Main Main principles Can osteopathy or manual therapy restore the function of the cervical spine?

Can osteopathy or manual therapy restore the function of the cervical spine?

Some people somehow believe that correcting cervical vertebrae and restoring the functionality of the head joints is such a routine procedure that it can be done even by their trusted masseuse or manual therapist.

Unfortunately, recently there have been frequent cases where individuals without proper knowledge and a comprehensive medical understanding of the complex structure of the cervical spine take advantage of patients' ignorance and perform questionable manipulations on their necks, claiming that they are doing the same thing as in a professional, high-tech clinic.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the possibilities of various methods, as well as the differences between professional and amateur approaches to the treatment of the cervical spine. But first, let's immediately exclude unscrupulous specialists from this discussion and provide the main criteria for filtering them out:

Which "specialists" to avoid. Standards of Body Balance Clinic. Checklist

According to the doctors at Body Balance Clinic, you should not trust your neck to a "specialist" if at least one of the following points applies:

The "specialist" is not a doctor and does not have a higher or secondary medical education.

Presents their method as unconventional or claims to be a shaman who holds secrets passed down through generations or has learned from such characters.

Lacks evidence-based medical backing for the effectiveness of their method (CT results, ultrasound, and other types of testing before and after).

Does not have long-term positive patient reviews made several months after the procedure, only those recorded immediately after the procedure.

Does not use modern diagnostic tools for initial neck diagnostics and for monitoring treatment results (e.g., cervical spine CT with personal image analysis, Doppler ultrasound of the head and neck vessels in segments V2, V3, V4 with rotational tests, postural photo analysis).

Claims to accurately determine the condition of the cervical spine solely through palpation and/or motor tests.

When asked about diagnostic tools, claims that hardware diagnostics are unnecessary, that it is a waste of time and money, and that having them will not improve the results.

Has difficulty explaining what specific diagnostics are needed or cannot clearly and succinctly describe why they are necessary.

Claims that gravity acts on a person from the bottom up, that the lower back presses on the head, and that dysfunction in the cervical spine originally arose due to a tilted pelvis.

Does not conduct a patient survey on existing symptoms and immediately proceeds to the procedure.

Does not conduct diagnostics or tests at all and immediately moves on to treatment and procedure.

Rushes during work, does not give the patient a chance to say anything extra, and generally tries to let them go as quickly as possible.

Does not provide clear comparative results for tracking achieved changes, except for blurry photos taken from a phone from different angles and under different lighting.

Corrects cervical vertebrae displacement using energy practices, chanting, fumigation, steaming in a bath, stroking, hammer blows, and other unexpected absurd methods that leave the patient in a stupor, simply submitting to another's will without offering any resistance, turning off critical thinking.

Claims immediately after the procedure (or before it starts) that the dysfunction in the neck cannot be corrected, or that it does not need to be corrected.

Claims that everyone can "adjust" their vertebrae for free and provides a method for doing so.

Claims that massage techniques, manual therapy, osteopathy, kinesiology, or chiropractic can cure head joint dysfunction.

Amateur approaches discredit the treatment field as a whole

By familiarizing yourself with this list, you will be better equipped to determine whom to trust with your neck. Applying this checklist, you will be surprised at how many people fit these criteria. We emphasize this because:

Patients interested in treating the cervical spine as the main cause of their spinal problems have usually heard of someone's successful experience and therefore take an interest in this concept.

The topic of head joint dysfunction (correction of the Atlas, treatment of craniovertebral dysfunction) is gaining more popularity and public demand every day, so to speak, "is in the air."

Without careful consideration, a patient may end up in the hands of an unreliable "specialist," whose procedure may not yield significant results. This can spoil the patient's impression of the field as a whole and contribute to the spread of rumors based on this.

Very often, the argumentation of the actions of "specialists" falling under the above-described criteria revolves around differences in service costs, emotional influence on the patient, and personal authority.

At the same time, neck manipulations are carried out with the words "I've done this many times before" without using any medical diagnostic tools and, essentially, without the ability to compare the results obtained.

The "specialist" persuades the patient with the promise of "saving money." The few pieces of evidence of changes often take the form of quickly shown photographs taken on a phone camera immediately after the procedure. The patient's posture is hastily demonstrated before and after on a small screen. The pictures are taken under different lighting from different angles to give the last photo visual advantages.

And when the effect of such "treatment" does not meet expectations or turns out to be insignificant, the patient is quickly told that the neck is "not the main thing" and that the spine should be regularly maintained with different procedures. Since health is not a simple and long-term matter, one must work on it diligently and persistently, the "specialist" explains.

In general, the unscrupulous "specialist" not only discredits the work they have done but the entire field related to the cervical spine and head joint dysfunction.

In most cases, the amateur "specialist" consciously deprives their patient of hope for recovery, as well as ways to solve their health problems in the future, justifying themselves and instilling the idea in the patient's mind that "the neck is not the main thing."

And to ensure the patient continues to regularly use the services of such a "therapist" and does not decide to seek help in a professional medical clinic, they are "helped" to come to the conclusion that "they do the same thing there."

Thus, the selfishness of unscrupulous therapists breeds disappointment in patients who have tried their "treatment." This disappointment leads to telling others about the negative experience, and as a result, subsequent rejection by those who haven't even tried real treatment: "haven't tried it - but I disapprove."

More accurately: "tried with someone unclear - but I disapprove of everyone who does this and the entire field as a whole." As a result, many dissatisfied people emerge due to the actions of unscrupulous "specialists."

This is nothing less than a deliberate psychological vaccination against being healthy. A person simply closes their eyes to what can give them health.

Dear reader, the goal of Body Balance Clinic is to make you a healthy person, consciously taking care of your health.

We strive in every way to warn our patients about the "viral" actions of unscrupulous therapists, and we sympathize with those who have fallen "into the wrong hands."

When we say that treating craniovertebral dysfunction is a complex medical procedure requiring serious skills and training, rest assured, this is not just a statement.

It is not done hastily, as some amateurs may claim, but requires careful diagnostics, calculation, and assessment of the points of application of effort, with analysis of the results obtained and comparison with the "before" state.

Only in this case does it bring impressive results, which up to 90% of patients at Body Balance Clinic achieve.

The attitude of medical professionals towards various neck manipulations

In the medical community, the issue of head joint dysfunction is generally not practiced or recognized as a legitimate problem due to the "absence of the problem itself," as well as the lack of universally accepted diagnostic and treatment methods.

The approach used by Body Balance Clinic, despite being supported by some physicians and backed by a wealth of evidence and positive patient reviews, is still relatively new (on a global scale) and is currently in the process of being integrated into medical practice.

Body Balance Clinic publications in European medical journals

Doctors who are unfamiliar with the technologies used by Body Balance Clinic, relying on their existing knowledge, typically adhere to the principle of "do no harm." They often warn their patients against using the services of manual therapists, masseuses, and osteopaths if the issue is related to the neck. This is because unskilled manipulation can lead to exacerbation of symptoms and negatively impact the patient's health.

Body Balance Clinic explains why this can happen:

The first cervical vertebra, the Atlas, is securely connected to the skull by the muscles and ligaments.

When dysfunction is present, the cumulative compressive force of the deep neck muscles, which block the vertebra and the head joints, is increased beyond normal levels, reaching around 150-200 kilograms.

The deep neck muscles are not controlled autonomously but by the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the compressive force depending on conditions.

The autonomic nervous system can further increase muscle compressive force if unskilled manipulation is applied to the area of dysfunction, which may irritate rather than therapeutically affect the nervous system. This is how the protective mechanism of the autonomic nervous system works.

For this reason, many patients experience significant worsening after unskilled neck manipulations (such as chiropractic adjustments, massage, manual therapy, osteopathy, and bone-setting), ranging from neck stiffness and pain, elevated blood pressure and intracranial pressure, to headaches, dizziness, and intensified symptoms in other parts of the spine.

The second cervical vertebra, the Axis, is an especially vulnerable link because it lacks the rigid fixation from muscles and ligaments that the Atlas has. It is more pliable and susceptible to injury.

Sudden head movements, neck cracking, and any sharp motions involving the cervical spine can cause a rotational subluxation at the atlantoaxial joint, leading to unilateral pathological syndrome of the inferior oblique muscle. This results in severe headaches and spiral torsion of the entire spine.

Subluxation of the Axis (C2) triggers a spiral twisting of the spine. Notice the difference in height at the shoulder blades and pelvis. This exacerbation is often observed after unsuccessful manual therapy and bone-setting, due to the worsening of the C2 Axis subluxation.

Body Balance Clinic's approach to the cervical spine aligns with the opinion of external physicians that a patient's neck should not be trusted to amateurs. The approach takes into account all the above criteria and insists on the use of instrumental diagnostics before any therapeutic intervention, explicitly excluding palpation as a diagnostic method.

Palpation of the vertebrae is 75% unreliable and in 100% of cases does not provide a true picture of the patient’s neck condition.

A simple example for reader understanding

At Body Balance Clinic, many situations have arisen where a trainee, during neck palpation, was absolutely convinced that the first cervical vertebra, the Atlas (C1), was rotated in a certain direction.

However, in 6 out of 10 cases, a CT scan revealed a completely different scenario in two variations:

1. An asymmetry of the skull was identified, creating the illusion of Atlas rotation, which did not actually exist.

2. An asymmetry of the Atlas vertebra was identified, creating a false impression of rotation, or the vertebra was rotated in the opposite direction.

Due to asymmetrical development of the mastoid processes of the skull, a false sensation of displacement of the first cervical vertebra may occur during palpation. In this case, the displacement is felt on the right side, while in reality, the vertebra is pulled by the left muscle group.

Conclusion 1: Correct diagnosis leads to correct and successful treatment.

Conclusion 2: Absence or incorrect diagnosis results in incorrect treatment with a high probability of worsening conditions.

Failure to use diagnostic equipment to determine the displacement patterns in head joints poses a significant risk of harm to the patient. This applies to all "specialists" who do not diagnose their patients at all.

On the "technologies" of neck manipulations

Massage therapists, chiropractors, kinesiologists, osteopaths, manual therapists, and bone-setters who take on the responsibility of restoring the head joints of a patient face several challenges they may not even be aware of:

The compressive force of muscles at the base of the skull and the first two vertebrae can reach up to 250 kilograms (meaning that cracking the neck and pulling on the head is useless).

The 16 deep neck muscles are in an uneven, asymmetrical tone—like a chessboard pattern—where there is strong spasm in some areas and atrophied muscles in others (so they need to be selectively weakened, but this is often unknown).

The muscles are fibrotic from 10% to 100% of their area (making neck cracking and head pulling doubly useless).

These muscles can hold the vertebrae in opposite rotations: the Atlas is rotated in one direction, and the Axis in another (making neck cracking and head pulling not only futile but dangerous).

Horizontal displacements of vertebrae relative to each other are common (this is impossible to address as it is often not even suspected, given the lack of diagnostics).

In cases of Atlas subluxation, calcification of one of the skull’s occipital condyles almost always occurs, excluding the possibility of self-regulation of the first vertebra (contrary to the theories on which these methods are based).

Attempting to address all of this blindly (without CT diagnostics), with bare hands (without special equipment), and without an understanding of neurophysiology (causes of "muscle memory" and why symptoms recur) is not only doomed to failure but is the most amateur approach with a 100% chance of failure and increased risk for the patient who decides to undergo such "therapy."

Did you think that treating craniovertebral dysfunction was easy and accessible? No, dear reader, doctors have been addressing this issue for several decades for a reason.

Technologies play a crucial role in treatment. Body Balance Clinic is a highly specialized clinic with extensive experience in treating head joint dysfunction as a major factor in spinal and nervous system diseases.

Analysis of trust manipulations in the treatment of head joints dysfunction

What can be said about trust manipulations with the cervical spine when a patient is asked to relax and then has their head suddenly jerked?

According to the fundamental theories of chiropractors and osteopaths, any joint blockage can be resolved with a maneuver lasting a fraction of a second, supposedly leading to the self-correction of vertebrae alignment.

Let’s dissect this theory:

Insufficient Force: The maximum physical force applied by an osteopath or manual therapist is typically around 50 kg, which is distributed evenly across all the neck muscles in a fraction of a second. This force is far from sufficient to overcome the 150-200 kg compressive force that locks the vertebrae and head joints.

Failure to Address Fibrosis: This force does not target the elimination of fibrosis, which causes pathological shortening of muscles. Therefore, there is no realignment of vertebrae or correction of displacements.
Lack of Muscle Symmetry Restoration: Jerking the head and engaging all neck muscles indiscriminately—both tense and weak—is highly inappropriate, as it can worsen the patient’s condition and exacerbate vertebral rotations.
Triggering Defensive Mechanisms: Most importantly, such a forceful approach fails to therapeutically impact the autonomic nervous system. On the contrary, a sudden jerk of the neck can activate a defensive mechanism of the autonomic nervous system, leading to an even stronger muscle spasm than initially present. This can result in serious harm or almost certainly exacerbate existing symptoms.

The autonomic nervous system controls muscle tension. Without restoring the neurophysiological component, it is impossible to restore the musculoskeletal balance of the body in principle.

Autonomic Nervous System Defense Mechanism

Patients and many "specialists" are often unaware that the activation of the autonomic nervous system’s defense mechanism occurs in response to muscle stretching caused by a sudden head jerk or twist. Another characteristic of this mechanism is that it can manifest either immediately or gradually over several months after the neck has been subjected to such force. For this reason, patients typically do not directly accuse their "therapists" of worsening their health, as the deterioration often appears only after a month or more.

That's why Body Balance Clinic is against trust manipulations.
This phenomenon, known as the delayed symptom effect, explains why the aggravation of the condition doesn’t occur immediately but over time.

After experiencing stress, the nervous system, much like in whiplash injuries, gradually increases the protective tension in muscles. This happens after any sudden manipulations. The affected segment becomes even more fortified.

Neck muscles react to any jerk or stretch like seatbelts in a car during sudden movements—with a defensive muscle spasm that intensifies over the course of a couple of months.

If a specialist does not perform abrupt manipulations but works only on the muscles and does so gently, the question arises: what is the point of such procedures concerning fibrosis and the 150-200 kg compressive force of the muscles controlling the head joints?

Body Balance Clinic focuses on the neurophysiology of the process: temporary improvement in joints function as a result of physical stress will not, firstly, align the vertebrae, and secondly, will not permanently unlock the joints in the head.

Neurophysiological principles of Body Balance Clinic correction

To simply unlock all three head joints, it is essential to consider muscle fibrosis and the principles of the autonomic nervous system’s function. This approach allows for a therapeutic effect on the nervous system without triggering the defensive spasm mechanism. In this case, the treatment is always effective and completely safe for the patient.

Moreover, understanding the principles of neuro-muscular regulation helps secure long-term results. Without using this mechanism and not influencing the nervous system, it is impossible to overcome the resistance of the muscles it controls, and thus, it is impossible to achieve stable results. This requires knowledge and experience in neurophysiology.

Review of "competing" methods by Body Balance Clinic specialists

An important distinctive feature of treating head joint dysfunction at Body Balance Clinic is the restoration of the body’s center of gravity and the symmetrical tension of the myofascial lines on both sides of the body.

This means that after the Body Balance correction, the pelvis and leg length are aligned. This effect remains stable for many years and is unlikely to be disrupted unless a new neck injury occurs.

To date, Body Balance Clinic is aware of only two organizations that might possibly be able to correct the tilted pelvis and unequal leg length for an extended period—so that six months after the manipulations, the patient still has a perfectly aligned pelvis and legs. However, such cases are rare.

On the other hand, we are aware of frequent cases of deception, where unscrupulous "specialists" claim that they have aligned the legs, which turns out to be false upon verification. Once the person stands and walks around the massage table for about ten seconds, a repeat examination reveals that their legs are still of different lengths. Neurophysiology cannot be deceived.

Criticism of amateur approaches

After conducting several hundred patient studies, Body Balance Clinic doctors have found that patients who underwent "cervical spine restoration" procedures by amateur specialists showed no instances of proper head joints functioning throughout the clinic's practice. In all cases, vertebral displacements, inadequate joint functioning, and extensive fibrosis were observed—even among the few patients who did not complain of symptoms.

Body Balance Clinic adheres to strict standards, having nothing in common with amateur manipulations, both in terms of methods and results. Regardless of what these methods are called or how authoritative the practitioners appear to be, if any amateur (even if dressed in a white coat) claims they are restoring head joint function, a thorough examination of their patients will reveal that in 99% of cases, this is untrue.

The essence of amateur approaches lies in the fact that amateurs take responsibility for performing procedures whose full meaning they do not understand. They egoistically convince themselves that they are doing everything correctly and reassure others of the same. This deceptive self-conviction carries a high risk of injury to their patients, with the potential for worsened health outcomes—unlike the Body Balance Clinic method, which is entirely risk-free and based on completely different principles of interaction with the human neuro-muscular and skeletal systems.

In amateur practice, the lack of stable or any results at all is often explained by the necessity of regularly repeating cervical manipulations.

In contrast, the Body Balance Clinic correction reveals its effects for many years after just two procedures.

Body Balance correction — Leader in treating craniovertebral dysfunction

The "Body Balance Clinic correction" is a unique form of treatment. If your doctor is not a therapist practicing at "Body Balance Clinic," you simply won’t have the opportunity to receive treatment that even remotely compares to "Body Balance Correction" in effectiveness. Consequently, you will not be able to benefit from all the results achievable through the correction of craniovertebral dysfunction. This is primarily evidenced by the success stories of people who have undergone treatment at the clinic.

People who have undergone neck restoration procedures with amateurs and found no relief, leading them to believe that these methods don’t work, simply haven’t been treated at Body Balance Clinic. And even if you feel better after a visit to your masseuse, it’s almost certain that your joints are not functioning as they should.

We do not intend to discredit other treatment and wellness methods. Our responsibility is to warn you. This article reveals the inner nuances and details hidden from patients but known to nearly everyone in the field of vertebrology. Not every specialist who promises to solve your problems can actually do so.

Based on our experience, it is impossible to correct head joint subluxation through manual therapy, massage, osteopathic manipulations, or manual medicine.

This can be confirmed by using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans before and after the procedures.

Subluxation and joint blockage often persist after the aforementioned manipulations, which is why health issues tend to return after a brief period of relief.

Skeptical patients are welcome to undergo Doppler imaging, CT scans, and treatment elsewhere, and then come to Body Balance Clinic for diagnostics and treatment to compare the effectiveness both in terms of examination results and personal experiences.

We are confident in our methods and are open to any kind of medical and scientific comparisons. When using the "Body Balance Clinic correction" technique to restore cervical spine function, you will need only a few procedures to see the difference.

Why choose Body Balance Clinic?

Our effectiveness is supported by positive results from comparative medical examinations before and after treatment, official medical statistics, and research on the method's efficacy. Additionally, we have received professional endorsements and support from doctors, as well as publications in medical journals. We also have hundreds of grateful testimonials from patients we’ve treated, including extensive video segments. All these materials are available on our website, YouTube channel, and Instagram.