FAQs

What is Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care?

Cervical means neck, so upper cervical care refers to a focus on the top two bones of the neck, where the skull meets the spine.
Proper alignment of the upper neck is key to the function of the nervous system, which is the master control system of the body.
When the bones of the upper neck are properly aligned, it allows for proper nerve flow, blood flow, and cerebrospinal fluid flow, which are critical to overall health and well-being.

How Does Upper Cervical Chiropractic Differ from Traditional Chiropractic Care?

Upper Cervical adjustments tend to be gentler and more specific than traditional chiropractic adjustments

X-rays are taken on every patient to measure the exact misalignment patterns of your body, allowing us to tailor our adjustments specifically to you

Objective data drives your care:

We collect objective data on each visit. Adjustments are only delivered if and when the data indicates dysfunction in the nervous system, allowing us to provide best possible clinical outcomes for you.

Objective indicators we use include
How your nervous system is functioning (Paraspinal Thermography)
How adaptive your body is (Heart Rate Variability)
How efficient your body is (Muscle Electromyography)

What Conditions Can Upper Cervical Chiropractic Help Treat?

Healing occurs from within. When you cut your finger, it heals on its own. Our goal is to ensure your body's ability to heal, which is controlled by your nervous system, is optimal.

Many chronic health conditions are directly or indirectly linked to a dysfunctional nervous system, which may be caused by misalignment in the upper neck. The longer this type of dysfunction persists, the more likely it will lead to health issues throughout the body.

We have seen success in our office with conditions such as:

Migraines/headaches
Chronic pain
Nausea
Vertigo/dizziness
IBS
Tinnitus
Fibromyalgia
Lyme’s disease
Depression
Anxiety
Balance disorders
Brain fog
Insomnia
And more…

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What Should I Expect During an Upper Cervical Chiropractic Appointment?

On your initial visit, you can expect a thorough review of your health history, a nervous system exam of actionable data we will use to monitor your progress, and a highly specific X-ray series that will allow us to best visualize your upper neck in order to determine the best treatment.

We pride ourselves on education, and would be happy to discuss these results with you before we progress to the first adjustment.

To ensure best results, expect to begin care at around 2x/week. This allows us to monitor your progress closely.

After your initial visit, follow-up visits tend to be short. We will check our objective indicators and only adjust you if there is clear nervous system dysfunction. When our care is working properly, you should not expect to be adjusted every visit.

Are Upper Cervical Adjustments Safe?

Yes! Our initial exam process is very thorough, including detailed X-rays of the treatment area. This allows us to rule out any potential reasons not to adjust you, well before we begin our treatment plan.

How Long Does It Take to See Results from Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care?

Everyone is unique in their recovery time. Factors that may impact speed of results include:

How long you've experienced your condition
Current lifestyle habits
Degeneration level and curvature of the spine
Mental outlook and attitude

Some of our patients experience relief after one adjustment, while others take more time to heal. After each month of care we will reevaluate your condition to help us monitor your progress and to help guide our clinical decision making.

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Can Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care Benefit Everyone?

Yes! We work with people of all ages. Although our main focus is on restoring health to those that suffer with long-term conditions, Upper Cervical has also been linked to improvements in:

Athletic performance
Pregnancy and early childhood development
Mental clarity and acuity
Improvements in healing and recovery
Long-term preventative measures.

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How Should I Prepare for an Upper Cervical Chiropractic Appointment?

If you have a chance, fill out and bring your initial exam forms to your first visit to expedite that process.

If you have previous X-rays or MRI's we would be more than happy to review those with you.

Since we will be collecting data, we will need access to your neck and spine. Therefore, please refrain from wearing a scarf or turtleneck, and wear non-restrictive clothing.

Please avoid consuming caffeine or any other non-prescription drugs prior to your appointment, as they can impact our data. If you take any prescription medications, just let us know prior to your appointment time.

Will My Insurance Cover Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care?

We are not in network with any insurance providers at this time. If you have any questions about costs, billing, or reimbursements, please give us a call and we would be happy to help.

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