more
extensive blood pressure study.
(Very slow fade from black)
VO AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron reading floor plans under
kitchen light
It seemed like before I went in there, there
was no healing going on, and it seems like
now I have noticed healing because these
symptoms are going away.
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron in formal interview
I feel better than I ever have. I sleep well
at night – you know. I have energy to do
things.
SOT AARON SHELTON
Close-up shot of Aaron kneeling at saw
When I woke up this morning, I felt
excellent. I felt like I could come out here,
and I felt 100 percent. You know? I felt
100 percent and that’s important for me.
VO AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
What I really notice is that after I get
corrected, I feel the spine kind of pop,
move, and I feel like…
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron in formal interview
I feel like it’s almost like if we correct
this up here. Okay. Like this. Then
everything else follows in that same line.
The spine slowly adjusts itself back again.
VO AARON SHELTON
Medium shot of Aaron drilling nails into
wall
Aaron getting up off the floor and walking
back towards saw
Some of the things that I’m able to do
now that I couldn’t do before is basically,
you know, I can bend down. I can get up
and down. I don’t have any problems –
you know. I still watch what I lift, you
know, because I tend to overdo things
sometimes.
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron in informal interview
standing in the kitchen
I try to stay away from the major lifting
things, you know, like carrying the saw
in, the compressor, and all that stuff. I
have a helper that helps me do that stuff.
So, that's kind of where it is, but, you
know…
18
So, that's kind of where it is, but, you
know…
NAT SOUND
MS of Aaron dropping a pencil
(click)
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron bending down to pick up
pencil during informal interview
…even like dropping the pencil and
bending over to pick it up, like, I notice
that I try to keep – I'm trying to keep my
neck protected and not move my body in
such a way that I'm causing strain.
SOT AARON SHELTON
CS of Aaron measuring tile with ruler
But I’m not suffering, you know, two or
three days later when I pick something up.
SOT AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
One of the things I’ve noticed is I can
think a lot clearer, which is amazing.
SOT AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
You know having to remember the angle
of where that piece goes. I got one
straight cut and one angled piece. I gotta
picture all that stuff in my mind, and I feel
a lot more confident. Like before, I would
kind of second-guess myself. Just a few
seconds. You know what I mean? But it’s
real, real clear. My thinking is a lot
clearer.
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron placing measured tile on
floor
There we go!
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron in formal interview
From the get go the anxiety and that stuff
kind of went away real quick. I don’t
remember that being an issue.
VO AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron sitting in Dr. Hall’s
consultation room
But some of those symptoms kind of
came and went.
SOT DREW HALL
(continue scene)
All right so we are at November 9, 2010.
19
SOT AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
Yes, we are.
SOT DREW HALL
(continue scene)
One month into this.
SOT AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
So the last time I came in here I was
feeling really, really good. The day
before, I kind of felt a little not so good.
SOT DREW HALL
(continue scene)
Uh huh.
SOT AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
And I kind of feel the same way right now
– like I don’t feel 100 percent.
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron in formal interview
It seemed like from that first day where I
could feel like a release of tension in my
back, and it slowly got better and then it
kind of changed and it kind of felt
crummy.
VO AARON SHELTON
CS of Dr. Hall getting ready to run Titron
instrument up Aaron’s neck for
thermography test
I didn’t have the symptoms that I had, but
I think I had some headache issues. The
numbness in the hand was still there.
SOT DREW HALL
CS of Titron instrument scanning Aaron
neck
Like someone unplugged you a little bit.
SOT AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
A little bit.
SOT DREW HALL
(continue scene)
You’re going to go through kind of a
roller coaster ride the next two weeks.
NAT SOUND
MS of computer screen showing test
results
(ambient sound)
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall performing spinal balance
test while Aaron lies face down on
correction table
All right, you can get up! You are
balanced five ways there.
20
test while Aaron lies face down on
correction table
VO DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall writing notes at his desk
after performing tests on Aaron
Some patients will come in and it will be
corrected once and they will hold the
correction for two years. I wish I could
say that’s the majority. It’s not.
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview
Then you get the other side of the
equation where a patient will come in and
they are adjusted once a week for, you
know, six or seven or eight weeks before
they stabilize.
VO AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron getting off correction table
and speaking with Dr. Hall in consultation
room
I didn’t need an adjustment. When I don’t
need an adjustment and I come in here, I
feel really good. It just kind of confirms
how I feel about what’s going on with my
body right now.
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron in informal interview in Dr.
Hall’s waiting room
(Fade to black)
Not 100 percent today, but, you know,
compared to how I felt, I feel really, really
good today.
CG
Because of research conducted in several
European countries over the last decade,
the medical community in Italy has been
receptive to integrating Upper Cervical
Care into mainstream healthcare.
CG
Some Upper Cervical Specific
chiropractors allege that the paucity of
research on this treatment in the United
States is due to the country’s heavier
reliance on pharmaceutical drugs and
traditional medical care.
21
(Very slow fade from black)
SOT DANIEL KUHN, DC: UPPER
CERVICAL SPECIFIC
CHIROPRACTOR
CS of octogenarian Dr. Daniel Kuhn
demonstrating changes in patient spine
with stop motion x-ray photography on
computer screen
This is a sick spine. It’s badly out of
balance – in poor posture, very poor. And
we’re going to slowly see it go through a
change by only correcting the atlas
vertebra. Nothing else was touched.
VO DANIEL KUHN
(continue scene)
I think why the public doesn’t really
know about Upper Cervical Care is a
major marketing problem. This is not
looked on very highly by the
pharmaceutical business.
SOT DANIEL KUHN
MS of Dr. Kuhn in formal interview with
x-ray equipment behind him
People are just – that’s what they know. I
have a symptom, take this. I have this
symptom – take that.
VO DANIEL KUHN
MS of Dr. Kuhn looking through x-rays in
office
All medication and surgery is not bad.
There is a place for medication. There is
no question about it. You can be injured
badly and let’s give the medical people
credit. The surgeons on patching up
people who have broken bones and
whatever. It’s incredible what they can
do.
SOT DANIEL KUHN
MS of Dr. Kuhn in formal interview
If you’re in a terminal situation and you
know there’s no hope – there’s nothing
that can be done – get some relief. This is
fine. Medication has its place without a
doubt.
SOT DANIEL KUHN
CS of octogenarian Dr. Daniel Kuhn
demonstrating changes in patient spine
with stop motion x-ray photography on
computer screen
No manipulation is doing that. It’s simply
correct the atlas, let the brain messages
get through to the spinal muscles, and it
will take it from a bad position to a
healthy position.
SOT DANIEL KUHN
MS of Dr. Kuhn in formal interview
The effort of the Upper Cervical doctor is
to recognize you can get well with that
life power within.
22
VO DANIEL KUHN
CS of octogenarian Dr. Daniel Kuhn
demonstrating changes in patient spine
with stop motion x-ray photography on
computer screen
(Fade to black)
But it must be allowed to have the brain
messages get through to the body 100
percent and then it can restore it back to a
better level of function. It’s that simple.
(Very slow fade from black)
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall running Titron instrument
up Aaron’s neck during thermography test
Let’s check you out and see what’s going
on! Aaron Shelton. Have you taken a look
at the mountains out there? I hear they’re
covered with snow.
VO AARON SHELTON
(continue scene)
Over the last six months? Life is
completely different. Headaches are gone.
Numbness in my hand gone. Anxiety
level way down. No depression. What
else?
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron in formal interview
Lower back pain – almost completely
gone, you know. Nowhere near what it
was. Knots in my back, don’t have those
anymore at all – at all.
VO AARON SHELTON
CS of Dr. Hall getting ready to perform
upper cervical correction on Aaron
With Upper Cervical there’s an actual –
there’s an action that takes place. There’s
something that’s been done.
NAT SOUND
CS of Dr. Hall performing upper cervical
correction on Aaron
(bump)
SOT AARON SHELTON
MS of Aaron in formal interview
And then the result of that is that you feel
better.
SOT DREW HALL
CS of Aaron’s feet post-correction
And you can see he is now dead spanking
balanced, and that’s how we want it. He
was three-eights left short. He’s now
balanced.
VO DREW HALL
(continue scene)
I think the medical profession will start
paying attention when we have research
come out that is really on their turf.
23
SOT DREW HALL
MS of Dr. Hall in formal interview
(Fade to black)
While Upper Cervical Care isn’t the cause
and cure for everything, it’s a very, very
powerful procedure when applied
properly. And in helping individuals
express their potential.
CG
With the extended hypertension study
underway headed by a team of researchers
from Palmer College of Chiropractic and
cardiologists from Mount Sinai Medical
Center, in 2011 the National Institutes of
Health pulled all funding from the study.
(no sound)
CG
More large-scale medical research into the
efficacy of this alternative treatment
continues in Europe for various
conditions, including multiple sclerosis,
ear, nose, and throat disorders and
whiplash.
24
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A Publication of the International Chiropractors Association, “Palmer Receives 2.6
Million NIH Award to Establish Center for Clinical and Translational Science in
Chiropractic.” The Chiropractic Choice 7.2 (2008): 18-20 PDF file.
Bakris G, Dickholtz M, Meyer P M, Kravitz G, Avery E, Miller M, Brown J, Woodfield
C and Bell B, “Atlas vertebra realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in
hypertensive patients: a pilot study.” Journal of Human Hypertension 21 (1997): 347-
352. Print.
Galm R, Rittmeister M, Schmitt E. “Vertigo in patients with cervical spine dysfunction.”
European Spine Journal 7.1 (1998): 55-8. Print.
Hülse M, “The cervical vertebra as a cause of hearing disorders.” HNO 42 (1994): 604-
613. Print.
Khan S, Cook J, Gargan M, Bannister G. “A symptomatic classification of whiplash
injury and the implications for treatment.” Journal of Orthopedic Medicine 21.1 (1999):
22-25. Print.
Mandolesi, S. Centro di Eccellenza, CCSVI. Web. March 10 2012.
National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2007 With Chartbook in
Trends on the Health of Americans (2006): 72. PDF file.
National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2007 With Chartbook in
Trends on the Health of Americans (2007): 44. PDF file.
Wu SY, Green A. Projection of chronic illness prevalence and cost inflation. Santa
Monica, CA: RAND Health; 2000.
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
Approximately 133 million people in the United States – nearly half the country’s population – suffer from at least one chronic health condition of any kind, accounting for 83 percent of all health care spending. Projections indicate this rate will increase. By 2030 the number of Americans afflicted by a chronic condition is expected to rise to 171 million – an increase of more than one percent per year. ❧ Musculoskeletal conditions such as low back pain, arthritis, and headaches are the leading cause of activity limitations among working age adults. Among these, chronic back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under the age of 45. ❧ The patient in this documentary reported suffering from lower and upper back pain, arthritis, muscular spasms, numbness, headaches, fatigue, depression, anxiety and insomnia for approximately 10 years. After receiving treatment from medical specialists for several years without more than temporary relief of his symptoms, he found an alternative treatment called Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic. After six months of care, he reported a marked amelioration of all his symptoms. ❧ Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic is based on the premise that when one or both of the top two vertebrae of the spine – the atlas and axis – become misaligned, they create pressure on the brainstem, leading to chronic musculoskeletal and neurological conditions and an overall state of degenerative health. Practitioners of this treatment allege that by realigning these vertebrae, they are removing interference from the nervous system allowing the body to gradually return to optimal function. ❧ Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic was developed by B.J. Palmer and A.A. Wernsing during the first half of the 20th century and taught at Palmer College of Chiropractic beginning in the 1950s. Today, there are several hundred practitioners that specialize in this form of chiropractic. Numerous Upper Cervical Specific techniques have also evolved – each with its own philosophy on how to best realign the vertebrae. ❧ While studies in chiropractic and, more recently, European medical journals appear to back the clinical findings of Upper Cervical Specific chiropractors, in the United States, medical research into the efficacy of this alternative treatment has been scarce. However, recently, researchers from the University of Chicago conducted a double-blind, placebo controlled study that shows promising results in Upper Cervical Specific’s treatment of hypertension. More large-scale research on the efficacy of this treatment continues in Europe for conditions such as whiplash, ear, nose and throat disorders and multiple sclerosis. ❧ Through one patient’s story, this documentary explores Upper Cervical Specific practice, technique, research and philosophy as well as mainstream medical approaches to chronic health conditions.
Linked assets
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
Asset Metadata
Creator
Vázquez, Guillermo David
(author)
Core Title
Upper cervical care: a unique approach to healthcare
School
Annenberg School for Communication
Degree
Master of Arts
Degree Program
Journalism (Broadcast Journalism)
Publication Date
04/25/2012
Defense Date
04/24/2012
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
adjustment,Atlas,axis,chiropractic,chronic conditions,chronic pain,correction,Healing,healthcare,holding,OAI-PMH Harvest,specific,upper cervical
Language
English
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Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
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Birman, Daniel H. (
committee chair
), Castaneda, Laura (
committee member
), Harris, Mark Jonathan (
committee member
)
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Tags
adjustment
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chronic conditions
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correction
healthcare
holding
specific
upper cervical