make measurements more readable. All patients were blindfolded for anatometer measurements and a digital camera re- corded the posture of all 50 participants. A standard cervical X-ray series was used and this consisted of lateral, nasi- um, and vertex views. Lead filters helped to minimized exposure to individuals. Atlas laterality and atlas rotation were measured and used in the calculus for determining the adjustic vector. The hypertension article appeared in the Journal of Human Hypertension (May 2007) under the title: Atlas vertebrae realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study. Three time events were of critical im- portance in measurement. Just before actual adjustment, just after adjustment, and eight weeks after adjustment; this sequence was identical for the placebo group. All patients had been off their medications two weeks prior to adjust- ments and randomization. All patients had all measurements taken at each of these three time events. In addition, all patients had blood pressure measure- ments taken weekly for eight weeks. THE RESULTS Of the 25 subjects in the treatment group, 15 had an average systolic blood pressure drop of 28 mm of Hg relative to the placebo group while the other 10 did not basically change. The treatment group (n=25) therefore had an average of 17 mm of Hg drop. Twenty-one patients had only one adjustment during the study. Future research will take a close look at why one portion of the treatment group (n=15) responded and the other portion of the treatment group (n=10) did not respond in a lowering of systolic blood pressure. Papers are being written for publica- tion by Dr. Woodfi eld, with partial fi- nancial support from the Upper Cervical Research Foundation (www.ucrf.org), 44 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | SEPTEMBER 2008 showing that the VAS scores were basi- cally “zero” for both the control and the treatment groups throughout the study, and that for the treatment group the SF- 36 scores improved in all eight categories of well-being. The NUCCA Technique is taught at Palmer College as an elective and is in the curriculum at Life Chiropractic Col- lege West. Canada has about three dozen NUCCA doctors. The hypertension ar- ticle appeared in the Journal of Human Hypertension (May 2007) under the title: Atlas vertebrae realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study.1 Ad- ditional information in supporting future research can be found by going to www. ucrf.org. • References: 1. Bakris, G., Dickholtz M. Sr, et al. Atlas ver- tebrae realignment and achievement of arte- rial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study. J. of Human Hypertension, May 2007, 21(5): 347-52. Many thanks to Professor James Palmer for editing this article. Of Note: Atlas Alignment and the Need for X-Rays One of the signifi cant observations in the study was that when placebo- group subjects were carefully placed in position for X-rays at all three time events, atlas laterality and atlas rotation measurements were constant; in the treatment group the atlas laterality and atlas rotation measurements were constant in the post adjustment phase. In conclusion, if the patient place- ment is the same, then the measured misalignment on X-rays is constant over time; if the correction holds, then the X-ray listing – set of measure- ments – is constant over time. (125 sets of X-rays are involved in these constant-over-time measurements.) This is not necessarily saying that the atlas is locked in position; it is certainly not locked in fl exion or extension. When coupled with other re- search, these observations are consistent with the hypothesis which sug- gests an abnormal set of “ locked-in” paths for a misaligned atlas and a nor- mal set of “locked-in”paths for an aligned atlas for a subject moving their head and neck. (One can see on X-rays other parts of a given path for both cases of aligned and misaligned upper cervicals, if the patient placement is not consistent!) What this does support is the validity of using X-rays for determining a vector for adjustment if, and only if, the practice protocol requires consistent patient placement for X-rays. If the misalignment were different on every day of the week, even when the same patient was con- sistently positioned, then one could relatively easily argue for a random vector, or for no “known vector,” to be used in a spinal manipulation. Thus X-rays for determining a vector would not be necessary – unless only the vectored alignment process consistently resulted in a correction that held over a reasonable time period. Of even more importance is that an aligned set of upper cervicals is found to be in alignment over time. If the time frame for maintaining align- ment were only on the order of a day or two, then the chiropractor would have to be doing spinal manipulations several times a week. Certainly it would be prohibitive to the health of the patient to X-ray each visit. (In- house research has shown that any re-misalignment tends to be in the same pattern – basic type – over time.) It is important to understand that there is only a very small range of neurological alignments possible – one necessary requirement is that atlas laterality be less than 0.75 degrees – whereas there is a very large range (orders of magnitude larger in number) of neurological (and biomechani- cal) misalignments possible. www.canadianchiropractor.ca
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor September 2008: Page 44
