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Aches and pains plague everyday life for millions of Americans, often despite the use of over-the-counter and prescription drugs. But there may be hope to erase this cycle of suffering through a chiropractic procedure called Upper Cervical Care.

This relatively unknown and affordable procedure aims to bring the body into balance by adjusting the top two vertebrae, called the atlas and axis bones. When these bones are out of alignment, a host of problems can occur - allergies, asthma, headaches, indigestion, low back pain, depression and high blood pressure, among others.

Dr. Roger D. Smith of Smith Upper Cervical Health Care in Huntington Beach is one of only 75 doctors worldwide who practice Upper Cervical Care through the Blair Chiropractic Technique. The method was developed by Dr. William G. Blair in the early 1950s.

Neurological tests, heat sensitive instrumentation and precise X-rays of the upper cervical area reveal if the atlas and axis bones have misaligned. If they have, a precise and specific adjustment based on these tests is tailored to the individual.
Smith has been treating patients in private practice since 2001 and said he has seen remarkable changes in their physical and emotional health after alignment. Although the procedure doesn't cure any disease, it removes spinal cord irritation and tension and reactivates normal transmission of brain messages to the affected parts of the body. When this happens, the natural self-healing process can begin, he said.

"Upper cervical care is a very gentle adjustment to the back of the neck, which unlocks the nerve pressure in the spine," said Smith, a graduate of Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic in Spartanburg, S.C. "It feels like a light tap and there is no twisting, popping or pulling. Patients are often surprised how underwhelming it is."

According to Smith, the reason the body is able to begin to heal after this type of adjustment is simple. When the atlas and/or axis bones are out of position, the transmission of critical messages from the brain to all parts of the body is blocked. He said every cell, organ and tissue that is not receiving adequate nerve energy and communication from the brain will suffer and degenerate.

Smith, 36, compares it to a car that is out of alignment. If the problem isn't corrected, the tires of the vehicle are going to wear out prematurely. You can keep replacing the tires, but until you have the car aligned, you will just be wasting your money.

It is the same with the

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