Originally Posted by Everwilde

My insurance does not cover the upper cervical chiropractor either, but it has been well worth the investment for me. I think that the start-up costs were not that bad, something like $300 dollars. But each follow-up visit is $40+. I had so many odd mishaps that I ended up going back a lot and it ended up costing me quite a bit. I suppose that the average person could spend around $1500 and a few months of time to bring it around.

The procedure is pretty straightforward. They take a few specific x-rays that show the exact alignment of your neck. They lay you on a special table, enter in all the info, and a small metal rod precisely taps the bones into place. The first time I had it done, it was such a light tap, that I thought, "that won't do anything...". But, I sensed an immediate release in head pressure, and over the next days had a lot less fatigue and all the other symptoms started to clear up. Then he has you come back 2-3 times a week to check and make sure that things are in place, and to calm down any problem spots, sort-of like a physical therapist. If you lived anywhere near the Eau Claire, WI area, I would recommend him.

An interesting side-note to all of this relating to dizzyness. I have found that if my SCM muscles ( a protruding muscle from below your ear, and down the side of your neck) get tight, or my jaw muscles get tight from stress, chewing on beef jerky, or clenching my teeth from a headache, I will get dizzy. If I can apply pressure to the SCM or jaw muscles and clam them down, the dizzyness goes away. Why? The these muscles attach back into the upper neck area, and if they start to pull, they can create a pressure on the brainstem again. I have noticed a similar mechanism with my shoulder getting tight. Just another theory...