At Origin, we will help you better understand how you arrived in your misalignment and the steps we will take to correct it. The following videos will show you through the proper corrective force necessary to align your body starting with your C1
utilizing the MIMI™ Method
The weakest region of the human spine is where the head meets the neck! This is due to fact that half of all of our head movements occur between the head and top two vertebrae. Injury will buckle this region of the spine in very large and complex ways, tearing loose connective tissue, ligaments and muscles responsible for maintaining normal posture and head alignment.
The result is the misalignment you see here where the head, neck and top vertebra (atlas) have shifted sideways from their normal position. This causes stress and altered nerve flow to and from the brain and creates posture distortion and body imbalance as the entire spine shifts off center.
As you can see here, injury also twists the upper neck adding to the complexity of the misalignment and compounding stress to the brainstem. The misalignment you see is the result of one or more past injuries. Injuries can often be traced all the way back to childhood: The header off the top bunk, a tumble down the steps, the fall off the bike, hayloft, or backyard tree. Or perhaps it was that teenage gymnastics injury or auto accident? Think back and you'll probably come up with a few possibilities of your own.
Regardless of the cause, ninety-five out of a hundred people are left with neck misalignment and posture distortion by the time they reach adulthood. After the initial pain of an injury subsides, upper neck misalignment can remain pain-free for years until a more recent injury occurs or body imbalance finally takes its toll in the form of degenerative disc disease, arthritis and/or stenosis.
The lower end of the brain is called the brainstem because it descends down into the upper neck. Every nerve that travels down the spinal cord has to pass through the fragile donut shaped vertebra that wraps around the brainstem called the atlas! For this reason, the upper neck is our neurological "Grand Central Station"!
Injury to the upper neck has a global affect on the body. When the head shifts off the top of the neck due to injury, the body's "righting reflex" moves the body into a distorted posture to bring the head back to level. This shift causes stress and miscommunication affecting posture control centers in the lower brainstem where it passes through the top vertebra. Posture muscles that run along one side of the spine pull harder than muscles on the other side resulting in the picture you see here.
Body imbalance has a very negative long-term effect on spinal discs. When the body's weight is not distributed evenly across the discs, premature degenerative disc disease, herniation and even a closing down of spinal nerve canals (stenosis) can result. Just as driving your car with the front end out of align causes premature tire wear, long term body imbalance causes your spine to age quicker.
Notice the short leg, uneven hips, high shoulder and head tilt. Look closely at your friends and family as they face you and you may be able to tell if they should be referred for an evaluation.
The common term for this nerve stress caused by misalignment of the spine is subluxation. As stated earlier, the upper neck is especially vulnerable to injury and subluxation. Combined with the fact that the brainstem, which is the nervous system's "Grand Central Station", passes through the first cervical vertebra, problems here tend to have a more detrimental effect on the body.
Misalignment of the spine can cause direct pressure on the spinal cord and/or the delicate nerves that exit between each vertebrae of the spine. As a result, any body part served by these nerves that loses its flow of energy to and from the brain will not function properly. For example, if the nerve that supplies the stomach is stressed, problems such as indigestion, heartburn, reflux, bloating and gas can occur.
Body imbalance creates an ongoing structural and neurological stress to the body. The body responds to stress by activating the sympathetic nervous system. Long-term sympathetic nervous system activity has been proven to cause the immune system to be suppressed. In other words, your immune system doesn't work as well when the body is under long-term stress and imbalance.
Long term body imbalance causes premature aging and degeneration of the spine itself. Arthritis is the more common term for this wear and tear. As spinal degeneration becomes advanced, the vertebrae themselves encroach upon the spinal nerves causing them to slowly lose their ability to transmit vital brain messages. Doctors refer to this condition as spinal stenosis.
You floss your teeth every day, you do not need to get your Atlas or your Spine checked every day, but like anything in life, some maintenance is required.
Your maintenance frequency is determined by your lifestyle choices. Precise alignments to the upper neck, applying the MIMI™ Method help you last longer periods of time between visits. The goal is for your body to MAINTAIN alignment on its own.
The human body is designed to live to be over a hundred years old! Unfortunately, a majority of people are robbed of their "golden years" by a spine that ages prematurely. Honestly, most people understand more about taking care of their teeth than their spine!
Uncorrected spinal trauma results in loss of normal curve, disc narrowing and subtle spine and nerve malfunction. Because the body is so adaptable, this early phase can exist without the warning of pain or other symptoms. If left uncorrected, the degeneration continues.
