The Asheville Chiropractor to see - Chiropractor Asheville

Atlas Orthogonal Care

The timeless principles of chiropractic can be greatly enhanced by using today’s technology. Knowing the time and place for choosing which approach is right for each individual requires years of clinical experience working with a spectrum of clinical conditions.

Dr. Nygaard prides himself in knowing how to combine hands-on care with the latest in computerized diagnostics and state of the art light force instrument adjusting techniques.

What is Atlas Orthogonality?

Atlas Orthogonality is a system of adjusting subluxations of the cervical spine by means of its uppermost vertebra (C1 AKA the "atlas"). The Atlas Orthogonal Program was developed with specificity in mind. Dr. Nygaard uses special X-ray views to determine the extent and direction of spinal misalignment. Information from the X-rays determines how the Doctor will adjust the spinal segment.

The actual adjustment is performed by an Atlas Orthogonal Percussion Adjusting Instrument. The instrument works by percussion - a sound wave – and the head and neck are gently restored to their normal position.

Correcting Subluxation ...the Atlas Orthogonists Key to Renewed Health

If the spinal vertebrae are misaligned in such a way as to bring pressure and irritation to the nerves, a condition exists which is referred to as "vertebral subluxation".

The nerve system serves all parts of the body, providing a vital pathway to and from the brain, any subluxation that hinders or disrupts nerve system function and can potentially disrupt the well-being of the entire body. Subluxation may be acute in nature, causing sudden painful symptoms or the chronic type, which may result in long-term, painful degeneration and resulting in loss of function and impairment.

Actually though, subluxations don't cause symptoms - they cause decreased function of the nervous system, which by itself will ultimately lead to symptoms. Subluxations are often deceiving since the symptoms may appear at a point in the body far from the cause. Simple treatment of the symptom alone is generally fruitless. The longer the cause of the problem is allowed to exist, the longer and more difficult it is to correct. Care must be based on the doctor's findings, not on symptoms alone, therefore it is important to follow Dr. Nygaard’s recommendations.

In correcting subluxations, the Dr. Nygaard employs a number of proven, effective techniques. To detect and locate the problem area, Dr. Nygaard will perform chiropractic, neurological, and orthopedic examinations and will take all ncessary x-rays to properly diagnose the problem. When the area of misalignment has been precisely located, the doctor expertly guides the misaligned vertebrae back toward its proper position.

Once the source of subluxation has been relieved and the pressure/interference on the nerves eliminated, the body generally responds quickly and returns to normal, proper function.

Restoring the body's healthful functions through expertly applied, painless adjustments to the spine, has for years, been the philosophy and method of care of the Atlas Orthogonist.

The causes of spinal misalignment are many and varied. Some are more obvious than others, such as those caused by accidental injury to the spine. Trauma of this nature demands immediate attention because of the pain and immobility that generally accompanies it. Other causes can be far less visible. They tend to happen slowly, and since the onset of symptoms is equally slow, we tend to get used to the discomfort or even learn to ignore it until its effects become so painful or disabling that we are driven to find relief.

Poor posture, bad sleeping habits, or improper lifting and carrying of heavy loads are only a few of the many causes of spinal misalignment. The causes may vary but the results are substantially the same... gradual displacement of the cervical vertebrae and the resulting dysfunction of the spine, and ultimately, the entire body. It is here that the Dr. Nygaard applies his special training and skills; not simply in relieving the painful symptoms, but searching out and removing the underlying causes of the problem. The process of bringing the spinal structure back to proper body balance often requires the retraining of those muscles and ligaments which have become weakened and stretched through long periods of misuse. This retraining process begins with the first adjustment, and generally requires a series of carefully planned treatments to fully achieve permanent correction that will sustain proper function despite the normal stressors of everyday life.