Quantum Spinal Mechanics (QSM3) is a progressive upper cervical chiropractic approach in chiropractic. It was founded on the principles of traditional upper cervical procedures but with the vision to advance the corrective technical approach into the 21st Century. It came about as a result of re-examining the founding Upper Cervical works of Palmer, Grostic, and Gregory and getting different answers to those foundational ideas. The focus of QSM3 is to access and release whole body tension patterns from pelvis to skull that holds the body is a misaligned, stressed, and compressed stated to create/enhance balance, alignment, decreased muscle tension, improved movement, and healing. This most often helps relax stressed joints and tissues which cause pain and dysfunction in the body. Upper Cervical Progressive Chiropractic has always had the goal to restore the body to its orthogonal position. The QSM³ procedure is a progression of these great chiropractic works.
It is called quantum spinal mechanics for a number of reasons. Quantum refers to the nature of the touch and process. There is little to no force in the adjustment most often described as light touches or brushes near the top of the neck – we are contacting and releasing tension patterns or stuck energy not bones or vertebrae. Spinal mechanics refers to our continuing applied approach to understanding how the body gets misaligned (jammed, twisted, stuck & compressed) and how to release it. The number three refers to our three dimensional point of view in looking at the whole body. It is called upper cervical care since doctors touch around the upper neck to perform the adjustment.
QSM3 doctors touch the upper neck for a very specific reason – the shape of the upper neck bones allows the skull to be used as a steering wheel. We can then direct energy to access and release pathways in the body.
When a person has a nerve problem – whether felt (symptomatic) or not – a person has a misligned body which shows up in many ways:
- uneven/rotated hips
- uneven/rotated shoulders
- neck leaning
- head tilting
- uneven weight on the feet
- uneven muscle tension
- stress on many parts of the body
The experience of being adjusted is very unique because of the light touch — sometimes people can feel the body release and many people feel nothing during the adjustment.
The most common result is an up and open feeling in the body. Every person’s is different and many report feeling looser, lighter, clearer, and taller. You can think of this as experiencing “getting off your nerves.” Every person’s body is its own jigaw puzzle or rubick’s cube and our goal is optimally release the body into a more balanced place.
The History of Upper Cervical Chiropractic
Vector based Upper Cervical Chiropractic systems (Wernsing, Grostic, Orthospinology, and NUCCA), all have a long history of high quality specific spinal corrections. This pinnacle of chiropractic principles attracts some of the brightest and most detail-oriented doctors. Wernsing introduced the concept of atlas laterality and rotatory (angular) measurement in the 1930’s. Grostic, in the 40’s, introduced a new cervical x-ray series and rotatory system of analysis (along with the supine leg check) in conjunction with Gregory. Later, with NUCCA, Gregory organized specific misalignment types and greatly clarified the biomechanical principles involved, essentially bringing the correction to its present level of specificity by the late 1970’s. Since the era of these pioneers, little has progressed in upper cervical chiropractic (UCC). The advent of multiple adjusting machines, although hailed by their inventors for specificity and ease, also have specific limitations in their ability to correct the misaligned spine.
QSM³ is a logical progression and reasoned evolution of these great 20th century systems. It consolidates the brilliant discoveries of vector-based Upper Cervical Chiropractic (UCC) with innovative examination and re-thinking of the various protocols by Dr. Friedman. The attention to x-ray detail, the specific analysis, the correction table, and the lightest touch at the C1 vertebra (< .5lb) are the foundations that QSM3 integrates. The QSM³ procedure measures the 3D misalignment of the human frame to improve the correction potential. QSM³ uses a posture measurement device in a unique way to evaluate pelvis to skull misalignment. In conjunction with the upper cervical analysis, QSM³ now enables measurement of the complete misalignment pathway. This means more detail, better data, and higher resulting potential to hold the correction.
QSM³ looks at a 3 dimensional full spine correction. This means the weight scales are only a small piece to the necessary information that demonstrates at a diagnostic level that any patient’s spine has been corrected. We see many patients that check clear in the weight scales (frontal plane) but have a head tilt and pelvic distortion. A correction is not one plane or piece but a 3D balance of all parts. The Anatometer, although it lays claim to measure pelvic twist/ distortion, definitely at an engineering level is completely inaccurate. We have retro fit our digital device with a system that measures rotation coupling in the pelvis.
The reason the pelvic distortion/correction is key to a balanced spine is:
- It is the largest mass in the human frame and must be corrected to restore true balance.
- It indicates as it rotates that the spine is breaking down against gravity.
- Is the key aspect for symptomatic relief and must be corrected first before the weight is even an issue.
“This concept is like talking about the paint on the walls in a house when the foundation has not been set and balanced.”
The QSM³ procedure is a comprehensive approach that restores body balance pelvis to skull using multiple headpiece placements when necessary to correct, by component, the breakdown of the human frame. Not everyone is a perfect linear misalignment but a culmination of years of multiple traumas. Unlike other procedures, QSM3 evaluates the body as a unit, not one bone or piece at a time. We measure the body’s misalignment and breakdown three-dimensionally and restore the body to its balanced, optimal posture. There is no “snap, crackle, pop” at Back In Balance. The lightest, softest touch at the patient’s 1st cervical vertebrae using QSM3 removes, releases and restores the body to its healthy balanced posture that is the foundation of your health.
Contact Back In Balance Redmond Chiropractic at 425-437-9974 to see if you might benefit from QSM3 Chiropractic care.
