Frigid temps and a warm reception greeted this instructor for the latest Cervical Revolution, hosted at the PRI headquarters in Lincoln, NE. Attendees from around the world (Poland, Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, and, of course, the US) tuned in to learn how the right temporal-mandibular-cervical chain (the TMCC), a neuromuscular chain encompassing our cranium, mandible, and neck, conspires with the chains below (left AIC, right BC) and the visual, vestibular, and occlusal systems above to orient us to our right and create adaptations that hold us there. These adaptations to the tissues of our neck and cranium and to our sensory systems provide the ingredients for our habitual forward locomotion and respiratory function and, over time, produce the symptoms for which our patients seek care.
The most critical adaptation involves the occipital-atlantal (OA) articulation, our neurobiological foundation responsible for foramen magnum position, brain stem centric freedom, cranial nerve performance, physiologic homeostasis, and the signaling to the brain that we’ve shifted to one side. Overactivity of our right TMCC interrupts this articulation’s ability to slide, glide, and roll on each side. We lose the instantaneous alternating left-to-right contact, and our brain becomes over-reliant on the right OA contact sense for upright function.
When trauma – concussion, whiplash, Lasik surgery – is layered on, the brain is placed further into threat mode and resorts to extension to reorient itself in space. These individuals may require additional exteroception in the form of orthotics – for their feet, teeth, and eyes – as they manage gravity and the demands of daily life.
I can’t thank our in-house attendees enough – Lori Thomsen, Kelli Reilly, Erin Farmer – for their willingness to act as “patients” for cervical testing and demonstration of non-manual techniques (and two manual techniques with the additional time we had). We were treated to enlightening commentary on dental integration from Lori and dentists Noha Oushy and Laura Lawson. I know that I speak for everyone when I say the question and comments from many attendees were so appreciated, as they added context, clarity, and clinical applications. This is how we learn from one another and add value to the course. Hope to see you all again at a future course!
