Occipito-Atlanto-

Axial Region

By

GALEN R. PRICE, D.C., Ph.C.

FOREWORD

    The accomplished purpose of Dr. R. W. Stephenson in his Chiropractic Text was to compile and edit the Chiropractic principles as propounded in Dr. B.J. Palmer’s lectures and voluminous writings into a systematized text.  A simplified explanation of Chiropractic for the layman.  A Text for use in Chiropractic schools and colleges.  Teaching the fundamental Chiropractic working principles, and giving an explanatory account of progressive developments in the Chiropractic profession.
    Dr. Palmer has recognized the value of this book as a mediator for his advanced research volumes to the developing student mind.  The Developer of Chiropractic has published but few of his exhaustive volumes of Chiropractic literature.  To the layman, or to the student, these immortal works are impressive but difficult for their complete understanding.  They are the works of a savant, the product of a mind capable of reasoning far in advance of present day concepts.
    In submitting an additional chapter to the Chiropractic Text, at this reprint, no attempt is made to distract from the merit of former editions.  It is with the same spirit with which Dr. Stephenson, my former teacher and instructor, presented the original edition, that I submit an explanation of the more recent Chiropractic developments.  This material is based upon practical application, lecture work, statistics compiled in The B.J. Palmer Chiropractic Clinic, and upon Dr. Palmer’s more recent lectures and extensive, detailed publications.

Galen R. Price, D.C., Ph.C.

Research in Chiropractic

    The material presented in these former chapters has painted a comprehensive picture of the greatness of Chiropractic.  Advanced, present-day research, most of which was aimed at the destruction of Chiropractic, is proving beyond scientific doubt, the soundness of our “Old Time Chiropractic Philosophy”.  More and more the scientific world is turning toward the fundamental principles upon which the practice of Chiropractic is based.
    It has remained the life work of Dr. B.J. Palmer to develop the application of, and to systematically arrange, the workable principles; that the world might know and appreciate the greatness of his family heritage, Chiropractic.  Although he stands out as the Developer of the Science of Chiropractic, his work is being practically duplicated in many endowed colleges and State universities.  I quote one of his most recent publications: “Chiropractic rests upon the premise that vertebral subluxation occludes opening, produces pressure upon nerves, interferes with transmission of Mental Impulse supply between brain and body; this offers resistance to free flow, increases temperature, and makes possible thermo-pile readings.”  Compare this premise with those earliest Chiropractic premises.  You will find them the same.  We cannot disprove the facts.
    “Chiropractors little realize the extent to which medical men, medical institutions, and medical publications are researching into this problem of Mental Impulse, nerve-energy, human neuro-physiological function.
    “We have compiled and tabulated this data to show how extensive it is.  We doubt if we have, by any means, secured all literature bearing upon their investigations.”
    “To date we list 475 medical men who are researching the neurological interference as the cause of dis-ease, and neurological transmission restoration of that interference as the cure for disease.  There are 104 leading medical institutions directly concerned in that research, and 263 medical publications have written articles regarding same.  All this research, conducted by medical men, substantiates Chiropractic and establishes jointly the latest research of The B.J. Palmer Chiropractic Clinic.”
    “Medicine has run the gauntlet of blood and its cause of disease; treatment of blood and its cure of disease, by purifying, cleansing, thickening and thinning, treatments for, etc.  They have adopted and adapted stimulation and inhibition, as the plus and minus of drug prescription means and method of eliminating, alleviating, or ameliorating disease; or inhibiting stimulated symptomatology and pathology, or stimulating inhibited symptomatology and pathology.  They have woven back and forth with the microscope, observed germs, and advanced the theory that they were the cause of many diseases.  They have struggled in laboratories to learn how to kill them and cure disease.  They now seek a specific for the cure of disease with vaccines, viruses, and other anti serum injections.  They have climbed the heights of various ladders down through history, only to strike bottom and start climbing another.  Now they are discarding these in favor of an approach to the study of brain, nerves and energy flow between brain and body; effect of nerve impulse influence on physiology, symptomatology and pathology.  They are invading a “new field”, hoping their research will establish finally, something tangible they can hold to, which explains cause and cure of disease.  With all this which is new to them, there are many loose tag frill ends of the old that cling and hang on, that shuttle back and forth and cloud the new picture.  But if, in the new, there is the element of fact, then the new which is true will rapidly shed the old that is untrue.”
    “Old Time Chiropractic Philosophy” is substantiated by the findings of modern researches in the field of neurophysiology.
    The following are unconditional facts upon which the Science of Chiropractic is based.  These facts are well worth repeating time and time again, to facilitate a thorough understanding of the logic and reasoning of Chiropractic, and the soundness of our present day concepts.
    The human being is endowed with a given quantity and quality of matter, of which the body organs and tissues are composed.
    A given and sufficient amount of energy is assembled in the brain for the specific purpose of controlling the functional activity of this matter thruout life. (Under guidance of Innate Intelligence, present in all living things.)
    This energy is transmitted from the brain to the structures and systems of the body by way of the nervous system.
    The nervous system manifests both efferent and afferent channels, giving a two-way cycle of communication between source of energy and points of functional distribution.  The spinal cord, at foramen magnum, contains the efferent and afferent fibers connecting the brain to all tissues of the body.
    Health is a condition in which all the matter of the body receives the proper quantity and quality of nervous energy (Mental Impulses) as a prerequisite to coordinated functional activity.
    Dis-ease is due to a vertebral subluxation which occludes an opening, impinges nerve channels, and offers interference to the transmission of mental impulse supply between brain and body.

Development of a Specific

     The development of Chiropractic principles and practice has ever been directed toward locating the specific cause of all dis-ease.
    Recall mention, in former chapters, the development of the Meric system of dividing the spinal column into zones and meres; the Major and Minor system of adjusting; the development and application of X-ray to the Chiropractic analysis; and the use of the Neurocalometer for the detection of radiated nerve heat.
    All these systems and methods of procedure were introduced and used as forward steps in locating the specific cause for all dis-ease.
    At present many additions have been made to the list of our Chiropractic research equipment.  Namely, the Neurocalograph, the Neurotempometer, the Conturgrafometer, the Side-posture Adjusting table, the Posture Constant Recorder, the Adjustograph, new developments in X-ray technique, and the Electroencephaloneuromentimpograph, which is used in studying the quantity and quality of nerve energy flow in the body.
    Present day clinical research and practice has led to the conclusion that the Occipito-Atlanto-Axial region is the only region in the entire spinal column in which we find a single conduit of nerves, containing efferent and afferent nerve fibers, destined to carry Mental Impulses, directly and indirectly, to and from all parts of the body.
    Therefore it is the only region in the entire spinal column where a single vertebral subluxation could interfere with the transmission of mental impulses between the brain and any or all parts of the body.  It is the only plausible location for “a single specific causative factor” involving all physiology, all symptomatology, and all pathology.
    A thorough knowledge of antagonistic spinal muscles and their relative functional importance in the Occipito-Atlanto-Axial region is the next step in understanding upper cervical adjusting procedure.

    In listing the following paired spinal muscles, which affect the position of the structures in the Occipito-Atlanto-Axial region.  I do not assume the list to be complete, nor are these the only muscles found in the region.  They are selected and listed as having immediate effect and are sufficient to reveal the multitudinous complications confronted in attempting to determine the exact muscle involved in any specific subluxation.
    It is well to understand that contracture (P. 219) in any one of these twenty muscles listed, with comparative atonia (lack of muscle tone) in the antagonistic fellow-muscle would be sufficient to lock the Atlas or Axis in its subluxated position.
    I refer to the vertebral muscles as “paired antagonistic” spinal muscles in reference to their functional importance.  Normally they are coordinated in their antagonistic pull upon the vertebrae.  The proper quantity and quality of Mental Impulse supply to the paired antagonistic muscles maintains the supporting muscle tone.  This coordinated relationship is retained throughout all normal motion of the head or neck.  The motion calls for a specific degree of contraction upon the part of many sets of muscles, while their antagonistic fellows manifest a controlled relaxation.  Not a single vertebra, but a series of vertebrae are set into motion at this time.
    Refer to the schema of paired antagonistic muscles having immediate effect upon the relative position of structures in the Occipito-Atlanto-Axial region.
    Laterality of the Atlas is dependent to a major extent upon the relative pull of the Obliquus Capitis Superior muscles, also upon the related pull of the Intertransversalis found between the transverse processes of the Atlas and Axis.  Careful study of their attachments shows that the normal oblique directional pull of these muscles prevents Atlas from sideslipping on its condyle articulation.  Such a sideslip would result in sliding the lateral mass upward on the side of laterality and downward on the opposite side, thus forming a wedge on the side to which the Atlas has slipped.  The wedge is formed due to the slant in the Occipito-Atlantal articulation which is directed outward and upward.

    The numerous variations in sideslips and rotations of the Atlas and Axis are more easily understood in the actual study of normal and abnormal vertebral articulations, together with the arrangement of their muscular and osseous limitations.  Such a study is available to all students of the Palmer School, who have the opportunity of spending two hours each day in study of Dr. B.J. Palmer’s private collection of normal and abnormal spinal columns and other osseous structures.
    The position of the spinous process of Axis is dependent upon the coordinated muscular tone in the following muscles: (Check with schema)
    The Interspinalis, between Atlas and Axis and between Axis and 3rd Cervical.
    The Rectus Capitis Posticus Major, extending obliquely to the Occipital bone.
    The Obliquus Capitis Inferior, extending to the transverse process of the Atlas.
    The Multifidus Spinae, leading obliquely downward to inferior transverse processes.  The contracture of one set of these strong Multifidus Spinae muscles with the relative atonia in its antagonistic fellow not only brings about laterality in the spinous process of the Axis, but it also draws the spinous to the inferior causing the odontoid process to project backward into the neural canal of the spine.
    Probably all the muscles affecting the position of the spinous of Axis also play a part in rotating the Atlas in relation to the adjacent structures.  However, I feel that the Obliquus Capitis Inferior muscles are most important in rotated subluxations of the Atlas.

    The anterior divisions (primary) of the upper cervical nerves unite to form the Anterior Cervical Plexus.  These nerves supply the viscera of neck and face.
    The posterior divisions (primary) unite to form the posterior cervical plexus.  These nerves supply muscles of back of neck and head.
    Note: Since a plexus is formed before the nerves come to the surface of the neck, superficial, hot, tender nerves need not indicate adjacent impingement.

    Following this illustrated example, let us observe the typical clinical picture in such a case.  This example is based upon actual records, there being no particular reason for choosing the condition of Gastric Ulcers, as any functional disturbance may result from spinal cord pressure in the Upper Cervical region.
    An accidental shock and concussion of forces causes the Atlas to become subluxated sufficiently far to impinge the neuromeric fibers leading to the Atlas muscles.  The shock may be general, and cause other body damage, but the Atlas is most liable to be affected for it is the only vertebra which has no osseous limitations to its range of motion.
    With interference to normal transmission of Mental Impulses to the Atlas muscles, there is contracture in some of the muscles, with relative muscular atonia in the antagonistic fellows.  Thus the Atlas is locked in its misaligned position and is listed as a chronic subluxation.  Upper cervical analysis reveals tense, tender muscles, and hot, tender superficial neuromeric fibres.
    In the subluxated position, the Atlas occludes the neural canal of the spinal column.  The four possible types of occlusions are:
    1.  Circumferential constriction.
    2.  Torqued meningeal occlusion.
    3.  Heat expansion meningeal occlusion.
    4.  Cicatrical or scar tissue occlusion.

    The occlusion of the neural canal in this area results in pressure upon the spinal cord and impingement of spinal nerve tracts, associated with inferior meric zones.
    Checking down the spinal column we determine that these impinged nerve tracts were destined, in this particular case, to emit and give Mental Impulse supply to the tissues of the thirteenth meric zone.  All tissues of this zone are affected to a greater or lesser degree.
    With interference to their nerve supply the adjacent muscles become unbalanced, bringing about a misalignment of the vertebra of the zone.  There is tension, pain, heat and tenderness in the region.  The visceral organs, supplied via this channel, suffer from lack of coordinating nerve impulse supply, resulting in their functional incoordination.  Secretory, Motor, and Reparatory functions are involved.  Symptoms of dyspepsia and indigestion appear, followed by ulceration of affected gastric membranes.
    Where is the specific causative factor in the condition of Gastric Ulcers?  Chiropractically, this question is answered by actual results attained in such cases.
    The analysis reveals misalignment of the Atlas in relation to its adjacent structures.
    Heat in the superficial nerve fibres gives evidence of actual interference to the transmission of nerve energy to the muscles of the Atlas.
    The Chiropractic adjustment of the Atlas releases impingement on its own nerve supply restoring normal functional tone to the muscles.  The muscles have a balanced pull with normal nerve supply thus holding the Atlas in the normal position.
    The neural canal occlusion is removed (time element dependent upon type of occlusion), restoring normal transmission to affected inferior zone and meric tissues.
    Normal nerve supply to spinal muscles of affected zone corrects their misalignment.
    The tension, heat, pain, and tenderness at inferior zone are eliminated, as normal function is restored to the muscles and other affected tissues.
    With normal transmission of Mental Impulse supply to the affected viscera, the Secretory, Motor and Reparatory functions are restored to normal.  Healing and repair take place, relieving symptoms of dyspepsia and indigestion.
    The time requirements for complete recovery and health vary with types of tissue involved and with individuals.
    Health is a condition in which all body functions are carried on normally, meeting all body demands for adaptation to the environment.  Mental Impulse supply is vital to all body function.  Therefore, the degree of health enjoyed by each person, is dependent upon the normal transmission of Mental Impulses between the brain and all parts of the body.