How and why does NCR help the following conditions?

Alzheimer's?

Alzheimer's disease is associated with poor functioning of the brain. In autopsies Alzheimer brain tissue is dramatically different from regular brain tissue. A person suffering from Alzheimer's disease is not yet at the point of death, so their condition is somewhere between a normal person and death. Brain function is dependent on at least three factors: the state of the brain tissue, the flow characteristics of the blood and tissue, and the flow characteristics of the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid. Without the flow of blood and cerebrospinal fluid, the brain cannot function at all. Yet most therapeutic plans to treat Alzheimer's disease have focused on the brain tissue. This is why there are attempts to formulate new drugs as well as natural approaches using diet, detoxification of toxins and heavy metals, nutraceutical supplements and homeopathic medicines. These can help. But it is also important to insure that the fluid flow characteristics of the brain are optimized. This is where NCR can help. By improving the shape of the head, fluid flow patterns of the blood and cerebrospinal fluid can be improved, allowing the brain tissue to function at the peak of its capabilities. Granted, with Alzheimer's disease, this will still be sub-optimal performance, but it will be a distinct improvement over the non-treated patient.

I have seen great results clinically, generally expecting to reverse two or three years of Alzheimer's symptoms in each four-day sequence. My doctor-students have had similar results. One doctor told me of an Alzheimer's patient who was brought in by her husband. She received four days of NCR therapy, and each day had no memory of the previous day's treatment. Afterwards, her husband was delighted with her improvement, so he brought her back for more treatment three months later. When the doctor and her husband put her on the table she remembered the treatment after three months. She said, "No way you're going to do that to me again!"

NCR is an important part of a treatment protocol for Alzheimer's patients.

Anxiety and nervousness?

Anxiety is a condition of the brain. Drugs like Xanax and herbs such as kava kava, skullcap, valerian and hops have all been used successfully to treat anxiety symptoms. Sometimes counseling is effective for treatment of anxiety, but the patients who seek my care have found it ineffective. For them, the underlying cause of anxiety is a functional problem of the brain, so its treatment must address brain functioning.

Standard treatment techniques incorporate methods to change the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. In this way, the areas of the brain that lack enough or have too much neurotransmitter can be normalized, temporarily alleviating the problem. The drugs and herbs used to treat anxiety temporarily change the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. When the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain are raised or lowered, changes in feelings and behavior are seen and felt everywhere in the brain. This can often help a patient to feel less anxious.

The problem with medications is their lack of specificity in the brain. They make their changes throughout the brain instead of the specific area of the brain under concern. This can lead to side effects. The areas of the brain that have abnormal neurotransmitter levels (too high or too low) will change, hopefully in the way the doctor wishes. But the areas of the brain that already had normal levels of the neurotransmitter will now have the wrong level, leading to a side effect associated with the previously normal area of the brain now being over- or under-stimulated.

The problem of anxiety is associated with neurotransmitter levels. However, it is rarely a simple situation of under- or over-production but instead a problem of the distribution of neurotransmitters in the brain. Some areas of the brain have too low a level of some neurotransmitters, or some areas of the brain have too many neurotransmitters, or both situations are occurring simultaneously in different areas of the brain. This situation makes it difficult to give medications that are effective and without side effects.

The flow of cerebrospinal fluid and the flow of blood govern the distribution of neurotransmitters. The shape of the skull determines this. With NCR, the skull shape changes, altering the patterns of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and blood. As the fluid flow characteristics change, the patterns of distribution of neurotransmitters are changed as well. The problem of the medications is circumvented with NCR. With NCR the distribution patterns of blood and cerebrospinal fluid can be normalized, ensuring normal levels of neurotransmitters throughout the brain.

As skull shape is optimized, then, the function of the brain becomes more optimal too. This creates a lasting change in conditions like anxiety.

Arthritis, bursitis and rheumatism?

Arthritis and rheumatism are conditions of the joints. NCR can change joint function in two major ways: through its ability to change:

1) the positions of the bones of the spine and pelvis, and

2) the nervous system.

People who have these conditions never have perfect posture. As NCR changes the postural patterns, the areas of pain and discomfort in the spine and pelvis diminish. When the weight-bearing patterns of the spine and pelvis are changed, the weight-bearing patterns of the hips, knees and feet change too. The sore points in the knee (for instance) will no longer be at the point of maximum weight bearing. This means that the position of the feet during walking (toe-in or toe-out, for instance) will not be the same. This can make incredible changes in a person's pain pattern.

The nervous system controls everything in the body, including the immune system. With conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or other autoimmune arthritides, optimizing immune function can make a great change in levels of inflammation.

I have rarely seen people with bursitis, yet I have seen many people wrongly diagnosed with bursitis. Fortunately, with these shoulder conditions, there is hope. Often the problem with a chronically frozen shoulder or other painful shoulder conditions is both postural and muscular. The muscular problems are often caused by the joint pain created from the postural pattern, which triggers chronic spasms of the muscles to guard the body from performing painful joint movements. This occurs especially after whiplash injuries, when the straightening of the neck and upper back (from the head moving too far forward from the injury) leads to a posture in which the shoulders are rolled forward and inward, accompanied by chronic muscle spasm of the neck, upper back and shoulders. When the shoulders are like this, performing normal shoulder activities like reaching toward the ceiling or combing the hair becomes mechanically impossible. A person cannot reach toward the ceiling if the shoulder joint is aimed at the wall and the muscles are as tight as cables. With NCR treatment, the postural pattern can be improved so that the shoulder is positioned more normally, allowing a person to return to more everyday activities.

Attention Deficit Disorder, dyslexia, hyperactivity and other learning disabilities?

Learning disabilities are frequently treated with prescriptions of Ritalin, a nervous system stimulant. The prevailing theory is that neurotransmitter deficiency in the brain leads to malfunctioning of the brain. The immediate solution is to increase neurotransmitter levels throughout the brain with Ritalin to correct the deficiency. This medication often helps, but it does not cure. It increases the levels of some neurotransmitters throughout the brain. The effectiveness of Ritalin shows that learning disabilities are not psychological but are, instead, conditions created by problems with nervous system function. A nervous system stimulant like Ritalin works by changing levels of neurotransmitters in the cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. This means that inappropriate levels of neurotransmitters in specialized areas of the brain cause learning disabilities. When the brain lacks neurotransmitters in some areas, concentration or interpretation of visual or auditory phenomena is impaired. So increasing the level of these neurotransmitters helps to temporarily get rid of the problem.

Then why doesn't everybody with learning disabilities take Ritalin or some similar medication? The problem with administration of Ritalin is the side effects, which are generally symptoms associated with other areas of the brain becoming overdosed with neurotransmitters. If some areas of the brain improve function by increasing levels of neurotransmitters, and if other areas of the brain get side effects by increasing the same, there is a problem of distribution, not a deficiency of neurotransmitters. So the symptomatic treatment of learning disabilities with medication that increases the level of neurotransmitters can never cure the problem because it doesn't address the situation properly.

A cure of learning disabilities must include optimization of fluid flow characteristics in the brain. With optimal flow of blood and cerebrospinal fluid, learning disabilities improve or cease.

The approach of NCR is to improve the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by changing the shape of the skull. As the cranium optimizes, the flow of CSF becomes more and more uniform, removing the problem of poor distribution of the fluids in the brain.

This seems like such a simple solution to an aggravating problem, and it is. But clinically it provides better results than the medications. There must be more truth to this model than the Ritalin deficiency model outlined above. Trust results!

Autism?

Autism is not understood and there is no predictable, effective treatment. I have worked with a few autistic children, and they have all been unique. But I think they all have problems with brain function, similar to those discussed with ADD and hyperactivity. With autism, there is no simplified model that allows medications to control the symptoms. People who come out of their autistic state can shed little light on the cause(s) of autism. There are behavior control techniques that are opposed by some as being too harsh, but they are sometimes effective.

I have seen improvement in the autistic patients I have treated, but I find it slower and less predictable than with learning disabilities. Nonetheless, I believe that an important part of effective treatment of autism is to optimize the structures of the head and spine.

Brain surgery?

After brain surgery, NCR is very important.

The brain is surrounded by connective tissue, such as the meninges, and then by bone. This network of bone and connective tissue is interlocked and integrated. When they are changed, there are great implications for the functioning of the brain and body. The structures of the head are changed dramatically with surgery, and there are usually no efforts to return the head to its normal mechanical function.

After brain surgery, many people feel different from before. One woman I treated said that she was "fifty-seven going on ninety-seven". Walking was difficult and painful. Her doctors had told her that she had little hope of improvement and prescribed medications to control her pain and inflammation. She felt old, stupid, tired and useless. The area of her skull that underwent surgery looked indented and rumpled. After receiving NCR treatment for three days, she performed high kicks for me and exclaimed, "I love you!" By this time, her surgical scars didn't look the same anymore. Her skull was less depressed, and the skin was pulled more smoothly over the scar. As her skull had returned to a normal shape, her brain and body structures began working again the way they were designed.

Cerebral palsy?

Cranial therapy has been used for many years to treat person with cerebral palsy. This is a condition with which my mentor, Dr. J. R. Stober, had dependable results using the old BNS therapy. NCR works even better.

People whom I have seen with this condition generally fall into two classes: those with excessive muscle tone (they used to be called spastics) and those with too little muscle tone (we used to call this flaccid paralysis).

Both of these conditions are related to the level of functioning of the cerebellum, a part of the brain that controls muscle tone and the ability to stop movement once it has begun. One group has a hyper-functioning cerebellum and the other a hypo-functioning one.

With NCR, once movement of the back of the head has been accomplished, the function of the cerebellum can be optimized.

I know of no other therapy than NCR that can change the general condition of people with cerebral palsy.

Bipolar disorder (Manic-depression)? Depression? Obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Psychosis? Schizophrenia?

Psychiatric conditions like depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, manic-depression and psychosis are rarely effectively treated with counseling. Most of the time, psychiatric drugs are prescribed to treat these conditions. The common natural approaches are to mimic the effects of the drugs with less toxic substances that are similarly designed to change the levels of brain neurotransmitters. There are abnormalities (deficiencies) in the levels of neurotransmitters of the brain in the psychiatric-chemical model used to describe these treatment techniques. The drugs raise the level of the target neurotransmitter throughout the brain. This allows the areas of the brain previously deficient in the target neurotransmitter to have sufficient levels of neurotransmitter. The psychiatric condition is often controlled in this manner.

In the rare situation of a true neurotransmitter deficiency state, these medications perform brilliantly. They address the cause of the situation, the lack of neurotransmitter manufacture.

But most people on such medications experience side effects. Often the side effects are involved with functions that are not related to the actual complaint. A depressed person taking Prozac, for instance, can feel less depressed and have sexual impotence from the medication. These are problems of over-dosing the brain with the target neurotransmitter in the areas that had sufficient supply previously.

When one area of the brain has enough neurotransmitter and another area of the brain has too little or too much, this is not a problem of manufacture. It is a problem with uneven distribution of neurotransmitters.

The chemicals of the brain flow in liquidblood and cerebrospinal fluid. The flow of fluid is determined partially by the shape of the vessel. The brain resembles a sponge in ways. A round sponge can be put into a cubical container, but it won't hold as much water in the areas that are squished to fit in the box. Likewise, a brain will not hold normal amounts of fluids when it is in an imperfectly shaped box.

With NCR, the shape of the skull gradually moves closer and closer to its optimal design. As the skull optimizes, the fluid flow characteristics of the skull, and the brain functions that are controlled by the fluid dynamics, optimize as well.

I have had clinical success with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and bipolar disorder. The schizophrenics and psychotics I have worked with have been too suspicious of me to get enough treatment to receive any major benefits.

Concussion and other head injuries?

A concussion is a brain injury that results in a temporary loss of consciousness. This does not imply that there is significant, long-term damage to the brain. Concussion and other head injuries are the product of trauma. The normal medical procedure is to use X-rays or CAT scans to diagnose skull fractures and then watch to see if there is any indication of cerebral hemorrhage. Beyond that, there is no medical treatment. However, even with no measurable brain damage, there are long-term problems caused by concussions, and people should receive treatment for them.

The head trauma involves some sort of blow or fall on the head, and the cranial bones must be moved by it. This upsets the normal structural pattern that exists between the interlocking bones of the head, and it is unlikely or impossible for the head to resume its original position without treatment. This is a wonderful time to use NCR. I have treated many people after concussions, sometimes years later. The improvement that they experience is remarkable and routine. An NCR doctor should be on call in every hospital emergency room to treat all head injuries that do not have fractures or cerebral hemorrhage.

Down's Syndrome?

Down's syndrome is very treatable with NCR.

These people have a number of skull-related problems: poor vision, recurrent infections of the sinuses and middle ear, chronic nasal breathing difficulties, poor balance and posture, difficult speech, poor thinking and headaches.

They are made for help from NCR.

Dystonia?

Dystonia is a condition affecting the brain stema part of the brain found low in the back of the head. Symptoms include blepharospasm, uncontrollable closing of the eyes, chronic and uncontrollable closure of the mouth, spasms of the muscles of the anterior throat, muscle tension headaches and uncontrollable writhing movements of the head/neck. There is no medical cure or even understanding of where the condition comes from. Medical therapy revolves around two treatments: 1) injections of botulism toxin to temporarily alleviate the annoyingly recurrent, uncontrollable muscle spasms and 2) prescriptions of tranquilizers and sedatives to calm these anxious, upset people.

I have worked with only five persons with dystonia and with only one for more than three treatment sequences. She is almost symptom free and has resumed her normal life. She no longer lives the life of a recluse, shunned by her family because of the stigma of a disease that distorts the person's appearance. It has taken thirty-six treatments (nine treatment clusters) to get her this far. The other patients have had varying degrees of success. I believe that further treatment would give them lasting results. One lady who suffers from blepharospasm has short-term cessation of her symptoms. I think it would last longer with more treatment. I hope to work with more cases of dystonia.

Ear infection (acute and chronic otitis media) and deafness?

Ear conditions have been treated for many years with endonasal therapy techniques with varying degrees of success. The ears are mounted within the temporal bones. The auditory nerve goes through the temporal bone on its way into the brain, and the Eustachian tubes, the passageway that connects the middle ears with the throat, are found between and through the temporal bones and the sphenoid. When a person undergoes NCR treatment, the bones of the head gradually move into more optimal positions. This means that the position of the auditory nerve gradually moves into a more ideal location over time, and the drainage of the Eustachian tube becomes better and better.

This has immediate impact on acute and chronic ear infection (otitis media). When the Eustachian tubes are able to drain, there is no ability of the infection to develop pressure in the middle ear. When I was in family practice, treating children with otitis media seemed to involve treatment of two causesmechanical pressure of the bones against the Eustachian tube and lymphatic pressure against the Eustachian tube from infection or allergy. The use of antibiotics, whether synthetic or natural, was not effective. There are homeopathic medicines, botanical eardrops and hydrotherapy techniques that I used for acute treatment. In recurrent cases I employed the long-term approach, which was to change the diet and lifestyle and to perform NCR, which worked about ninety per cent of the time.

Deafness is a condition with multiple causes, some of them mechanical in origin, which are amenable to treatment with NCR. Overall, the people who experience improvement in their hearing have hearing loss from two causes:

1) impingement of the auditory nerve and 2) chronic mucous congestion of the middle ear and Eustachian tube. Many middle aged and senior adults have improvement in their hearing after receiving NCR, except for those who lost their hearing from exposure to loud sounds. Many of these individuals have congestion of the Eustachian tubes (termed catarrhal deafness by old medical books). NCR therapy changes the relative positions of the bones, resulting in better drainage of the middle ear. This decreases the pressure of the mucus against the eardrum, resulting in greater sensitivity of hearing. I have worked with a few people who were born with ninety per cent or more hearing loss, and some of them have improvement with their hearing as well, although the improvement is still slight compared to their disability.

Forty-seven chromosome individuals?

I have never treated a patient of any age with Klinefelter's XXY. I have read the medical literature, and I think that NCR could be a wonderful treatment for this condition. Obviously, it will not repair the abnormal chromosomes, but it could help nonetheless.

[How?] Glaucoma? Double vision? Other vision problems?

Glaucoma, an increase in the pressure inside the eyeball, is generally controlled with toxic medicated eyedrops. The fear is that blindness will occur if the pressure in the eye gets too high. Every case of glaucoma I have treated in the past five years has improved enough that people either decreased or discontinued their glaucoma medication prescription. I assume that the improvement in eye pressure occurs from movement of the sphenoid, frontal and maxillary bones that make up the eye socket. The movement of the bones into a more optimal position allows the fluid pressure in the eye to be relieved before the pressure gets too high.

Double vision is a condition in which the person is unable to focus their eyes without tremendous strain. Their comfortable eye position causes them to see two disparate images, hence the name double vision. The ability of the eyes to focus on a single image depends on the muscles of the eye working together. Double vision occurs when the eyes are unable to aim the visual field at the same image at the same time. When the images cannot superimpose, double vision results. There is no medical treatment of double vision besides prism installation in the glasses (to bend the visual image into an alignment in which the double vision is improved) or surgery for people who have one eye turned in or out.

The muscles of the eye work together in a simple fashion: they have common innervation. The brain sends out one signal, and matching muscles in each eye receive the signal. The muscles contract the same amount (because there is only one muscle contraction command), and normally the eyes move the same distance in the desired direction. But with asymmetrical eye sockets, the eyes move different distances with the same amount of muscle contraction. This makes visual focusing problematic and, in severe situations, it leads to double vision. The NCR technique addresses this problem by changing the shapes of the orbits of the eyes. As the skull is optimized, the orbits of the eyes achieve their ideal shapes, and the visual focusing mechanism operates as it was designed.

I have had excellent results treating double vision with NCR. In severe cases, though, it could require twenty or thirty treatments to resolve.

Many people with visual problems like near- and far-sightedness will report improvement in their vision with NCR. Athletes report that they are able to see moving objects more clearly. I assume that this is because of the same mechanism I just described for double vision.

Headaches, head pressure and migraines?

Headache, head pressure and migraines are treated very successfully with NCR. Be sure to read the patient testimonials from the NCR Information Book or at the NCR website http://www.ndnd.com. Headaches, head pressure and migraines have many causes such as head trauma, sinus infections, allergic sinusitis, constipation, TMJ, fever, colds, influenza, stress, eyestrain, glaucoma, hangovers and poisoning.

Of course, if you have a fever or poisoning, the biochemical and detoxification approaches used in naturopathic medicine are the obvious choices in treatment. Sometimes a simple liver flush, an enema and/or colonic irrigation or a short juice fast are good treatment for headaches, head pressure or migraines. But much of the time, these things are not enough.

The head encases the brain and meninges. The head is held up by the spine, and its first bone (C-1) is known as the atlas, which surrounds the spinal cord (the continuation of the brain) and meninges. The stabilization pattern necessary to hold the head steady is created by the positions of the skull bones and the muscle tension patterns, which determine where the atlas is found. Many people find relief from their headaches through treatments that move the atlas into a central position beneath the skull. They become regular patrons of doctors who move the atlas or therapists who relax the muscles. These treatments are often temporary because the body may need the atlas not to be centered to uphold the skull in the most stable way. The body will always choose to maintain the most stable structure even if it creates pains in the head. The priority is not to be pain-free but to be stable. So the painful position of the atlas may be the best position for the atlas, in terms of overall bodily function.

Most people with head pressure have not found any relief from treatment. The head pressure is from meningeal tension, and the manipulation of the atlas is usually not effective in relieving meningeal tension. Osteopathic cranial therapy or craniosacral treatment can sometimes give temporary relief.

Every person I have seen with headache, head pressure and migraine has a tilted occiput. (But there are people with a tilted occiput who do not complain of pain.) The tilted occiput causes instability in head balance which is best stabilized by moving the atlas out of a centralized position. The tilted occiput is the cause of the head pain. In theory, effective pain relief should be found by correcting the painful stabilization pattern of the skull/spine. And it is with NCR.

NCR is a wonderful therapy for head pain. It is the best treatment for headaches, head pressure and migraines that I have found.

Heart conditions?

People with heart conditions are safely treated with NCR. However, this is not addressing the causes of the heart

condition most of the time.

Insomnia?

Insomnia is a condition that is difficult to treat. The causes of it are many, and a good family practitioner has many conditions to rule out. Hormonal problems, allergies, heavy metal poisoning, mineral imbalances, stress and poor home environment are some of the causes of insomnia.

A leading cause of insomnia can be stress, which is often considered to be a psychological condition but is very mechanical as well, regardless of its causation. Once present, stress can be relieved very effectively with NCR.

Often times the stress can be relieved long-term by the NCR. (See anxiety)

Treatment of insomnia is generally biochemical. Sometimes changing nervous system balance with the mineral magnesium or pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5) can be effective. The use of tranquilizers and sleeping pills is usually of symptomatic help, and botanicals such as valerian, skullcap and hops are just a little better. Melatonin, a pineal hormone, tryptophan (now a prescription item) and 5-HTP (a tryptophan precursor) can be symptomatically corrective too. The use of serine phosphatide salts or the more expensive phosphatidyl serine can be effective because of their damping of adrenal cortisol production. Occasionally, the use of cortisol analogs, like licorice root concentrates, improves cortisol levels, alleviating the need for continued adrenal stimulation to manufacture cortisol and thus allowing the nervous system to rest.

NCR can help to balance the body's hormonal patterns by optimizing nervous system function. Thus adrenal problems like high cortisol levels (a cause of insomnia) can be corrected. Similarly, low estrogen levels, which can lead to insomnia and hot flashes, can sometimes be treated with NCR.

Low energy (Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue)?

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and the related condition Fibromyalgia as well as the general term "low energy" are multi-factorial problems, and part of the condition seems to be structural in nature.

There are many biochemical parameters associated with Fibromyalgia and CFS, and they are an important component in a patient's recovery. In CFS and Fibromyalgia, treatment of allergies, chronic and acute infections (viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites), detoxification of heavy metals and chemicals and the correction of problems in the home environment are all important. Treatment of poor sleep, sleep apnea and insomnia is an important consideration as well.

But these are not enough. It is important to realize that there is an additional element to health besides diet and lifestyle, detoxification and treatment of infection, and that is the body's structure. Without proper structure, the brain and nervous system cannot function optimally. This is why NCR is an integral component for recovery from low energy conditions.

With Fibromyalgia, the major complaint is the aching of the muscles. The muscles' primary job is to assist the skeleton in supporting the body. When there is chronic aching of the muscles, the obvious assumption is that the muscles are overworked because the skeleton is not positioned to support the weight. This is an obvious situation in which to use NCR.

Lymphatic circulation and its malfunctioning, such as lymphoma, lymphatic toxins and lymphoid?

The lymphatic system is part of the body's fluid circulating networks, returning the larger protein and waste products from the cells and tissues. It empties into the circulation at the vena cava near the heart. (The smaller, more watery waste products from the tissues and cells are in the venous blood already.) Lymphatic fluids circulate through the lymphatic system by the contraction and relaxation of the skeletal muscles, moving by muscle actions like frosting squeezed through a pastry tube. With less skeletal muscle action, there is less movement of the lymphatic fluids. Proper lymphatic function is especially crucial during periods of detoxification like illness, dieting or cleansing programs. When the lymphatic system is not working right, the body can get toxic rapidly. It is sluggish lymphatic function that makes the muscles sore, the bowel movements especially foul, the breath smelly, the skin greasy and the temperament sensitive during these times because toxins are backing up in the lymphatic system. (This is a time when massage can be helpful).

The role of NCR for lymphatic circulation is small. There will be a difference in lymphatic functioning, but it will be indirect. The skeletal muscular tone will be different as a result of the postural pattern changes from NCR. This makes chronically tight muscles shorter and more flexible, which promotes lymphatic fluid movement where there would normally be little. There are also be changes in nervous system function with NCR that could make a difference in the nervous system's response to the toxic situation.

TMD or TMJ (Mouth, head and jaw pains)?

Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD), sometimes referred to as myofacial pain dysfunction or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome, is a condition involving pain in the muscles of the jaw used for chewing (masticatory muscles) and/or the temporomandibular joint, which connects the lower jaw to the skull. There are limitations in the use of the jaw and joint sounds (clicking, popping or grating noises) when the jaw is used. However, many people normally have such joint sounds in the absence of pain. Pain can spread to the muscles of the shoulders and neck. More rarely, TMD can cause disturbances of vision and balance.

These symptoms are created from the overall position of the bones of the head. Why would TMD occur? The main reason is the position of the temporomandibular joints. When the temporal bones are not positioned symmetrically, the mandible has difficulty making smooth contact with the skull. The temporomandibular joints are stressed separately and uniquely. When the jaw joint binds, there are joint sounds and often, but not always, pain. The cranial balancing pattern, obviously asymmetrical with the TMD, requires a painful position of the neck bones and musculature to maintain stability. This results in headaches, neck and shoulder pain, jaw pain and even problems with vision. The lop-sided, uneven positions of the temporal bones can lead to balance problems.

I have seen repeated, great results using NCR to treat TMD. The correction for TMD must address the problems of the entire skull, not just the local symptoms. When NCR treatment has progressed and the pain decreases from improved function of the entire head, the patterns of chewing are different. Usually it will be better, but sometimes it can seem worse, especially with bridges, crowns and fillings that are shaped for the mouth of a crooked head. When poor occlusion occurs, it is important to see a dentist for fine-tuning of the shape of the biting surfaces of the teeth. Continued chewing with a poor bite can traumatize the skull and move the bones of the skeleton into a different, undesirable pattern of stabilization. Rarely, dental orthopedics or even orthodontia will be required.

Generally, other treatments are secondary. The use of acupuncture, massage, stress management and nutrition are powerful only as adjuncts to NCR, the fundamental treatment approach for TMD.

(See vertigo and balance problems. See headache, head pressure, and migraine. See sinusitis.)

Multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease)? Muscular dystrophy?

These severe conditions affect the nervous system strongly. With MS and ALS, the nerves short-circuit because of unknown changes that affect the glial cells, the fats that insulate the nerves. There is some evidence to suspect infection by viruses, although sometimes they appear to be autoimmune conditions (like allergies). Using NCR to change the brain function and postural pattern fails to address this problem, although it can help the overall function of the body.

My suggested treatment protocol is to emphasize detoxification and nutrition to optimize function of the glial cells.

It is especially important is to maintain a very low fat diet. Avoid animal and saturated fats for years (less than ten grams of saturated fat daily), while ingesting at least three tablespoons (forty to fifty grams) daily of vegetable oils high in linoleic acid like sunflower, safflower, soy and flax oils. Fish should be eaten at least three times weekly, being sure to maintain adequate protein consumption on the other days. Consider being animal product free. Take selenium and vitamin E supplements. It can take two years of this therapy to notice improvement, although the worsening of symptoms should slow down sooner.

Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder characterized by gradual wasting of the muscles for unknown reasons. I have treated only one person with this disease, and I saw no change in their condition.

Muscle spasms? Neck and shoulder pain?

Muscle spasms and neck and shoulder pain are obvious conditions to treat with NCR. Muscles assist the skeleton to support the body, helping to oppose the actions of gravity. Muscles are tight and painful when the skeleton fails to support the body adequately. Generally, when the neck and shoulder muscles are painful, they are working perfectly. It is the skeletal structure that is so out of position that the muscles have to be painfully tight to help the skeleton hold up the body. In many ways, the muscles and bones working relationship resembles the use of cables to hold up crooked trees in an orchard. The tree would fall over without the support of the cable. No one blames the cable for being tight. Similarly, the muscles need to be tight to support the body because of the skeleton's lack of support.

Blaming the muscles for pain from tightness makes no sense.

To correct the muscle spasms or the pain in the neck and shoulder, the structural problems of the body must be

corrected. Without correction, the problems of pain and spasms will reoccur. Traditional physical medicine treatment modalities have been shown to be ineffective. NCR is the only treatment technique that has the ability to address the cause of the problem, the poor structural relationship of the body to gravity.

Organ functioning?

The brain and nervous system control the activation of function of the organs of the body. The nutritional status of the body, the toxic load maintained, the general lifestyle, living environment, the history of trauma and the organ damage history all influence organ function. Any person having organ problems needs to pay attention to all these factors while on the road to recovery. NCR can be one factor because the structure of the skeleton affects the nervous system functions, and they control the operating stimulation of the organs.

Orthodontic stress and bruxism (grinding)?

There are a few factors to consider when finding the causes of orthodontic stress and bruxism: personal and nutritional stress as well as structural problems are worthy of consideration. It is important for a person with dental stress and bruxism to maintain a stable emotional life. It is also sensible to take vitamins, mineral and adaptogenic supplements to minimize the nutritional deficiencies that can put the nervous system on edge.

However, NCR is a very important part of effective treatment of dental stress and bruxism. NCR can relieve the mechanical stress on the nervous system from the musculoskeletal structures, which decreases orthodontic stress and bruxism greatly. Also, some of the effects of bruxism can be reversed. Chronic chewing and grinding affect the shape of the teeth, and as the bite mechanics change, the chewing muscles slowly change the shape of the head. This head shape is rarely a desirable pattern, so NCR can help to remedy the problems created by bruxism and dental stress by reshaping the head.

Incidentally, it is very important for people undergoing orthodontia to have NCR sequences regularly during orthodontic treatment as well as after treatment, because the head alignment patterns created by the orthodontia can be improved greatly with the NCR.

Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a multifaceted disease characterized by excessive bone loss. There are nutritional, lifestyle, hormonal and mechanical factors that affect its progress. Most osteoporosis treatment emphasizes nutrition and medication: supplementation of minerals (especially calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and boron), vitamin D and hormones (remedying deficiencies of estrogens, natural progesterone or calcitonin and excess cortisol). It is also recommended to stop smoking cigarettes. Finally, weight-bearing exercise is advised.

Cells in the bone known as osteoclasts reabsorb bone, and cells called osteoblasts secrete bone. They are present all the time in living bone, existing in a state of dynamic equilibrium. When the osteoclasts are more active, the area experiences bone loss, and when the osteoblasts migrate into an area, there is bone growth. The assumed mechanism with osteoporosis is this imbalance, with excessive activity of the osteoclasts or a lack of activity of osteoblasts. Hormones are used to correct this imbalance. Certain vitamins and minerals provide all of the nutrients needed to make bone, covering any deficiencies that may exist. Weight-bearing exercise is used because gravitational forces stimulate osteoblasts, while lack of gravity increases osteoclast activity.

NCR dovetails into this picture dramatically because it improves postural patterns. As the postural pattern improves, the amount of weight carried by the skeleton increases. With increased gravitational weight in the bone, the activity levels of the osteoblasts increase. So NCR addresses the gravitational problems of osteoporosis elegantly. Improved posture makes physical activity easier, leading to a further increase in skeletal weight bearing, producing even greater amounts of stronger bone.

Para- and quadriplegics?

Para- and quadriplegics have usually experienced some sort of injury to the spinal cord. At this time, there is no process that regenerates the spinal cord. NCR won't help either, although the other conditions that a para- or quadriplegic has could still be helped with NCR.

Parkinson's disease and tremors?

Parkinson's disease is a condition involving low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine to specific receptors in the brain stem. The general symptoms of Parkinson's include:

1) drooling,

2) a mask-like, unemotional appearance of the face,

3) a flexed (tightly hunched) body posture with muscle tightness throughout the body,

4) a limitation of movement generally, including a difficult, shuffling gait when walking,

5) difficulty standing or with beginning movement (resembling a frozen sort of paralysis) and

6) visual perception that makes entering doorways and enclosed spaces difficult.

The medical treatment model is to increase the levels of serotonin throughout the brain. Although this is not a cure, it can usually control the severity of tremors. However, the movement and perceptual difficulties do not seemed to be helped with medication. Additionally, the problem for some of the patients I have seen is the side effects of the medication. There is speculation that nutritional supplementation with phosphatidyl serine (300 mg daily) is helpful, but I don't know yet about the efficacy of this. Experimental brain surgeries have been attempted, but the transplanting of brain tissues into the patient's brain has had spotty success.

My clinical experience with Parkinson's disease is encouraging. Generally, I expect to see improvement in all of the symptoms described above. Most of the time, the tremors temporarily worsened with treatment, but in more recent months, with improvements in NCR technique, I have seen less of that.

The reason why NCR is effective for what is considered to be a degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brainstem is that there is impaired circulation of blood and cerebrospinal fluid into this area of the brain for Parkinson's sufferers, and NCR increases circulation. Medications do increase the level of serotonin in the brain, and this resolves the symptom of low serotonin delivery levels in this part of the brain. However, by changing the shape of the skull with NCR, the flow patterns of blood and cerebrospinal fluid are dramatically improved, and this changes the amount of serotonin delivered into the affected areas of the brain too. NCR improves the postural pattern as well, with concomitant greater ease of movement. The perceptual changes observed with NCR seem to revolve around lessening of the mechanical tension in the meningeal system. When this occurs, there is a nervous system-wide improvement in function.

I think that NCR is the most promising treatment currently available for Parkinson's disease. I hope that research money can be found to demonstrate this conclusively.

Phobias?

Phobias are a kind of anxiety discussed earlier in this chapter. They are thinking patterns and behaviors based on exaggerated, irrational fear of a thing or situation. Phobic people are aware that their behavior makes no sense, but it is so unpleasant to experience the fear that they attempt to avoid the situation. Current treatment of phobias consists of behavioral conditioning techniques such as systematic desensitization and exposure therapy. These are often effective but are expensive and time-consuming.

My clinical experience with phobic patients is that NCR treatments make them better. My treatment model explains this: phobias are not simply psychiatric problems but are instead ideas created by abnormal brain function, triggered by aberrant flow of cerebrospinal fluid, resulting from the shape of the skull, creating undesirable delivery of neurotransmitters. NCR gradually optimizes head shape as well as the flow and delivery characteristics of neurotransmitters and cerebrospinal fluid.

NCR, then, is a way to cure the phobias instead of attempting to change behavior through counseling and conditioning.

Polio?

Polio is not in the public consciousness much anymore because the use of vaccines has lessened the frequency of outbreaks. For most people infected with polio, the symptoms are like a mild form of flu. But for less than one per cent of the infected population, the sensitive individual can have nerve damage, paralysis and death.

After infection causes nerve damage, the results are permanent. These people experience problems with walking gait and coordination. It wouldn't seem that anything could help, yet I have received reports from my student-doctors that they have had success treating polio sufferers.

The husband of one polio victim described the nightly pain and twitching his wife experienced. After her first treatment sequence, the twitching and night pains stopped. I have never treated a polio victim.

Poor concentration and focus?

Many people complain of poor concentration and an inability to focus their thoughts. It is generally regarded as a problem of inattention or poor thinking habits, at least I always thought so. I was surprised when I found that my ability to concentrate began improving soon after I began treating myself with the endonasal balloons in 1980.

The explanation is the same one used for learning disabilities, anxiety, depression, phobias and other conditions of the brain: After cranial traumas such as birth, falls, beatings, accidents, sports injuries or medical and dental treatment, the bones of the head are not found in their ideal locations. This affects the flow of blood and cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. Compromised circulation leads to varied levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, with some areas getting adequate or excessive neurotransmitter deliveries, and other areas receiving inadequate amounts.

This leads to suboptimal functioning of the brain. In the situation of poor concentration and focus, the brain is not able to perform these tasks because neurotransmitter levels are inadequate. NCR therapy optimizes skull shape, maximizing fluid flow dynamics in the skull, and creating neurotransmitter equilibrium throughout the brain.

Relationship difficulties?

Manipulation can improve your relationships!? This sounded silly when individuals and couples began telling me so, but I soon came to realize that it is true. Some individuals seem not to get along with anybody, finding something in all of their relationships to blame for their unhappiness. Also couples sometimes are not nice to one another, and they have little tolerance for each another. This breeds poor communication in all of their relationships as well. Such people are often tired, have headaches, sinus problems and snoring, so they just don't feel good.

After undergoing NCR treatment, people feel better. Their brains function better too. They are more tolerant and communicate better with their family and co-workers. One man stopped arguing at work after receiving NCR, although he had previously not heeded numerous reprimands for his constant, ongoing squabbles with his co-workers. One family begged their father/husband to return for more treatments because he was so much more pleasant around the house after NCR. A woman who had a headache for more than twenty years found herself sexually desiring her husband for the first time in years after NCR rid her of the headache. NCR's improvement in the position of the pelvis can help the quality of couples' sex lives as well. Many children stop behaving aggressively or peevishly after NCR enhances their brain fluids' flow. For some of the children I treat, their behavior with their family and schoolmates determines the frequency with which they are brought in for treatment.

NCR is an important way of improving behavior and relationships.

Sciatica, kyphosis (hunchback), lordosis (swayback), scoliosis (a spiral spine), military spine (from whiplash) and other back problems?

Back problems are the result of the postural pattern of the body leading to excessive stress for the muscles and the nerves, creating pain. Kyphosis, lordosis and scoliosis are postural patterns of the spine. There is no medical treatment for postural problems until they are so severe that surgery can be used.

Consider a whiplash injury. It is caused by a whip-like action of the head and neck, moving the center of the head forward (anteriorly) on the neck. This makes the head balance differently. The body's solution to the dilemma of holding the head up in a stable pattern is to change the curve of the neck into a straighter or even a reverse curve pattern. No wonder that local treatment of the neck does not help much!

Similarly, a kyphotic, scoliotic or lordotic spine is created from the stabilization pattern of the head. Local treatment of these spinal patterns is without merit. This is why there is generally no treatment for postural problems beyond telling someone to stand up straight. When the bones of the head are misaligned, the only postural patterns that the nervous system can find to support the head in a stable pattern result in kyphosis, lordosis, scoliosis or the whiplash pattern (a very straight spine).

Only NCR can routinely expect to make changes in kyphosis, lordosis and scoliosis. This is because the reasons for these postures are not conditions in the spine but instead problems in the position of bones in the skull. It sounds funny to say that scoliosis begins in the face, but it's true!

Seizures?

Seizures are rarely cured but are instead controlled. Medications are frequently used, with phenobarbital, carbamazepine, Tegretol and Dilantin being most prominent. There are nutritional techniques as well: treatment of heavy metal toxicity, hypoglycemia and allergies, following the ketogenic diet and the administration of nutritional supplements such as vitamins B-6, D, E, folic acid, taurine, manganese, choline, betaine, dimethylglycine, sarcosine and selenium all having scientific validation.

Yet the problem of seizures is caused by abnormal activity in the brain where activities are controlled by neurotransmitters. Could it be that changes in neurotransmitter levels in the affected areas of the brain would change seizure activity? When I first began treating persons with seizures, I had my doubts. With the old Bilateral Nasal Specific (BNS) technique, I would never know what to expect. Sometimes the patients would have seizures on the table, and at other times their seizure frequency and intensity would improve. But any change in the seizure pattern was an indication that I had it partially correct. As BNS gradually transformed into NCR, my patients experienced only improvement. This means that neurotransmitter levels are abnormal in persons suffering from seizures, and NCR should become a part of treatment for all such people.

Sinusitis? Sleep apnea? Snoring? Breathing and sinus disorders?

The technique that I first learned using endonasal balloons is called bilateral nasal specific (BNS). The primary intention of the doctors using BNS is to improve breathing and sinus function. (It was only Dr. Stober, my mentor, who realized that there were other treatment objectives for the endonasal balloons.)

When NCR is performed, the endonasal balloon is inflated in one of the two nasal breathing passages one to four times each treatment. The nasal breathing passages (the two areas that begin with the nostrils and end in the throat) are made bigger with NCR (and BNS too). This improves nasal breathing function. As the interlocking bones of the head shift, movement continues throughout the skull until the pressures between the bones are equalized. With BNS, sometimes nasal breathing improvements would last, and at other times treatment would be repeated indefinitely. With NCR, most widening of the nasal airways initially created by the endonasal balloon can be retained. NCR enables a person to breathe easily though the nose.

When a person snores, the noisy inhalation and exhalation of air through the mouth creates the noise. It is the chronically clogged or narrow nose and its inability to breathe well that forces the need to breathe through the mouth. When NCR opens the nasal airway, the need for mouth breathing is diminished. This diminishes snoring too.

Many people with sleep apnea have terrible problems with the nasal airway. For them, NCR dramatically improves the severity of their sleep apnea. There is less improvement with NCR for the person with sleep apnea whose tongue falls into the throat, blocking the passage of air down the throat.

Only some of the bones of the cranium have sinuses. The sinuses are caves inside the bones of the head. In some ways, the sinuses of the head are like bathtubs. Bathtubs fill with water and drain through a hole in the lowest part of the tub. When there is a problem with the drain, or if the bathtub is tilted the wrong way, the water stays in the tub. If your bathtub is full of water, it grows scum. One way to keep the slime from growing in the water is to dump bleach into the tub. But the solution to the bathtub problem is to fix the problem of drainage. The symptomatic approach is to control the scum in the water with bleach.

Similarly, each sinus has a small opening, which is usually the lowest area of the floor of the cave. From that opening a small drainage tube leads into the nasal breathing passage. With sinusitis, the drainage area of the sinus is not found in the lowest position. The bones of the head have been pushed into a slight tilt. This prevents complete drainage of the mucus normally manufactured by the mucous membranes of the sinus. If an infective microorganism gets into the area, the mucus is a wonderful breeding area for infection. But the body can kill disease only where the blood stream can touch. The center of a sinus chamber is not part of the bloodstream. Only the walls, floor and ceiling of the sinus are in direct contact with the bloodstream and all its antibodies. When the sinus doesn't drain, the body is capable of only controlling the growth of the microorganism, not killing it off. This is why many sinus infections are chronic: the body can't kill them. The common solution is to use antibacterial substances. Some people use synthetic antibiotics; others use colloidal silver or herbs. Either way, the symptom the bacteria is being treated, not the cause the position of the sinus.

We were not designed to have sinus problems! Our original blueprints did not include sinusitis as an option. As the body optimizes with NCR, the position of the bones housing the sinuses improves, so the sinuses drain better, and the body is able to kill off the original culture of the infection. With NCR, sinus problems stop.

Strokes? Thrombosis (excessive blood clotting)? Left hemisphere paresis?

With conditions like stroke (cerebrovascular accidents), excessive blood clotting (thrombosis) or left hemisphere paresis, my initial impulse is to treat the cause of the condition. Strokes create brain damage and are caused by bursting blood vessels or excessive blood clots blocking the arteries in the brain. So, some strokes are caused by thrombosis. Thrombosis is improved through regular exercise and oral administration of fish oils and gingko. Controlling blood pressure and maintaining strong blood vessel walls through the use of gingko prevent the other kind of stroke. For this, flavonoids like green tea and bilberry are my choice besides maintaining a low animal fat, adequate protein diet with low levels of simple carbohydrates. (Left hemisphere paresis is a stroke-like condition of unknown origin, so I don't know how to treat this nutritionally.) Manipulation should make no difference in the blood's clotting activity, and I have seen no benefit from NCR.

But some of the effects of the stroke and left hemisphere paresis could be mechanical, rather than permanent damage to the brain. In this situation, NCR should be helpful, and it is. Persons who have suffered strokes generally improve their brain functions with NCR. I have never seen a patient with left hemisphere paresis.

Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a harrowing condition to experience when it is severe. Medical treatment is in its infancy, with competitive noise hearing aids, experimental surgery widening the canal through the bones surrounding the auditory nerve and the administration of sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Changing the relative position of the auditory nerve to its surrounding bones sometimes successfully treats tinnitus. There are three ways this can be accomplished:

1) The nutritional approach is to use allergy avoidance, reduced inflammation diet techniques, nutritional supplements and detoxification protocols to reduce swelling of the auditory nerve, reducing the interference with nerve function and the tinnitus.

2) Tinnitus suffering can be alleviated with treatment of TMD. How can this be related? It is related because the cause of TMD and some tinnitus is the same--a great difference in the positions of the temporal bones. This leads to pressure against the auditory nerve, causing tinnitus, or can cause poor position of the mandible that leads to friction in the Temporomandibular joints (TMD). However, the dental treatment of this situation is indirect because the dentist has access to the teeth and they are mounted in the maxilla, and the contact between the maxilla and temporal bones is the sphenoid bone. NCR treats sphenoid bone position problems more effectively than any other technique.

3) The bones of the skull impinging the auditory nerve can create tinnitus. This is where experimental surgery can be used. Once again, however, this is a wonderful situation for NCR, with less risk and expense than surgery.

I have success with half of the tinnitus cases I treat. Sometimes the ringing in the ears will fluctuate each day. This is not a condition whose ultimate therapy combination has yet been found.

Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is an infection with Mycobacterium. This disease is on the increase worldwide after many years of relative inactivity. What is worse is that the newer forms of TB are antibiotic resistant. There are studies showing some botanicals have utility treating TB. Manipulations with NCR will probably make no difference to a tuberculosis infection, but I have never seen a case of TB, so I don't really know.

Vertigo and other balance problems?

The only medical treatments used for vertigo and balance problems are medications like Antivert or botanicals like catnip. They are effective only while under the influence of the drug. And they treat only the symptom, not the cause.

Balance problems and vertigo are situations affecting a part of the inner ears known as the semicircular canals. They are located in the bones just behind the visible portion of the ear. The two semicircular canals are each comprised of three bony rings filled with fluid, set at different positions so that at least one of the canals has fluid movement any time the head is moved. The brain uses the six fluid-filled canals to determine where the ground is or at least where the pull of gravity is coming from. The more your head moves, the more the fluid in the inner ear moves, and the more movement the brain is aware of.

The process of determining balance is complex. Each movement of the head causes movement of at least one of the semicircular canals, and the sensors inside the affected canal(s) respond to the fluid movement and stimulate the brain to change body muscle-coordination patterns to react to the movement of the brain.

My clinical observation and experience treating people with poor balance, dizziness and vertigo is that they generally have common structural patterns: The position of their ears is not uniform and symmetrical. When this happens, the brain is using two groups of sensors placed at different angles and heights to determine the position of the ground. Often these people are dependent on their vision to maintain their balance because of this asymmetry.

Consider the complications the brain would encounter if the ears differed in position five degrees and a centimeter (0.4 inches) in vertical (height) position. This would mean that the signal from the inner ears would have a five-degree/ one-centimeter difference in the findings of where the ground is. This would not affect much until the person was walking on irregular terrain, walking on a beam high off the ground, moving in the dark or standing on one leg. In these situations, five degrees of position or one centimeter of height can be very important. I have examined people whose ear positions differ more than three centimeters (1.2 inches). No wonder that they are clumsy!

Imagine what it would be like to be blindfolded and walking with two persons, one at each ear. They are whispering walking conditions to you. What do you do if they give you different information? Do you pick one to believe? Do you stop and get scared? This is the situation a person has when the ears are not positioned symmetrically. Having your ears at different angles and different positions on the head (implying rotation of the temporal bones relative to one another) is a similar experience, except that it seems normal to the sufferer; nobody knows that this situation can be changed!