As a chiropractor certified in the healing technique used by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractor Association, Dr. Michelle Nowakowski represents one of only 24 chiropractors in the world using the NUCCA technique. Nowakowski, who lives in Falcon, Colorado, is the only board-certified NUCCA chiropractor in Colorado. Her practice, Life Enhancing Chiropractic, is in Colorado Springs.Nowakowski said NUCCA is a low force, low velocity type of adjustment that does not involve twisting or cracking. The treatment is so gentle that most people do not think they received an adjustment, she added.According to the NUCCA website, Dr. Ralph Gregory developed the NUCCA technique; and, in April 1966, he formed the NUCCA association in conjunction with other interested chiropractors. His technique focuses on maximizing the human health potential by reducing Atlas Subluxation Complex.The Back Pain Authority describes ASC (Atlas Subluxation Complex) as ìa condition wherein the uppermost vertebra, called the atlas, is moved out of its proper and optimal alignment with the occipital bone above and the axis vertebra below Ö .To put it simply, in ASC, the first spinal vertebra is seated in a way that throws off the positioning of the rest of the spine.îìOnce that joint between the base of the skull and the atlas is in alignment, the nervous system does not have an interference in it and sends equal signals along both sides of the spine,î Nowakowski said. ìWhen there is interference in the nervous system at the top of the spine, each side of the body gets a different signal from the brain.îShe said interference can result in migraines, insomnia, sciatica, infertility, impotency and more.The initial alignment process can take time because it involves taking precise X-rays to determine the placement of the atlas bone in relation to the position of the neck and head before performing the adjustment, Nowakowski said. ìThe first adjustment is preceded by X-rays; and, immediately after the adjustment, more X-rays are taken to verify that the adjustment actually happened,î she said. ìAfter that, the patient can be adjusted referencing those X-rays. The adjustments and corrections are reproducible and measurable so another doctor could get the same results.îThe ultimate goal is to produce stability in the spine, Nowakowski said. Once the patient learns to hold the alignment, they need fewer appointments because they are not going out of alignment as much, she said. ìWhat happens over time is that patients can learn to predict when they are in or out of alignment so at the time, they can call to set up adjustments without having to keep scheduling appointments,î Nowakowski said. ìIt gives them a recognition about their alignment, and they listen to the signals their body is giving them so they can get healthier and healthier.îNUCCA is not a miracle treatment, and one adjustment will not take care of all the problems, she said. Not everyone is a candidate for the treatment, either, but Nowakowski said she has a frank conversation with people during their initial, free consultation. ìI can find out in that 30-minute consultation if you are a candidate; and, if you are not, I am going to try to find someone who can help you,î she said.Nowakowski said she determines if a person is a candidate using an anatomical measuring device that measures the level of a personís hips; if their torso is leaning to the right or left; if they are leaning forward or backward; and how their weight is distributed on each foot.Additionally, she uses a leg check to determine if one leg is longer than the other, indicating they are out of alignment, she said.ìIf they are not out of alignment, then I do not do X-rays, and they are not a candidate for an adjustment,î she said. ìI only adjust when people are out of alignment, so even if they come in for an appointment and are not out of alignment, I will not adjust them that day.îUsually, the first year of NUCCA treatment is the most intense, but after that most patients have reached a decent level of stability and only need to be seen every couple of months during their second year of treatment, Nowakowski said. Following the second year, they need adjustments with less frequency, she said.The process to become a board-certified NUCCA chiropractor is intense, and ultimately requires five sets of corrections on five patients in a row, with a correction level of 90 percent or greater ó a level that is measurable and demonstrable through the before and after X-rays, she said.†Nowakowski has been practicing NUCCA since 2001, she said.ìUpper cervical chiropractic treatment is done by other techniques, but NUCCA is the gold standard because of the pre- and post-X-rays,î she said. ìWe see what works and are trained to get those results.î
