Hi
I saw an Atlas Chiro who took x-rays of my neck. He said my C-1 and C-2 are both out of alignment / shifted in different directions. It was hard for me to tell from the x-rays he showed me, but he thinks this is definitely my problem. He thinks this could be causing some of my symptoms, especially dizziness and fatigue.

I have always been skeptical of chiros because I have heard of them messing people up more. Should I be skeptical of this, or am I just being over paranoid? My insurance does cover it luckily. He is going to give me a treatment plan on Monday to show me exactly how many treatments and such he recommends.

He did one adjustment on me with the machine, but I don't really feel any different other than some more neck soreness, which he said is normal. I do feel really tired though too.

Has anyone else received adjustments from an Atlas Chiro? Did it help with PCS symptoms?

Thank you

Atlas chiro and other upper cervical chiro treatments take time. C-1 and C-2 don't just pop back into place like the lower vertebra do. You should ice after each treatment to reduce the inflammation cause by the treatment. You also need to be very disciplined to maintain good head and neck posture when resting and sleeping. You can work against his effort by being sloppy with head and neck posture.

Regarding chiros messing up people. Chiros pay far less in malpractice insurance than M.D.'s because the risk of bad outcomes is so low.

You are fortunate your insurance is covering Atlas chiro. Most insurance will only cover the adjustments, not the x-rays or other diagnostics. Personally, I am confused how a chiro can plan your treatment. Every body and injury responds differently.

I hope you gety good results.

My best to you.

My chiro did c1 c2 adjusting 2004- 08 as needed. (my concussion injury was a long time ago I got bucked off horse and hit head w LOC, but went to chiro for RSI/TOS injury).
Mine didn't have the fancy equipment or xray on site, but I think he helped quite a bit.
He used the leg length checking, hip, shoulders etc.
He used a small platform under the head that had a drop action, then placed his hand/wrists carefully and did a quick motion , that I could hardly feel.
but I could tell my legs were more balanced & even afterwards.

One time I jumped off the back of a 4x4 truck and landed more one one leg than the other, and the change was very noticeable, and was fixed easily in my next chiro appt.

Often you don't realize you are misaligned until you actually get into correct alignment. Then you can feel the difference.


I will say much of it depends on the care and skill of the chiropractor, some just seem to have that special touch. Some will explain what they're doing, and that I think is always good. The grab and yank one s, I'd run..
I'd run from set or pre paid treatment plans too.. you may respond quickly and not need ongoing care..

Drink lots of clear fluids after adjustments as well as massage & PT.. flushes out the toxins that may have been released. Many suggest icing after adjustments too.
I always felt best with heat due to my RSI/TOS muscle pain...

You can find videos of the process and adjusting on you tube if you want to compare techniques.

From my experience the atlas ortho treatment was a waste of time. I went to several sessions over a few weeks and it did nothing. Chiros want you to come three times a week so they can cash in.

What did help was an adjustment by an excellent osteopath doctor. I actually felt much better after a few sessions with them. They are actual doctors who really know what they are doing.

There are just as many osteopaths who do treatments without any medical basis. It all depends on the individual doctor and patient specifics.

What kind of treatments did your osteopath do that were helpful ?

I had an osteopath try to work on my neck and it did not help. I had hopes it would and had to push my health plan to allow me to be treated by him.

And it depends on if the area was misaligned or not, how/where the impact hit , what your symptoms are... as with anything, it may not help for everyone.

I went to an osteo hoping for better care for my RSI/TOS, but nearly the same as the previous MD.. they did have e a lot of expensive PT equipment... but was no magic fix for me there.

Really good care providers be found under many labels, the trick is to weed out the not so good providers..no matter what the "label" is.

Thanks for your posts.

Carrell 122... What did the Osteopath do for you? How do I find a good Osteopath? How are they different from PTs, physiatrists, chinos, etc....

And Jo Mar.... How does one weed out the made care providers and find the good ones exactly? I have no idea how to do that. Just like with this Atlas Chiro, I have no idea if his techniques are well-founded or not. How does one know when you have no experience in the medical world?

This is one thing I find the most frustrating...because here I am with limited brain functioning, and I'm supposed to figure all of this out myself and do loads of research do to it? sorry, sometimes I just get very frustrated.

Thank you

That is the tricky part- take your time look them up online and see reviews and websites..
and sometime you gotta go with your gut feelings.

ask a lot of questions at first visit or first phone call or email - good explanations & logical answers are good
I always like it best when a care provider explains what they are doing & why..and takes time to reply if I have a concern

if you feel they aren’t listening to your concerns - that is bad
if you feel worse after treatments- that is bad. unless they tell you a reason why..

If you feel that it isn't working out, cancel and find other care, don't stick with anyone that is not helping you.

In my experience, it takes a lot of trial an error. You can do good research but if the doctor or PT does not work well with your specific situation, you have to try another.

There are some telltale signs if they have a website/facebook page, etc. Too much self promotion and an attitude of being able to treat anything and everything, guard your wallet.

There are chiros who promote wellness care meaning they want to treat you even when you are well so you stay that way. There are a few chiros who are good at treating injuries with specific targeted treatments. Wellness chiros tend to use the same treatments for most everyone.

The same holds true for osteopaths. Some, especially those who push Upledger based Cranial Sacral Therapy as the cure-all, are just as questionable. But, there are osteos who use a broader based approach and can really understand your symptoms.

The important part in my opinion is to learn to understand your body. Rather that just expect the doctor to fix you, try to learn the difference between real symptoms and anxiety oriented concerns. It's not easy.

My best to you as you try to find answers.