Since my concussion back in March of this year contained a whiplash element that left me with a sore neck for a few days, I decided to see an Atlas Orthogonal Chiro 2 weeks ago. They first performed physical measurements to determine if I was a good candidate. The telling indicators to them were the fact that I had what they called "pain nodules" on the right side of my neck and my left leg measured approx. 1 inch shorted than my right leg. This told them that my Atlas was indeed out of alignment. I then had a series of very precise x-rays taken of my neck/head at various angles. Last Wednesday they showed me the x-rays, which illustrated that my Atlas was rotated up to the left and forward approximately 2 degrees, which does make sense considering how my head was impacted. They performed the adjustment that day, which only took about 2 seconds with the instrument. I was really skeptical because I barely felt anything. They let me rest for 20 minutes, felt my neck to verify the pain nodules were gone and measured my legs to verify they were now the same length. A day later, I went back in to get checked and they said my Atlas was still where it should be. I did not feel any different. Then yesterday at my check-up they asked how I was feeling. I said I felt pretty much the same since my dizziness and brain fog were still there. They assured me that the nervous system and neck muscles will take some time to adjust to things before my dizziness subsides and that it won't be immediate. They then measured me and said my pain nodules were back and left leg was again shorter than my right. They re-aligned my Atlas and said not to get discouraged because it often takes a little time for it to stabilize. I go in again tomorrow to get re-checked.

Is this the typical experience for everyone else? I am beginning to feel like this whole procedure is some kind of scam. Is my Atlas really being adjusted when this metal probe gently touches my neck directly behind my ear lobe? I guess since I am already this far into it I will give it another week or two to see what happens, but I am skeptical. I don't want to have to think about keeping my head in a neutral position 24/7 while this thing stabilizes. It is hard enough dealing with my PCS symptoms as it is.

The upper cervical process is slow. There are ligaments that need to tighten/heal to hold the atlas in position. The leg length check system is very good at identifying problems.

Your atlas subluxation may or may not contribute to your dizziness and fog. You just have to try to see. I suggest you ice your neck after each procedure. The goal is two fold. Get the atlas in proper position and reduce any inflammation due to atlas being out of position.

If inflammation in your upper neck is a contributor to your dizziness and fog, it can take a while for the inflammation to subside.

You sleeping and resting posture can impact how long it takes for atlas to stabilize in proper position.

It sounds like the chiro only worked on your atlas but nothing else in your spine. These kinds of chiros believe every problem comes from atlas. Fix atlas and the rest of the spine will self-correct. That is an extreme view of the spine. Many upper cervical chiros combine atlas work with working on the rest of the spine. Personally, I don't put a lot of confidence in the atlas only concept. It is fine for those issues related to atlas but not for issues related to the rest of the spine.

I agree that the "only" atlas adjusting is not the best protocol..
Something along the spine or any other joint... could be out from a previous injury/accident/sports or the concussion..

I'm glad my DC did atlas as well as whole body adjusting.. and used a mix of modalities like ultrasound, IFc stim, low level Laser therapy,massage..
My main problem was chronic RSI/myofascial pain.. but concussion/LOC 30+ yrs ago.

The strained neck muscles will tend to pull the alignment back out, that's why treating the muscles is an important part of the puzzle.

most chiropractors are a quack. ive done atleast 30 so called adjustments with no improvments. i tell you what has improved me tough. exercise ,proper posture and now im starting stem cell injections in my c1/c2 with bone marrow. just after one injection im feeling 30% reduction in my sensitvity and pain levels. i need about 3-4 treatments to heal my upper neck ligaments.. save the money and find a skillfull medical clinic like regenexx to fix your neck.. in the end you will spend the same ammount of money ...

thats why i wouldn't do any chiropractic adjustments until the ligaments have first healed, and icing it is not the solution. inflammation is actually good as it increases blood flow to the damaged area, ligaments are white and have very poor blood supply, the solution is not to cut off blood supply,but the opposite, increasing it! ice kills the blood supply..

I don't think any of us are saying Chiropractic alone will fix everything 100%.

But, if a person feels they might have gotten hit hard enough to misalign something , it would be silly to not mention that part of a treatment plan first..

A many pronged approach per each individual is the best way for most illnesses & conditions, some treatments may work and some not.
Study & learn about each suggestion and make any treatment decisions accordingly.

I appreciate the quick responses. I forgot to mention that last Thursday after determining my Atlas held after my first adjustment the previous day, they did look at my cranial bones and spine. No hand manipulation though, some sort of percussion hammer was used. They said they will continue to check my spine on days my Atlas has held. I think icing is a good idea and will try it. I will also ask tomorrow about icing and treating the neck muscles.

Jo*mar, I am not sure about those modalities you listed but I know they do the laser therapy.

It is still seems pretty amazing to me that this little instrument can vibrate for two seconds behind my ear and actually cause my Atlas to shift into the correct position. Forgive me for being skeptical, but chiropractic treatment is new to me. But I am willing to give everything a shot at this point!

Now we have a skeptic... Well, like I said, I am willing to give it a shot. Since my concussion was 8 months ago and I have no neck pain, shouldn't my ligaments already be healed? I basically went for this treatment because I was told a misaligned Atlas can pinch nerves and blood vessels that can reduce blood flow to the brain and mess with your nervous system, which could be contributing to my dizziness and lightheadedness. We shall see if I see any benefit. If not, it is only money...

My chiro used side of his hand and small drop platform, the c1c2 is a very simple /easy adjustment, you can also see many styles of it on youtube videos..
some-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-cjIq7s6mM

ligaments heal very very slowly like i said due to almost non existent blood flow.1/3 of ligament injuries never heal, thats why some people have post concussion syndrome sometimes many years after a concussion. sometimes its not the brain. but rather the neck. the solution is a regenerative therapy like stem cells or PRP.make sure its a proffesional clinic with a lot of experience to inject into C0/C1/C2 of your neck.. idealy with fluoroscopy. after that you can adjust with a chiropractor as much as you want. usually theres no need to do any chiropractic adjustments once your ligaments fully heal.. the body is a great self healer.. expect for ligament injuries..