ranial pressure can be reduced via this method and therefore reduce the patient's symptoms.12) Reflexive/Muscular: By adjusting the first thoracic vertebrae the semispinalis capitis and the longissimus capitis are affected because of their insertion to the upper thoracic spine. These muscles also connect to the occiput and the mastoid processes. Golgi tendon organs located within these muscles can, when stretched quickly, cause an inhibitory reflex to the entire muscle, which could allow for a release of tension at the base of the skull.13) Reflexive/Sympathetic: Sympathetic innervation to the head and neck originate from the T1-2 spinal levels.4 These spinal levels are believed to correspond to the spinal segmental outflow to the cervical sympathetic trunk and vertebral nerve/plexus.1Other possible explanations are that, since the time period between the cervical adjustment and the thoracic adjustment was only 48 hours the cervical adjustment may have been in the process of making corrective changes to the body that didn't take effect immediately. The placebo effect was considered and was regarded as a non-factor in the results due to the fact that the expectation of success was present in both cases and success was not achieved until the thoracic adjustment was performed. A cavitation was also heard with both adjustments and motion was restored in each, which also discounts the placebo effect. This case study illustrates a patient with suboccipital headaches that benefited from an upper thoracic chiropractic adjustment. There is little literature in the field that illustrates this relationship and is an area that warrants further investigation. ...
