lesson 1

Introduction

In this section, the speaker introduces himself and Dr. Tim Young and discusses the topic of the seminar, which is the fading art of traditional chiropractic adjusting.

Speaker's Background

• The speaker has been teaching seminars for 12 years all over the world.

• He has a website called "The Doctor Within" where he offers videos from his adjusting seminars and online CE seminars on various topics including vaccines and immunology.

• The speaker mentions that he has had serious injuries in his life that have left his spine in bad shape but thanks to chiropractic care, he has no permanent residuals as far as musculoskeletal pain limitation of motion.

Challenges Facing Chiropractic

• The speaker talks about how there is a global agenda to dilute and trivialize chiropractic both from outside and within the profession.

• He mentions that many schools are equivocal or directly contradictory when it comes to subluxation, with some faculty belittling its existence.

• This creates a challenge for students and young chiropractors who are trying to learn how to adjust subluxations properly.

Purpose of Seminar Series

• The speaker discusses how finding someone who can adjust him properly is a personal challenge, which led him to think about what chiropractic will be like in ten years.

• This led him and Dr. Tim Young to offer spur-of-the-moment technique sessions during their neurology and philosophy seminar last year, which went well.

• The current seminar series aims to provide background knowledge on anatomy, philosophy, and understanding why adjustments are necessary before diving into hands-on techniques.

The Science of Subluxation

In this section, the speaker talks about the science of subluxation and how it is being undermined by some schools and faculty.

Errors in School Curriculum

• The speaker mentions that he spends half a day in his full-day neurology and philosophy seminar correcting errors made by school faculties who deny the existence of subluxation.

• He goes through mainstream scientific, medical, and orthopedic textbooks that use the term subluxation in exactly the same context as D.D. Palmer did.

Importance of Subluxation

• The speaker emphasizes that subluxations are real misalignments of vertebrae with a neurological component and not some fictitious chimera dreamed up by chiropractors.

• He argues that pretending like subluxations don't exist because you're too lazy to do research or read about them is doing a disservice to students.

Conclusion

In this section, the speaker encourages listeners to think about their own lives and what chiropractic has done for them while emphasizing the importance of preserving traditional chiropractic adjusting techniques.

Importance of Traditional Chiropractic Adjusting Techniques

• The speaker urges listeners to think about their own lives and how chiropractic has helped them avoid permanent residuals from injuries.

• He expresses concern over whether legitimate chiropractic adjustments will become scarcer in the future due to efforts to dilute and trivialize chiropractic.

• The seminar series aims to help preserve traditional chiropractic adjusting techniques by providing background knowledge on anatomy, philosophy, and understanding why adjustments are necessary before diving into hands-on techniques.

Chiropractic Care for Injuries

The speaker discusses their personal experience with injuries and how chiropractic care has helped them. They also emphasize the importance of informing people about chiropractic care to prevent injuries from becoming chronic disabilities.

Personal Experience with Injuries

• The speaker had serious injuries, including herniated discs, broken ribs, and punctured lungs.

• Chiropractic care has helped the speaker manage their injuries on a day-to-day basis.

• Chiropractic care is not something the speaker believes in like a myth; they live the results of it every day.

Importance of Informing People About Chiropractic Care

• Whether an injury becomes a chronic disability depends on whether or not the person finds out about real chiropractic care.

• If a patient goes to a chiropractor who doesn't understand chiropractic and only hooks them up to machines, bills insurance, and hopes for the best, they won't get good results. This can lead to negative impressions of chiropractors overall.

• Only 1-2% of the population seeks treatment from chiropractors. The majority follow traditional methods that do nothing to correct structural issues and often result in permanent limitations of motion, pain patterns, and disability.

Reality Check: Saving Lives vs. Empirical Evidence

The speaker discusses how some in the profession exaggerate its impact while others fail to provide empirical evidence for its effectiveness.

Exaggeration vs. Empirical Evidence

• Some in the profession exaggerate its impact without providing empirical evidence for its effectiveness.

• Traditional methods often lead to permanent disability, while chiropractic care can correct structural issues and prevent chronic disabilities.

Discovering Chiropractic

In this section, the speaker talks about his initial doubts and uncertainties regarding chiropractic and how he was inspired to pursue it as a profession.

Doubts and Uncertainties

• The speaker had no background in chiropractic before attending school.

• He doubted whether chiropractic was a real profession and wondered if he could learn the necessary skills.

• The speaker was inspired by a Belgian man who formulated motion palpation, which is considered one of the starting points for practicing chiropractors.

Motion Palpation

• Motion palpation is a valuable tool for assessing the spine and finding primary subluxations.

• Chiropractors are constantly making their best guess to find the primary subluxation that they will adjust on each visit.

• Motion palpation is one of the most valuable tools for learning this sequence of skills.

Physical Demonstration

• The speaker asks everyone to turn off their phones and participate in a physical demonstration of motion palpation.

• Each person takes turns motion palpating the speaker's neck while others observe silently.

• After everyone has had a turn, they sit down again.

Inspiration

• The speaker shares his personal experience with discovering chiropractic as someone who came from a rock-and-roll background with no prior knowledge or experience in the field.

• He describes how he was inspired by someone who had studied motion palpation under its founder, On Regional A.

• The speaker recounts attending a motion palpation club where he learned the technique and honed his skills.

Learning Motion Palpation

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of learning motion palpation and how to do it correctly.

The Princess and the Pea

• The story of the princess who can feel a pea under ten mattresses is used as an analogy for learning to feel subtle changes in the body.

• Pretending to feel something is necessary until you develop the skill.

Common Mistakes in Motion Palpation

• Many chiropractors use rough, rigid hands when adjusting patients, which is not effective.

• Practitioners should respect their patients' bodies and use less force than what is already present.

• Being systematic and taking time with each segment is important.

Steps for Motion Palpation

• Begin by slowly pulling back the shoulders to assess transitional areas.

• Assess lateral flexion by using thumb and first finger on atlas and first cervical vertebrae on one side at a time.

• Sense muscle tension and restriction while assessing each segment slowly.

• Adjust based on assessment.

Practice Exercise

• Pair up with another person (half doctors, half patients).

• Put your thumb on left Atlas and index finger on right Atlas.

• Gently assess each segment from C1-C7 until you feel subluxation or blocking.

Chiropractic Adjustment Techniques

In this section, the chiropractor demonstrates how to perform a chiropractic adjustment on a patient.

Left and Right Side Adjustments

• The chiropractor instructs the patient to rotate their head clockwise while they perform an adjustment on the left side of their neck.

• They then instruct the patient to do the same thing on the right side.

• The doctor and patient switch places, and they repeat the process on both sides.

Finding Primary Subluxations

• The chiropractor explains that they are always looking for primary subluxations when making a decision about what to adjust.

• They caution against correcting compensations instead of primary subluxations.

Knee-Chest Technique

• The chiropractor demonstrates how to perform an adjustment using the knee-chest technique.

• They explain that it is important not to crawl up on top of the patient but rather control them from behind.

• They demonstrate how to use leverage instead of force when performing an adjustment.

Sacral Adjustment

• The chiropractor explains that sacral adjustments can be uncomfortable for female patients due to their anatomy but can be effective in treating menstrual cramps and ovarian problems.

• They explain that side posture is often used for sacral adjustments.

T1 Vertebrae Adjustment

• The chiropractor explains that T1 vertebrae is one of the hardest segments in the body to adjust due to its location and musculature.

• They explain that T1 is the transitional vertebrae between the cervical and thoracic spine and has a lot of job to do.

Spinal Anatomy and Adjustments

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding spinal anatomy and the Fassett line in four set planes. He demonstrates how to approach a patient with supple hands and shoulders, and explains how to adjust every bone in the body.

Importance of Spinal Anatomy

• Understanding spinal anatomy is crucial for learning adjustments.

• The Fassett line in four set planes is particularly important to learn.

Approach to Patients

• When approaching a patient, it's important to have supple hands and relaxed shoulders.

• Gentle palpation is key, especially for new patients who may be nervous about being adjusted.

Adjusting Techniques

• To adjust T1, come underneath it and set it in place using speed and accuracy rather than force.

• Eye contact on the index finger is important when adjusting T1, but keep fingers tight to avoid wrist injury.

• Elbows should stay tight when adjusting T1 between the spinous process and lateral process while tractioning over the top of it before lifting up and setting it.

Visualization Techniques

• Visualizing how each bone moves during an adjustment can help improve technique.

• For C1 or C2 adjustments, understanding that atlases rotate side-to-side around their own axis is crucial for proper technique.

Upper Cervical Adjustments

In this section, the speaker discusses upper cervical adjustments and how they differ from other adjustments.

Upper Cervical Adjustments

• Upper cervical adjustments are different from other adjustments.

• Some patients may only need C1 or C2 adjusted for everything.

Adjusting the Atlas

In this section, the speaker demonstrates how to adjust the atlas and explains the importance of proper technique.

Adjusting the Atlas

• The speaker uses gentle fingertip pressure to adjust the atlas.

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of proper technique to avoid injury.

• The speaker removes force after making an adjustment to prevent bouncing back and causing further damage.

• The speaker helps patients up after adjustments for safety reasons.

Palpating the Atlas

• The speaker explains how to palpate for rotation in the atlas.

• The speaker demonstrates how to stabilize a patient's head while adjusting a posteriorly rotated atlas.

Chiropractic Treatment for Pain and Weakness

In this section, the speaker shares his personal experience with chiropractic treatment for pain and weakness. He emphasizes the importance of being a skilled technician and not using outdated methods.

Personal Experience with Chiropractic Treatment

• The speaker experienced pain and weakness in his back at a young age.

• He visited Dr. Thompson who used an old high-low table and a rolled-up towel to manipulate his spine.

• The manipulation was effective but scary, as it felt like his whole spine was wound up.

• The speaker learned to use towels to manipulate the spine effectively without grabbing the patient's face or throat.

Importance of Being a Skilled Technician

• The speaker emphasizes that being a skilled technician is crucial in chiropractic treatment.

• He warns against using outdated methods that are not effective in practice.