Cecilia Yu, DC, specialized in the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA) technique through Synergy Balance, her Dallas-area practice, before wanderlust led her to Australia. After practicing NUCCA for five years “down under”, the Texas lifestyle eventually called Yu back home. Through her new practice, A Balanced Atlas, Yu offers NUCCA to treat vertigo, migraines/headaches, low back pain, sciatica, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders and other issues.

A graduate of Parker College of Chiropractic, Yu is a certified Level 1 and 2 practitioner of NUCCA and is pursuing Level 3 certification. NUCCA treatment is within the realm of chiropractic, but differs in that adjustments involve none of the cracking, twisting or popping associated with traditional chiropractic procedures.

“The whole technique is based on calculations through which we are aligning the whole body by balancing the relationship of the skull to the atlas and the rest of the spine,” Yu explains. The atlas is the first cervical vertebra that supports the weight of the skull, and thus has the ability to align the rest of the spine.

In Greek mythology, the god Atlas carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Yu says that is akin to the load that humans must balance on this delicate bone. “Our bowling ball-sized heads weigh 10 to 14 pounds, so you’re looking at this large weight that needs to be balanced on that small, two-ounce bone, the atlas.”

A misaligned atlas can adversely affect myriad nerves and alter the body’s ability to function on a structural level, she says, leading to lower back or knee issues, sciatica, headaches and TMJ disorder. “Through NUCCA, we focus on the brain stem that is connecting to the atlas that allows for proper brain-body communication,” advises Yu.

The doctor notes that there are 10,000 different directions in which the atlas can be misaligned. A NUCCA practitioner does not guess, but rather performs a precise calculation based on imaging results. Yu explains that a NUCCA adjustment for those with a misalignment of the atlas involves the patient lying on their side on a specially designed table. The practitioner uses gentle touch to work the atlas back into proper position based on the calculations. The length of treatment varies for each patient and the issues they are experiencing.

Continuing care is just as important as the NUCCA alignment, Yu emphasizes. “We do follow-ups to make sure the patient is holding the correction. As the body shifts and changes, it gives the patient a certain signal. If they don’t know how to read the body, they might not be able to determine if something is misaligned. I walk patients through all of that.”

With each patient, Yu does what she describes as a “pillow check”. After a patient’s first alignment, she talks with them in-depth about their bedding to protect the new alignment. That includes making sure their pillow is the proper depth for their shoulder width, so the atlas alignment holds.

“The average person spends one-third of their lives in bed. The number one culprit that usually takes people out of alignment is their pillows,” Yu explains. “People with neck or back issues often have a collection of pillows from experimenting which one works best for them. A pillow is one of easiest thing to change, but we need to choose that perfect one, so they won’t come out of alignment.” In addition, Yu examines the bite of each patient; it can misalign the jaw and cause neck instability, so a referral may need to be made to a dental specialist.

With proper NUCCA alignment and follow-up, Yu strives to help patients feel their best. “A lot of them had tried other options. My goal is to make sure they feel heard and to think outside the box to help them regain health and wellness, so they can have their best life.”

A Balanced Atlas is located at 5220 Spring Valley Rd., in Dallas. For appointments and more information, visit ABalancedAtlas.com.