Wobble to Stable: 48 Hours apart. Only difference? NUCCA alignment

When it comes to restoring balance, small wins can lead to big transformations — and in just two days, a patient showed us what’s possible with a seemingly simple atlas NUCCA alignment.

A patient came in before his start of care with an initial test from Clinical Tests of Sensory Integration of Balance using the Biodex BioSway to evaluate his postural control under four different conditions. These conditions simulate real-world challenges by altering visual input (eyes open vs. closed) and surface stability (firm vs. foam). It’s a true test of how the body integrates sensory input to maintain balance.

Sway Index Results – Before & After

Composite score on initial eval was at 2.37 which was 100% impairment. 2 Days later, the composite score changed to 0.94, at 19% impairment. Overall sway and balance improved markedly. In the above chart; each condition showed significant reduction in sway (better balance control), especially the most challenging one (eyes closed, foam surface).

Initial exam - sway patterns were more dispersed across the targets.

Identical Exam 2 days after 1 NUCCA correction. Sway was much more centered within zone A; indicating greater postural control and stability.

Why This Matters

Balance is more than just standing still — it’s critical for:

• Preventing falls

• Improving athletic performance

• Enhancing coordination

• Boosting confidence in movement

The Missing Link: Upper Cervical Alignment & Balance

You might be wondering — what does the top of the spine have to do with how well you balance?

The answer: Everything.

The upper cervical spine — especially the C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis) vertebrae — plays a critical role in balance, posture, and spatial orientation.

Here’s how:

1. Proprioception Starts at the Top

The muscles and joints around the upper neck are packed with proprioceptors — sensors that tell your brain where your head and body are in space. When these vertebrae are misaligned, the signals can get distorted, leading to:

• Dizziness

• Unsteadiness

• Delayed or inaccurate balance responses

2. The Brainstem Connection

The brainstem sits right where the skull meets the spine — and it’s a hub for balance control, integrating input from your inner ear (vestibular system), vision, and proprioception.

When upper cervical alignment is off, it can create tension or irritation around the brainstem, disrupting this balance coordination center.

3. Head Position Drives Body Posture

When the head tilts even slightly due to misalignment, the entire body compensates — often shifting weight unevenly, tightening one side of the body, and increasing sway.

Correcting upper cervical alignment helps recenter the head over the spine, allowing the body to distribute weight more evenly.

This particular Case: Real-World Evidence

In this patient’s balance tests, we saw a 60% improvement in his sway index in just 48 hours — and a big part of that change followed upper cervical correction. With the atlas and axis realigned under the NUCCA procedure.

• Proprioceptive input normalized

• Postural muscles engaged more symmetrically

• Balance drastically improved across all test surfaces

Bottom Line

Upper cervical chiropractic care isn’t just about pain relief — it’s about restoring communication between the brain and body. When that connection is clear, balance improves, stability returns, and movement feels natural again.

Contact us schedule your evaluation. Your balance is your foundation. Let’s make it stronger.

What is neck curve?

The ideal neck curve is 33 degrees. Simply put; the neck curve should be shaped like a C or a banana. The neck curve is also known as cervical lordosis. The apex of the curve is forward facing; meaning it should be towards your nose when looking from a side profile. (see picture below - top left)

What’s so important about it though? Why do so many people who are suffering from pain happens to also have a compromised neck curve?

1. Spinal Support: The neck curve helps balance the weight of the head and provides support to the cervical spine. It helps distribute the forces and pressures experienced by the neck during various activities, reducing the risk of strain or injury.

2. Shock Absorption: The natural curve of the neck acts as a shock absorber, cushioning the impact of everyday movements and activities such as walking, running, and jumping. This helps protect the delicate structures of the cervical spine, including the vertebrae, discs, nerves, and muscles.

3. Range of Motion: The neck curve allows for a greater range of motion, enabling us to turn, tilt, and flex our heads comfortably. It facilitates smooth movement and flexibility, which are essential for daily activities like driving, looking around, and maintaining eye contact.

4. Nerve Function: The cervical curve helps maintain proper alignment of the spinal nerves, which exit the spinal cord through small openings in the vertebrae called intervertebral foramina. A healthy neck curve helps ensure optimal nerve function, promoting efficient communication between the brain and the rest of the body.

5. Postural Alignment: The neck curve contributes to overall postural alignment. When the neck curve is properly maintained, it helps align the head, neck, and spine in a neutral position, minimizing stress on the surrounding structures and reducing the risk of chronic pain, headaches, and other postural issues.

Trauma can potentially be the biggest affect to the natural curve of the neck. Injuries like whiplash or direct impact can cause misalignment; resulting in a loss of the normal curve. The five things listed above can potentially be all affected; not only in the neck but in the rest of the spine as well. See picture below; only one xray represents a normal neck curve - left upper corner. The rest of the neck xrays exhibit a compromised spine subject to varying ailing symptoms. With activities of daily living compounding onto a misaligned spine; pain and neurological symptoms can arise.

Have you been living with symptoms? Do you want to see if you are a candidate to benefit from NUCCA? Contact us for your consultation.

For more information check out: My Misalignment

NUCCA helps Passionate Golfer

Dr. Cecilia Yu was featured in an Upper Cervical Blog in helping an avid golfer’s 16 years of back pain. You can find the piece @ golfer's healing journey.

Are you suffering in your game? Are you ready to play at your best level? Let’s see if NUCCA can be the addition you’ve been looking for.

TMD Vs Neck. Which came first? Dr. Yu speaks at Dental Seminar

I recently had the privilage of speaking to a group of extremely open minded (+ like minded) dentists in Jindabyne, Australia. Its a rare opportunity and I’m ever so grateful to be able to share my craft with them to an ailment that many have considered as a pain that no one seems to understand. I follow a discussion group on FB about TMJ/TMD. The agony and pain that I see people post have the common denominator of frustration. Much of that frustration is a combination of 1. not being able to find the root cause, 2. having tried “everything” without avail, 3. their provider not BELIEVING their pain. That last one is a tough one to swallow. I always tell my patients from the start of our consultation; “Whatever you feel, however big, however small; is ALWAYS true to you. No one else feels what you feel. Do not let anyone tell you HOW you should feel.” After that little schpeel is out of the way. I often see a sigh of relief followed by a smile. For some, there’s years of that internal dialogue that needs to be torn down in order for that self confidence of reading and knowing one’s body to be firmly in place. If you’re still reading this, which I am hoping that you are. This is the first step in healing.

On to the topic at hand. Many who complains of TMJ issues often complains of neck tension as well. Some even have headaches on top of that. When there are different pains happening simultaneously; which one is primary? Is one leading to the next? Can they possibly be (in this scenario) 3 separate issues?

Which came first?

The CHICKEN? or the EGG?

Wellllllll….its more complicated than that. Someone who had their teeth knocked out (I know…extreme example) and had a reconstruction and developed TMD will be very different of a case compared to someone who had a fender bender and developed TMD a year or two after. Another big part of the equation is developmental. How’s airway, how did the mandible and maxilla develop, had there been orthodontic work?

No 2 case histories are alike; like a unique snowflake. Regardless of the initiating events; the current problems at hand are TMD and neck tension. What I can provide are 2 key foundational components.

That bite’s influence on the neck/spine. Here’s an interesting study on it: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7842106_The_Influence_of_an_Experimentally-Induced_Malocclusion_On_Vertebral_Alignment_in_Rats_A_Controlled_Pilot_Study

It a 2005 study, so this fact of bite positioning afflicting the spine has been around for a while. In the study, a group of rats were subjected to bite malocclusion. (even if you’re reading my summary here, please click on the article’s link to see the photo as it profoundly speak a thousand words). A rat was photographed at “normal” - nothing has yet to be manipulated. Then it was photographed with composites on a tooth to create a misalignment of the bite. When the misalignment occurred; changes to the spine was the result. Lastly, the bite was manipulated to be balanced; and the spine was once again balanced as well.

YES! The bite is a very important factor. But its not the only one. Stay tuned for Part 2.

Sharing ideas and demonstrating how the bite influences the neck. It is only via discussions and learning that we can help people in our communities.

Covering the symptom? or getting to the cause?

With a cut; the first things I would do is to clean the area, put antiseptic on, and then bandage. Its an order of things that we follow. Just like putting socks first before the shoes. Those examples are no brainers. But what if there’s an object lodged within the cut. I would then have to remove the source to prevent an infection.

Now, let’s get more complicated than that. What happens when we have a headache, neck pain, or back ache? If there are no obvious causes, then we do we usually do? Exercise? Massage? And/Or take pain killers? Abuse of opioids has been a hot topic in the recent decade and for good reason. Its an epidemic that has destroyed many lives. Please don’t get me wrong. I believe there’s a time and place for everything. A firefighter would be the first to call if there’s a fire and a plumber would be the one to fix a broken water pipe. Don’t send a plumber in to do a firefighter’s job. When there is a misalignment of the upper neck, the body bio-mechanically compensates by distorting the spine. This can lead to pain and symptoms. Would repeated dosage of pain killers fix the underlying cause? or is it treating merely the symptoms? Until the bio-mechanical distortion is addressed, the symptoms naturally will continue.

Dr. Yu's story of how she found passion in NUCCA

When someone first meets me; whether it is genuine interest or to simply make small talks…a question that usually float about is WHY? Why Chiropractic? Why NUCCA (of all things)?

As the saying goes…it found me. Here’s a story of a patient who has had a profound impact on my respect for NUCCA and the human body.

~~ Not too long ago, a child misbehaving badly, unable to play well with others, uncontrollable by normal standards were labeled as a child with poor upbringing, bad parenting, or even a future blemish to society. Now a days, those same characteristics lead to a diagnosis of autism. Autistic spectrum is wide that emcompass those with qualities of social, communication, and behavorial challenges. The cause is still unknown to the medical society. This article is not to debate the cause, but to highlight the miraculous change in little Michael's autistic life.

Michael, as he likes to be called Mikey, was diagnosed at the age of 5. His family's daily agenda transitioned to that very similar and common in any autistic household: the parents doing anything and everything in their power to find a cure for their child while maintaining a normal life. It included special education, artistic therapies, speech therapies, animal therapies, etc.

When mikey was 7, his mom found NUCCA care through another parent experiencing positive changes for their autistic child. After a two and a half hour one way car ride, they have finally found someone with the power and knowledge to help mikey. Mikey presented as a 7 year old trapped in a 5 year old's body. He was only able to express himself with screams and uncontrolled body language. His short attention span was easily captivated by mirrors, mom's familiar arms, and trucks passing by on the main road.

After a detailed examination and necessary xrays to mathematically calculate his atlas misalignment, little mikey was treated with NUCCA procedure. NUCCA is a gentle chiropractic approach without cracking, popping, or twisting to balance the spine. When the atlas is misaligned, the communication between the brain and the spinal cord are not able to communicate properly; causing neurological issues. After a week after mikey's first treatment, he started using words. Another week passed by and those word usage progressed to sentences. It may seem like a miracle story of a child learning to speak in 2 weeks. However, all these knowledge was within him and had been suppressed because of his atlas misalignment. There is no telling of what great things the body can do and heal when the brain can communicate well with the rest of the body. NUCCA is not just for autistic patients, but it is for anyone looking for vitality and pure health that is manifested from within.

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Dr. Yu was interviewed for NUCCA news (fall 2018). There, you’ll be able to read a little more on her personal journey.

http://www.nucca.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/NUCCA_Fall18.pdf

Dr. Yu is a NUCCA chiropractor who is practicing again in Dallas after practicing in Sydney, Australia for 5 years. She graduated from University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign with a major in Biology and minor in Chemistry before becoming a Chiropractor. She then continued her education at Parker University in Dallas, TX. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree . She is a Reiki Master who does energy work on animals as well.