Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic Technique is a branch of upper cervical specific chiropractic, a branch of the healing arts which focuses on the spine's influence on overall health, utilising very minute, but supremely focused forces to correct spinal and neck imbalances.

One of the very first specialities in chiropractic was to focus on the upper neck, or the base of the skull. Correcting poor alignment here can normalise muscular tone and alleviate many conditions causing discomfort or even disease. This was termed "Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic", or "upper cervical" for short.

Upper cervical specific

Dan Murphy DC DABCO, wrote :

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Over the past 100 years, the practice of chiropractic has branched into dozens of specialty techniques. However, historically, for a third of this time, from the 1930s into the 1960s, the predominant practice of chiropractic involved primarily the upper cervical spine.
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As for the reasons why Upper Cervical has taken such a back seat to other techniques just as worthy of discipline is up for dispute. Possibly today, the logic and dynamic probing instigated by B. J. Palmer tends to get lost in the ramblings of devotees who have elevated the man above the message. True, some of his messages may have been plainly wrong, opening the way for more allopathically accepted methodologies like mobilisation and therapeutic manipulative techniques, that do not focus on philosophical, quasi-religious themes such as innate intelligence or vitalism. These undoubtedly have a place, but are somewhat different from the theory and practice of adjusting the occipito-atlanto-axial joint area, which this article investigates.

Is it scientifically supported that C1 is the most influential area of the skeletal system, and most difficult to apply a specific force to?

Clinically, for neck pain syndromes, chiropractic atlas adjustment works to great reliability, but when it comes to other diseases and syndromes the research is almost non-existent. In the neuro-musculo-skeletal realm, pharmacology has limited efficacy, and that is largely why chiropractic and other physical therapies flourish, despite venomous opposition, as reported by authors like Eisenberg or Shekelle.

Introduction to Atlas Orthogonality

Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic Technique (AO) is a specialty technique because it focuses on adjusting the atlas vertebra and studying its relationship to human anatomy and health. It is based upon the pioneering work of Drs. BJ Palmer and, subsequently, Dr John Grostic.

It is a whole-body technique because it focuses on the atlas as a biomechanical and neurological “keystone” of body function, much like BJ Palmer did when he wrote:

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WHY should three superior cervical vertebrae be so important that facts warrant our making statement that nothing done at any other place in human body is of value in restoration of health, except as it is done here?
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Chiropractors have moved away from Palmer’s notion that the upper cervical area “is cause of every dis-ease possible in the human race”, but unfortunately they have also a paucity of research investigation upper cervical chiropractic. So much so that chiropractic teaching institutions exist totally without any upper cervical specific technique in their curriculum, perhaps in order to disengage from this early fundamentalism of treating “all dis-ease”.

The AO program recognises the need to work with other healing arts and also with other chiropractors, and in conjunction with other technique or secondary systems if the chiropractor wishes. Referral is given without delay in the event that the patient worsens or does not achieve symptomatic improvement within a reasonable amount of visits. (Upper Cervical chiropractors generally disagree with extended plans and bulk sales of adjustments, other than where it benefits the patient to do so.)

History

In 1909 BJ Palmer introduced spinography at the Palmer School in Davenport, Iowa. To this day, upper cervical specific chiropractors deem that this is the best tool for accuracy in assessing vectors of adjustment. Reproducible, reliable and within acceptable error, based on clinical results and research (see Table one).

John F. Grostic consulted a chiropractor for a condition that did not respond to orthodox medical approaches, and with the success of such, graduated as a chiropractor in 1933. He modified Palmer’s enlightened approach (“hole in one”) to incorporate a more quantifiable listing of vectors.

Dr Roy Sweat, the developer of AO, was born June 25, 1927 in Albany Georgia. After leaving the military in 1946 he entered Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport Iowa in January of 1947 and completed the four year course of study and graduated in January of 1950.

In 1952 Dr. Sweat began a course of study specialising in the upper cervical occipital-atlanto-axial complex under Dr. John F. Grostic in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1960 Dr. Grostic chose Dr. Sweat to become an instructor at his seminars. Dr. Grostic died in 1964, at which time Dr. Sweat and four other doctors organized the Grostic Presentation Seminars and continued the specialised training seminars in Atlanta Georgia.

In 1981 Dr. Sweat created the program of Chiropractic Atlas Orthogonality, which continued in the specialized educational seminars. The AO program is taught as an elective course at Sherman Chiropractic College and at Palmer College, and as a post-graduate course at Life Chiropractic College. He is an associate professor of Life Chiropractic College in Marietta, Georgia and is involved with their research program.

Dr. Sweat received the Daniel David Palmer Scientific Award on June 9, 1995 from Palmer College. He has recognised the need for specialties within chiropractic practice and for doctors of chiropractic to refer within these specialties.

He has stated that the first generation of chiropractors discovered the principles of the profession, the second generation proved it was worth discovering via clinical successes, because “it works and that what counts”, and the third (we in practice today) must demonstrate why it works. Further, we must not leave it to the medical profession explain the “why” to us. Research is the key. It would also be helpful to know the when in the equation.

Instrument adjusting
Eugene T. Patronis, Jr., Ph.D., professor at the School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology describes the operation of the Atlas Orthogonal Adjusting Instrument as follows:
"A mechanical impulse is imparted to the metal stylus by means of a spring loaded plunger. The strength of this impulse is determined by the initial degree of compression given to the plunger spring. The impulse imparted to the stylus by the plunger excites a compressional wave in the stylus. The velocity of this wave in the stylus material is determined by the square root of the ratio of the Young's modulus to the density of the stylus material. At the patient-stylus interface, dependent on the impedance match, a portion of this wave energy is transmitted into the patient and a portion is reflected back to the plunger."

Dr Sweat adjusted the atlas for 25 years by hand and in 1970 designed a chiropractic adjusting instrument and has made a series of six different models.

He comments that because he has eliminated the aspect of manual adjusting skills, a new graduate can deliver an adjustive thrust with equal quantity and quality.

He has designed an atlas orthogonal x-ray frame, x-ray chair and attachments for the x-ray machine, and even a computerized x-ray analysis program.

Knowledge of the upper cervical spine begs specific questions of Occiput to Axis:
1.