Is your head on straight?

Upper Cervical misalignments are all too common, and can have serious consequences for our overall health and well-being. The Atlas bone, also known as C1, is responsible for carrying the weight of your skull and serves as a gateway between your brain and the rest of your body. It houses the vertebral arteries, the jugular veins, the vagus nerve, the spinal cord, duramater, and CSF. Needless to say, any misalignment of this little bone can have significant consequences on the nervous system and lead way to a wide variety of symptoms. Misalignments can be caused by whiplash, falls, computer work, text neck, sleeping wrong. Most of our patients have been walking around with these problems for many years, just getting worse over time.

While most chiropractors work on the Atlas, but Upper Cervical care is different. It is a science, devoted to the most precise adjustment possible. The precision allows us to reduce the amount of force necessary to achieve the adjustment. More importantly it allows us to lengthen the time needed between adjustments. By aligning the Atlas and allowing it to stabilize and “hold”, the body can begin healing progressively over time. Dr. Silver is a world renowned Upper Cervical Chiropractor and has successfully treated thousands of patients with headache, neck pain, and more using this cutting edge type of healthcare.

  • The Atlas

    The atlas is the very top bone in the spinal column and the one that holds your skull. Based on its proximity to the brainstem, misalignments here are disastrous to the nervous system. It’s disruption contributes to hundreds of disorders. Our approach is to provide the best correction possible so that patients may enjoy complete recovery and longer hold times.

    The Atlas

  • Examination

    The atlas misalignment effects the body in several ways that are detectable on a neurologic examination. This could include altered postures, difficulty with range of motion, tenderness, leg length inequality, and pain. Our doctors are trained to screen for this misalignment carefully so that we know exactly when to adjust.

  • Imaging and Analysis

    If the misalignement is suspected, we obtain imaging using Cone Beam Computed Tomography. This provides a 3D image of the head, atlas, and neck that allows our doctors to measure exactly how the misaligment has shifted. We take 7 measurements in this region and run the measurements through our algorithm to calculate the best adjustment.

  • The Adjustment

    Our doctors are all trained in the Advanced Orthogonal Upper Cervical Procedure. To obtain an accurate adjustment, patients are carefully placed on a specialized table. Measurements are taken and the machine is calibrated to a specific angle. A small percussive shock wave gently taps the atlas bone back into the perfect position.

After that it’s about holding.

Patients return periodically to check the alignment. If everything seems in place, we leave it alone. Most patients need 1-3 adjustments in the first month as we compete with muscle memory, but after that the alignment seems to stabilize and become much longer lasting. By aligning the Atlas, patients begin to make gradual improvement in their health and well-being.