Upper Cervical Care

Upper Cervical Care focuses on a very important part of the nervous system known as the brain stem. There is a close relationship between the top two neck bones (also called the upper cervical spine), and the brain stem. The brain stem is the body’s control center, which controls and coordinates everything in the body. The brain stem comes down through the skull and ends near the top two neck bones. This creates a situation where the brain stem is vulnerable to injury or irritation in and around the upper neck or upper cervical area. The brain stem sends messages through the spinal cord to every cell, tissue, organ, and system within the body. The spinal cord acts just like thousands of telephone cables with all their individual wires or nerve fibers sending and receiving messages to and from every part of the body. All communication between the brain and the body MUST pass through the brain stem in order to get to the body.

The Atlas and Axis—the top two neck bones—are uniquely shaped, making them especially vulnerable to misalignment. When these bones shift, they can disrupt brain stem function, affecting balance, coordination, and the body’s ability to regulate vital functions. Even a slight misalignment can interfere with communication between the brain and body—an often overlooked cause of chronic health issues. Over time, the spine may compensate by twisting or shifting out of position, leading to discomfort, poor posture, and additional health concerns. If you’re dealing with persistent symptoms like headaches, dizziness, or neck pain, upper cervical care offers a gentle, targeted approach to restore alignment and support your body’s natural healing process.

An Upper cervical misalignment is caused by a physical trauma like a car accident, concussion, slips or falls, sports injury, work injury, etc.  The MOST fundamental principle of Chiropractic is that the body heals itself! It is a scientific fact that the central nervous system (brain, brainstem, and spinal cord – remember the brainstem is the central coordinator) controls and coordinates every function in the body, especially its ability to heal. The central nervous system is protected by the skull and spine. The nervous system via the brainstem controls and coordinates balance, blood pressure, breathing, digestion, emotions, glandular functions, hearing, heart rate, muscle tension, posture, smell, taste, touch, and vision to name a few. If the central nervous system’s ability to communicate gets interrupted – it is easy to see that this is can result in health problems.