Within the past few years, the traditional terminology of upper cervical chiropractors of “the bone out of place” has begun to be replaced by the concepts of “vitalism”, “tensegrity”, and “orthogonal.” I believe this is a result of the revitalization of our field and art. What we do is more than move a bone. We open the whole body to a symmetrical, almost expansive state, for every cell in our patients’ bodies. Physically and energetically we give to our patients and they physically and energetically respond. It is the deepest thought in vitalism where we are ONE.
In correcting a patient through our hands, we have returned to feeling and connecting energetically with our ability to feel resistance. While doing a correction, I am completely focused on the flow of the energy from my hands to the physical (or matter) of my patient. It is for me my “quiet place.” Many of you know this “Eden zone” where, for a moment, we are able to experience what Universal Intelligence must feel as the Giver of 100%. It is a place that makes us passionate about what we do and drives us to better serve and improves ourselves. At one time, the atlas seemed so big, and now it barely exists – aside from the great memories of trying to battle it to horizontal. I don’t miss those days of defeat, but I know without a doubt that the process itself is always perfect.
Our perspective has expanded from the atlas to the whole body and thus to vitalism. The conversation now encompasses an energy system that opens rather than compresses, and encompasses not just the spine but the whole myofacial envelope. This is now a new beginning of completeness. A view of everything interacting as a unit and our focus to unlock the pathways that holds the body off its orthogonal position. I continually thank Dr. Thomas for his intellectual gifts that prod us forward. It seems we are building a conceptual framework where the physical and non-physical entwine. We are used to speaking only of the physical. But it is a chiropractic principle that we are made of matter, force, and intelligence.
This thought, that we are One Unit, brings current science and chiropractic philosophy to an intersection. Our chiropractic philosophy from over a century ago is now the foundation of quantum theory. The atlas may no longer be the “Big Idea or whole idea”.It is a piece of the whole no more no less. However, the concept of one contact or input area is not unfounded. The human body is a closed kinetic chain (CKC). This means any input (energy) is received completely. We know from basic physics that in a CKC: move-one, move-all. And the Upper Cervical one contact approachis sound biomechanical science. For in a closed kinetic chain, when you correct one you correct all. And any subsequent force negates the prior. This one place must be in the C0/C1/C2 region.
The C0/C1anatomical shapeis the only structural area that allows for any energy to be receives also to be directed through he 3D plane. This provides a direct portal to finesse our energy from top to bottom and access specifically directed the resistant pathways that hold the misalignment. This leads us to directing our energy down the CKC.
The access or entranceto these pathways is in the upper cervical area but not specifically at the transverse process of the C1. The expansion of this long held historical thought is transitioning to a broader 3D posture that spans from skull to pelvis and sheathed by the myofacial envelope.
That contact area of access is known as the asymmetrical zone (AZ). It may be the origination point of the myofacial envelope. The resistance is the congestion of fibers at the originas they connect in this smaller asymmetrical zone. This area is analogous to the knot on a balloon. All the wrinkles or striations on the other side of the knot are the pathways emanating from the AZ. Removing these energetic imperfections of resistance is our PURPOSE. Its working in the minutia of the human energetic and structural systems. We are continually dynamically modulating tension/compression) to maintain postural balance. This is the mesh of structure and energy. Our remove and release from our energy to overcome resistant forces is significant at afoundationallever for optimal living.
This allows the human frame to unspiral and restore itself as well as possible to its powerful orthogonal tensegral posture. This un-spiraling is the pathway reverse that we contemplate for each patient. For the correct path to tensegrity is the reverse to its break down. Only the hand can maneuver (much like a guitarist) around and through these resistances. The specific direction of the energy delivered (key), the multiple placements of the skull, headpiece and proprioceptive pelvis reset (lock), and the leverage points (opening the lock) are the trio that access and remove the postural interference. This is clearly not as simple as a bone out of place. “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile” anymore!
We will continue to map the optimal approach to corrective care from a physical approach. It is time to open our thoughtsto the energetic aspect of our beings. This is an inevitable balance if we truly will be vitalistic in our methods.
Zhuangzi spoke of the balance of yin and the yang over two millennia ago. For us, this is energy and matter. The UC practitioner has put much effort into matter. While progressive groups like BGI and Network have traveled the path of energy. Like all the laws of the universe there is a coupling of opposites looking for the same center from a different perspective. The BGI practitioners are, so to speak, on one side of the profession and the Upper Cervical practitioners on the other. It’s energy vs. physicality. But neither one is right and neither one is wrong. In fact, both are needed for the balance of our profession.
Our future is to connect these two pieces of the chiropractic triune with the third, Intelligence. The triune of life is the expression of Universal Intelligence through force to matter and vice versa. It is the 4th Principle.
The Triune of Life – Life is a trinity having three necessary united factors, namely: Intelligence, Force and Matter.
Our goal is to understand and exploit the mechanical relationship of our force (energy) and its delivery of our Innate Intelligence into our patients (matter). All the while concomitantly removing the interference that then allows Universal Intelligence to be better realized. If we could quantify and qualify the direction of energy to optimize our work to minimize the look and see place where we are, our patients would respond better physically and energetically in their expression of health.
QSM3 may be the bridge for these two schools of thought if we open that doorway. Consider it so. It may be through us that the future of chiropractic will grow to encompass these philosophies and further develop our abilities, practices and procedures. It is a place where the energetic understanding of what we do and what is optimal for our patients, is meshed with a system of Orthogonality. These two form the tensegral model that delivers optimal function. Vitalism and the 3D approach to tensegrity will continue to expand our perspective from the traditional mechanical one to the quantum field.
This shift in perspective has opened our minds already and will hopefully continueto point the direction to correcting the compressive gravitational path of body breakdown and subluxation. There is an upward inherent energy that wants to transform itself from potential energy to kinetic energy and open up our bodies to orthogonal. Our better understanding of the energetic and physical balance between patient and doctor will open yet another door to the informational field that gives 100% all the time – Universal Intelligence.
Russell Friedman, DC
March 2013