Concussion and whiplash injuries can be serious and can cause long-term neurological problems if left untreated. Fortunately, concussion and whiplash are two of the most popular injuries we help people with at Elite Upper Cervical.

When you hit your head, your brain immediately starts to swell with inflammation. This causes pressure buildup inside the head, which almost always causes some form of headache.

You might also notice other concussion related symptoms such as dizziness, balance problems, brain fog, nausea, mood swings and difficulty sleeping.

Also, when your neck snaps backwards then forwards, the whiplash effect will tear the ligaments loose that are responsible for holding the head over the neck. This causes the top bone in the neck, the atlas vertebrae, to misalign and places additional pressure on the brain.

The research says that you can’t have a head injury (concussion) without also having a neck injury (whiplash). So when it comes to treatment options, it’s important to treat the neck in addition to treating the head, for a complete recovery. 

Unfortunately, most doctors want to hit the snooze button and throw out the body’s internal fire alarm by prescribing medication, which is not a long-term solution.

Why? Because it’s not possible to fix a structural problem with a chemical solution. It’s important to get to the root cause of the problem and secure that structural solution! This is where we specialize.

As a NUCCA upper cervical chiropractic clinic, the first thing we do is take specific x-rays of the atlas vertebrae to see if it’s misaligned.

We have advanced software that allows Dr. Burt to measure the atlas down to 1/100th of a degree, which is critical when it’s time to realign it. The upper cervical x-rays are the most important thing we can do for you as a NUCCA doctor.

When doctors work on the upper neck without taking x-rays, they risk making someone worse.

After the exact position of the atlas has been measured, then Dr. Burt can correct it.

The realignment is so gentle that anyone would feel comfortable with the amount of pressure used. Gentle, slow pressure is all you feel, right below the ear lobe, which is also where the atlas is located.

There is no twisting, popping or cracking of the neck with the NUCCA realignment.

Afterward, we will have to retrain the neck muscles for a few months, realigning the atlas as needed.

If you are curious to see if your atlas is misaligned and is causing your migraines, make sure to schedule your NUCCA assessment below, as soon as possible, to see if you are a good fit for treatment.