Thanks for the "heads up" So far, my NUCCA therapy seems to be going well. I liked the fact that there were so many before and after x-rays. Sometimes though it is difficult to connect what makes me better or worse.

I am also doing vestibular therapy and those exercises can sure make me nauseous and dizzy. Sometimes it settles down quickly and sometimes not. When it doesn't settle, I can't even be sure if it was the exercise that caused me to have my bad days. I think, in my own situation anyhow, that I sometimes drive myself crazy trying to find what the trigger was.

So far I have had 3 NUCCA adjustments. The main thing I have noticed since I started is that my upper back is quite sore (nothing compared to all the other symptoms I'm sure you all can relate!). But, I see that as a good thing because that means my spine (and therefore muscles) are adjusting to the change in the atlas alignment.

Monday & Tuesday were extremely bad for me this week. On Tuesday I went to my NUCCA appt and I experienced a great relief immediately after. Was it coincidence? Maybe it was - I'm really not sure. But this is good, I don't want to set myself up for huge dissappointment. I still wasn't great the rest of the day, but it had come down from that bad peak of dizziness.

Oh - and here's a possible positive too, my everlasting headache stopped throbbing to the high degree that it was - this may again have something or nothing to do with my 2nd NUCCA adjustment.

By the way, Thursday (yesterday) was the best day I've had in months. It was such a wonderful break (in general my symptoms were all down around the 3 or 4 level). It was great to be able to enjoy my day.

So, I'm taking your warning Nick and will keep a close eye on my reaction to the NUCCA and I will keep folks posted here. One thing my other Chiro said (the one who does my active release), was patience is so important for patients like us. He said, "You just need to try different things until you find the right therapy or the right combination of therapies that bring you some relief".

And Mark, I agree with you - ice ice ice!

My hope/goal for myself is to get relief from some of my symptoms that may then relieve some of the stress on my brain and then, make me better able to move forward.

X-Soccergal

I do realize that NUCCA is for upper cervical, just sayin' be very careful of all these kinda manipulative treatments. And especially be aware of the practitioner's experience and ability. There's just too much room and possibility for further damage to be done.

Oh yes, I agree damage can be done. It's like any health practitioner, they can have a huge affect and there are good ones and bad ones out there. My Nucca guy came highly recommended and has been doing this since 1997. It appears to me that it's not just a science, but an art and skill of physics and geometry to go with it.

I have had my share of "quacks" over the years but I've also been fortunate to find two professionals who I have great trust in. One is my GP, I believe in the US, you call them PC (basically my medical doc). Been with my dr for years and I trust her with my life. She told me just this week that is is moving so I am looking for a new doc whom I can trust. Sigh.

The other person I trust is in fact my chiropractor whom I've been going to for years for various sports injuries, headaches and pains. It's funny to go to a chiro who Never cracks me!!! He works with my muscles while I move certain ways. I've had huge success with AR therapy over the past 7 years or so. He cares and every patient gets the treatment that fits them. It is this person who recommended the NUCCA chiro to me. Both of thses dr's know that I do not want any cracking. The NuCCA guy just puts gentle ptressure behind my right ear at a certain angle. There is no sound at all and I can't really feel any movement. I have a neck injury that has caused some compression on my spinal cord at c5-c6 and i have no interest in risking that further through cracking.

But, my case sounds quite less serious than your son's. I had no skull fractures or flaps created. We all have to be careful, but in your case even more so.

I wish your son all the best in his recovery and rehabilitation. Good luck.

X-soccergal

wendroo,

Actually, you have a wrong understanding of NUCCA. It relates to the very fine manipulation of Atlas (C-1) to the occipital condyle with some possible manipulation of the C-1 to C-2 joint.

It appears you are confusing it to Cranial Sacral Therapy or Osteopathic Manipulation Therapy.

They are entirely different modalities. There is no Twist the head and Pop the neck in NUCCA. The only popping sound with NUCCA is the chiro's wrist socket as it pops under the slight pressure exerted.

From what I was told, if done properly, the chiro's wrist will pop. It is not anything in the patient's neck. The manipulation is repeated about 5 to 8 times with a few seconds between manipulations. Basically, the chiro stands up almost like he is stretching his back before he starts the next manipulation.

nwsmiths comments about the chiro doing some manipulation of his back and neck while laying down is more of a generic chiro technique. The NUCCA protocol does not treat the rest of the spine. The NUCCA purist believes that if Atlas (C-1) is properly positioned, the rest of the spine will self correct.

While researching Active Release Techniques (ART), I found it to be very similar to myofacial release as done by my Physical Therapist. It uses many of the same manipulations. The 'developer' of ART has just tried to patent and protect his training methods so as to keep the training profits to himself. The patent claims all relate to teaching the ART procedures.

I agree with the comments about trying to manipulate the skull plates. The research shows that they do not move as one enters young adult age. I had a DO try to do some neck manipulation that did not help at all and left me sore.

There is a very gentle chiro technique called Activator that uses a hand tool that give a gentle stimulation to the vertebra with no popping sound or feeling. It may take a few more treatments to get the full effect but it is much more comfortable and less traumatic. My chiro could solve most of my problems and only occasionally needed to use a "drop table" technique.

it is unfortunate that wendroo had such a bad experience with c spine manipuilation, could be cause you had an intern, but we all have to learn. Fact of the matter is if done correctly, the adjustment can have such a positive impact on the recipient. I' a PT & a DC...I had a new patient thurs, 15 year old gymnist, Head aches for 4 years ...one adjustment and a week later when she came in had not one the previous week....for the post concussion try with probasble success a chiropractic functional neurologist, found through the Carrick Institute...good luck

spinesnh,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Thanks for the comments about bad chiro experiences.

The Carrick Institute protocol is very expensive and does not have any useful research showing long term and lasting efficacy. It has been used primarily by high profile athletes and celebrities. I am not saying it does not work. Just that its long term value vs its high expense is a challenge.

You might ask your GP for a recommendation of another good GP in your area. Through my head injury experience, I have discovered that all the good Docs tend to know one another.

Also, make sure that your current GP can confirm with your new GP that you DO IN FACT have a brain injury that you are recovering from. Just in case it appears "invisible" to them. I'm so dependent on my PCP (Primary Care Physician) knowing who I was before the accident and knowing that I'm dealing with impairments that it would scare me and make me super anxious if I had to get a new one.

I too was assaulted and 14 years of experience treating the body as a professional was useless until I had an intraoral adjustment of the fault at the sphenobasilar joint. I then began to recover immediately.

Traumatic brain injury requires the attention of several manual techniques to restore balance to the body. NUCCA is an excellent therapy and you needed it; however, it is highly likely you have a cranial fault at the sphenobasilar joint in your head and this can only be adjusted intraorally. Very few practitioners know how to make this adjustment. Your nervous system as accommodated the blow and the force has mis-aligned your cranial bones. Each time the C1 is adjusted with NUCCA it increases the pressure at the faulted S/B joint making you very dysfunctional neurologically.

Look for a cranial D.O.--a Doctor of Osteopathy specializing in cranial adjustments--not all DO's offer cranial sacral adjustments. Ask him/her directly if he/she performs the intraoral adjustment. Go see the DO immediately if this is the case. If you do not find a DO, then call the Upledger Institute and find out if they have a cranial specialist in your area that gives the adjustment. **

You can recover. Call the doctor NOW.

Dear Nick,
I think when you noticed the treatments were doing bad things to you you should have stopped them permanently. That treatment isn't good for you in my personal opinion.

Thanks, I actually called an Osteopath Dr. after seeing your comment. I was lucky to get in after a cancellation fairly quickly. I feel a lot better since my appointment, can't say that it necessarily fixed me as the brain is still healing.

Many of the odd feelings in my head and neck and some of the symptoms I had have either completely disappeared or faded significantly. I am in my 9th month of recovery and figured I had nothing else to lose, glad I gave it a try. He was able to make some of the stuff go away that the chiro and massage therapist were unable to treat after months of therapy.