Palmer College of Chiropractic (PCC) is the first chiropractic college to be established.  The first adjusting technique taught at PCC is called Toggle Recoil.  It is a technique that specifically adjusts the top part of the neck, the atlas and axis bones. The technique was developed in the early 1900’s by Dr. B.J. Palmer, the son of the founder of chiropractic. He spent most of his career teaching and practicing the technique. Since then there have been several other techniques developed which specifically adjust the upper cervical (neck) spine.

After learning from B.J. Palmer, Dr. John F. Grostic developed and began teaching his own upper cervical technique in 1946. It was called Grostic Procedure. One of the students and eventual teachers of the Grostic Procedure was Dr. Roy Sweat. After practicing and teaching the procedure, Dr. Sweat eventually developed a technique of his own called Atlas Orthogonal Technique. Atlas Orthogonal being a term that refers to the proper alignment of the atlas bone being at ninety-degree-angles to the skull and neck. He first began teaching the technique in 1980.

Atlas Orthogonal was a radical departure from the earlier techniques because it made use of an instrument to perform the adjustment. Adjusting done by hand varied from each practitioner and took considerable physical ability. Dr. Sweat wanted to even the playing field, hoping that the instrument would allow for equal adjustments from each practitioner. Dr. Sweat has spent many years developing and refining the technique. Currently the R.W. Sweat Research Foundation is dedicated to research and continued development of the technique.
​
 -Written by chiropractor and board certified atlas orthogonist, Ryan Spurgeon.  Dr. Spurgeon served as intern with Dr. Sweat after graduating from Palmer College of Chiropractic. 
Kansas City Chiropractor and Upper Cervical Practitioner

Do you have sharp pain that extends from the wrist into all or part of the hand?  Chances are, you may have carpal tunnel syndrome.  This pain is caused by pressure put on a major nerve that travels through the wrist.  The median nerve travels through the “carpal tunnel” of  the wrist, hence the name carpal tunnel syndrome.  Common treatment includes surgery, which can cost thousands of dollars, leave scarring, and can take months to recover from.  Alternatively, chiropractic care often provides relief within a matter of days to weeks, is cost effective, and involves minimal to no risk.

Desk workers and people who do a lot of repetitive movements of the hands are most susceptible to the condition.  The repetitive motion can cause build up the musculature of the wrist and cause a build up of adhesions/scar tissue.  This build-up of material, in combination with bone misalignment can narrow the carpal tunnel, putting pressure on the nerve.  The bone most often suspect, is the lunate bone, a small wrist bone.
Often a simple chiropractic adjustment at the lunate bone can relieve the pain at the wrist.  However to have truly effective results we must assess and treat the entire upper extremity and neck and thoracic spine for misalignment.  Putting the entire skeletal structure in alignment from the wrist to the neck prevents the lunate from going out of alignment so quickly.  Soft tissue trigger point therapy and stretching will help for lasting and quick results.

Every case is different, dependent upon the severity of the case, patient age, pre-existing conditions, etc., the treatment plan will differ.  For most cases you should expect several weeks of treatment at two to three times per week.  Pain relief often comes quickly, following through with a recommended treatment plan will help to prevent re occurrences of the condition.
​
Dr. Ryan Spurgeon, DC, BCAO – November 2013
Your Olathe and Kansas City Chiropractor and Upper Cervical Practitioner