How to find an upper cervical chiropractor, and other hard to find answers about upper cervical care

There are plenty of good resources online about the benefits of upper cervical chiropractic care. But very little guidance offered to the general public on how to select an upper cervical chiropractor. If you’re looking for an upper cervical chiropractor, these answers will help you understand your choice.

The most comprehensive information I can give you on upper cervical chiropractic care is  found here: What are upper cervical chiropractic procedures and how do we use them? 

Here is an abbreviated version:

Upper cervical chiropractors use  upper cervical procedures take extra care in addressing one specific area of the spine, found at the the top of the neck. 

There are historic and recognized upper cervical chiropractic procedures with names that are used by upper cervical chiropractors.

This unique group of chiropractic protocols agree (and sometimes disagree) on the best way to balance the top of the spine.

Why the top of the spine?

A lot can go wrong in the body when the upper cervical spine is irritated. The effects can feel mild to devastating depending on a lot of internal factors in the body of the patient, including the patient’s experience with prior spinal trauma.

Regardless of the severity of the symptoms, upper cervical irritation usually causes body tension and imbalance that you can actually see, if you know what to look for.

In response to the head being off-center of the body,

  • Head to toe, muscles of the body become unbalanced, leading to unequal pulling on spinal vertebrae and painful “fixations” in the spine

  • There is a twist in the pelvis and hips, creating the appearance of a “short leg” and the spine loses its stable base

  • Often unequal weight is carried on each half of the body, leading to joint aches and pains as the body breaks down faster on one side than the other

  • Finally the quality of the blood flow (nutrition) to important nervous system issue in the spinal cord/brain stem is affected, negatively impacting internal organ systems, creating multiple and often confusing symptoms

The easiest way to find a chiropractor who has been trained in a recognized upper cervical technique is to search on a known database of upper cervical chiropractors.

Once you have found an upper cervical chiropractor who is near to you, you're encouraged to find that doctor's website and research their  participation in groups associated with upper cervical chiropractic care.

You're looking for a published history or mentorship with an upper cervical chiropractic teaching group.

General Databases that allow free listings

 

  • UpCSpine.Com

    One of the oldest lists of upper cervical chiropractors is found on a website run by patient advocate Greg Buchanan, called UpCSPine.com.

    This database is updated at times, but you may find some defunct and out of date practice information.

  • UpperCervicalCare.com

    UpperCervicalCare.com is a website built and maintained by Bill Doherty, who is a marketing expert who was associated with the Upper Cervical Health Centers of America Group.

    Doctors can add their listing, and many of the listings are broken down by individual upper cervical techniques. 

Technique Specific Databases


Historic upper cervical techniques maintain a database of active participants in their organization, and this is another great way to find an upper cervical chiropractor.

Keep in mind, however, that these lists are the privilege of membership, and there are many practicing upper cervical doctors who, for whatever reason (time, energy, costs, politics, etc) chose not to participate as a member in a technique association.

Here is an incomplete list of historic upper cervical technique organizations that have a search function for doctors in their association: 

Other databases


From time to time this area may be updated with further information.

The International Chiropractic Association (ICA) has a Council on Upper Cervical Care, which includes an advanced curriculum covering different upper cervical technique perspectives.


Some upper cervical chiropractors are members of the Upper Cervical Council and may be listed on their website.

Searching the Internet


The above techniques may be helpful but won't be comprehensive for your area.

You can also simply use the search terms below with some keywords for your geographic region and see who shows up in search results.

Keep in mind, you will find some general chiropractors who have some upper cervical techniques listed, but who haven't done any training in a historic upper cervical technique.

You may want to call and verify that the chiropractor you've found has the necessary history and equipment to adjust the upper cervical spine. 

Here are some terms to try:

  • upper cervical
  • upper cervical chiropractic
  • upper cervical doctor
  • atlas misalignment chiropractor
  • atlas adjustment
  • atlas axis alignment
  • cranio-cervical adjustment
  • C1 or C2 adjustment

 

For upper cervical chiropractic conditions, it's helpful to think of the

  • head,
  • neck,
  • chew and swallow mechanism,
  • and the vasovagal system

Head Symptoms and Conditions

Any head  symptom that appears to be closely related to head and neck balance should be evaluated by an upper cervical chiropractor, including:

  • Headache disorders (of all kinds) including various migraine types
  • Headache or head pressure due to occipital neuralgia
  • Head pressure due to sinus disturbance
  • Vertigo or balance disturbances
  • Tinnitus, hearing loss, or ringing in the ear
  • Chronic ear pain or pressure
  • Meniere's Disease
  • Facial pain syndromes, including Trigeminal Neuralgia
  • Post-concussion symptoms and concussion recovery

Neck Conditions and Symptoms

 

Any musculoskeletal condition of the neck or neck related condition, including:

  • Chronic neck pain
  • Neck disc injury
  • Shoulder pain
  • Neck pain after whiplash or auto injury
  • Nerve pain into the upper limbs
  • Carpal tunnel symptoms

TMJ and Throat Conditions and Symptoms


Any jaw, swallowing, or throat condition, including:

  • TMJ pain
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Chronic esophageal irritation
  • Reflux

Vagal (Vasovagal) Conditions and Symptoms


Any condition or disease process that has a dysautonomia aspect, or irritation to the vagus nerve (vagal system), including:

  • Vasovagal syncope
  • Positional Orthostatic Tacchycardia Syndrome (POTS)
  • Heart rate dysregulation
  • Blood pressure problems
  • Digestive disturbances, including constipation or irritable bowel

Progressive Neurological Conditions and Symptoms

 

In addition to the above conditions, anyone facing a progressive degenerative nervous system disorder, like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's, should pursue upper cervical care as a general health support. This is due to some evidence that shows that the upper cervical spine and its alignment helps modulate blood flow out of the brain.

Posture Correction and Efficiency


Finally, anyone concerned about posture or the functional appearance of the human body should also include upper cervical adjusting as a comprehensive program of resetting the body's postural mechanism.

Any musculoskeletal condition of the mid-back and below may be helped my upper cervical chiropractic care, but will probably require other spinal and extremity work, including:

  • Musculoskeletal pain of thoracic/mid-back pain
  • Thoracic/mid-back pain secondary to an organ dysfunction like gallbladder or liver problems
  • Rib pain
  • Hiatal hernia
  • Low back pain of all kinds
  • Pelvic floor pain and symptoms related to pelvic floor dysfunction
  • Sciatica and other nerve pains of the lower body
  • Knee pain, including meniscus injuries
  • Ankle or foot pain, including plantar fasciitis
  • Sports and trauma related injuries of the shoulder, elbow, or wrist

 

 


An upper cervical chiropractor is someone with advanced post-graduate training in an upper cervical chiropractic technique (or upper cervical procedures).

 

The doctor may have an active listing on an upper cervical technique website (like those below), or an upper cervical chiropractic website, like the legacy website UpCSpine.com, or the newer website UpperCervicalCare.com.

The doctor in question should have published information on their participation in learning or being mentored in a specific upper cervical technique, like:

Your upper cervical chiropractor may no longer be listed on an upper cervical technique website for a variety of reasons, so if you don't see your doctor listed, don't be afraid to ask about it.

Or your upper cervical chiropractor may be involved in another group not listed, like the Knee Chest Upper Cervical Society, or another Palmer Upper Cervical Group.

In addition, the practice should have unique equipment that helps deliver their upper cervical procedures, including:

  • Unique x-ray equipment, including x-ray chairs and clamps
  • Diagnostic equipment to examine the posture or temperature along the neck (infrared thermography)
  • Adjusting equipment, including specialty tables and/or adjusting instruments made specifically with attachments for the upper neck

If the chiropractor you're researching has a few upper cervical techniques listed in a long list of other chiropractic techniques and procedures, then most likely that website information has been provided to the chiropractor by a website company to help with search engine results. It may not reflect the technique the chiropractor uses.

Most chiropractors with a history of learning an upper cervical technique will make their history with an upper cervical organization available on their website.

The easiest way to answer this question is to simply ask the chiropractor and/or contact their office.

Your upper cervical chiropractor does not need to be actively certified to be a competent upper cervical doctor. But they should have a learning history with an upper cervical practice or technique organization.

Personally, I would be wary of any chiropractor who says they do an upper cervical technique who does not have any published history of their participation in post-graduate education with an upper cervical organization, or who cannot answer questions about that history.

Certification (or levels of certification) are available through:


I'm personally less familiar with the teaching and certification programs of the Knee-Chest or Palmer Upper Cervical adjusting groups.


I'm most personally familiar with the the certification process of the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association, in which I was a participant.

If you're in an area that has few upper cervical chiropractors, you may just have to go to the nearest upper cervical doctor in your area, regardless of their experience.

If you're in an area with many chiropractors who identify themselves as upper cervical doctors or as using an upper cervical technique, then you might have to discern which practice is best for you at this time.

Doctor experience is an important factor, so the easiest way to answer this question is to simply ask the chiropractor about their personal experience with your particular concern, symptom, or condition.

If your chiropractor has been in practice for five years or more, then he or she will most likely will have seen someone else with a similar history or concern will be able to talk about that patient's experience.

If your chiropractor has been in practice for less than five years, then he or she should have information readily available about their history with an upper cervical technique organization or  an upper cervical mentor who can help guide the doctor in caring for you.

What if you have a relatively rare condition that most chiropractors and other doctors have rarely seen?

Unfortunately in this instance, your upper cervical chiropractor may not have a direct, relevant experience with someone with your similar history. In this case they may not have handy knowledge on what to expect in your healing process.

In these cases, I personally reach out to other colleagues to see if they have ever cared for someone with a similar patient profile in order to learn that doctor's and patient' experience.


That said, the technical aspect of correcting your upper neck area may still be very straight forward.


The key is to simply ask your upper cervical chiropractor about his or her experience, and expect a direct, honest direct answer.

Some of the best healing stories of upper cervical care have come from relatively new offices, so don't be discouraged if you don't have access to an upper cervical doctor with a lot of experience. 

The primary responsibility of upper cervical chiropractors is to help resolve and reduce chiropractic subluxations (misalignments) at the top of the neck.

Most upper cervical chiropractors have devoted most of their time and energy on this aspect of their practice, and most will spend a majority of your care on upper cervical alignment.

Some upper cervical procedures also guide the chiropractor to adjust or correct lower cervical misalignments, also called whole cervical procedures, like the Blair Technique or Quantum Spinal Mechanics.

But these lower cervical corrections are  also meant to serve or improve the upper cervical balance.

There are upper cervical chiropractors who also work on the whole spine.

The inclusion of whole spine adjusting and how to integrate these procedures in an upper cervical practice is a controversial topic among upper cervical chiropractors.

There a many upper cervical chiropractors who are able to adjust lower areas of the spine, but will not publicly talk about this aspect of their practice.

Personally, I integrate upper cervical adjusting procedures with adjustments in other areas of the spine and skull, but there was a time in my practice where I didn't do this integration as I thought it was mostly unnecessary. I now have a different opinion.

Because I integrate adjustments to other areas of the spine and body, I also don't receive as many referrals from upper cervical chiropractors who prefer to only refer to upper cervical chiropractors in their technique association or who adjust the upper cervical spine only.


In my personal experience, I would prefer to work with an upper cervical chiropractor that can also adjust or correct a lower cervical misalignment or another area of the spine if necessary.

That said, I believe all patients who will benefit from an upper cervical technique should pursue care with the upper cervical chiropractor that is best able to help them, whether or not they integrate other procedures in their office.

Here's a potential list of questions you could bring to a consultation with an upper cervical chiropractor.

Some of these are technical, and you may not know if the answer is a good one, so the point is really just to get a feel if the chiropractor has a well thought out plan in place for your situation.



  • What is the upper cervical technique you use, and why?
  • How long have you been an upper cervical chiropractor?
  • Do you use x-rays or CT-cone beam to decide how to adjust?
  • Do you use infrared thermography or another assessment technology?
  • Do have experience with patients similar to me?
  • Have you ever helped anyone with similar symptoms?'
  • What guides your decision whether I need an upper cervical adjustment on a visit to visit basis?
  • If I don't need an adjustment, what else will we do that visit?
  • What kind of outcome tests do you use? New x-rays, re-exams, etc?
  • Do you think I'm a good candidate for your care?
  • How many visits do you think I need?
  • What costs should I plan for?
  • If you run into problems helping a patient, how do you typically troubleshoot difficult cases?
  • How much time minimum, do you expect me to give this process?


Above, you'll find my best answers to common questions about upper cervical chiropractic care.

My name is Dr. Zachary Ward, and this is my website.

These answers are my thoughtful but personal opinions.  Here are the experiences that shape my opinions:

    • I have been in and around upper cervical chiropractic care as a student and a doctor since 2006

    • Practiced exclusively with an atlas only upper cervical technique for the first four years of practice (NUCCA), and then moved to a whole cervical technique for the following two years (Quantum Spinal Mechanics), before integrating full spine instrument adjusting (you can read more about how I integrate upper cervical procedures here.)

    • In the certification process with the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (Part 2) and was on the publications committee before stepping away in 2014

    • Was personally mentored by Dr. Marshall Dickholtz, Sr. of Chicago, IL, one of the first NUCCA directors, (deceased, was my mother's chiropractor), and Dr. Keith Denton of Monroe, MI (student of Founding NUCCA doctor Dr. Ralph Gregory)
    • Was personally mentored by and worked Dr. Barbara Read of Ames, IA, who was a student of Dr. Dickholtz Sr.
    • Had personal instruction from other upper cervical techniques, including spending time with The Art of The Specific (TATS) instructor Dr. Andy Roberts (deceased) for perspectives from Dr. "Bud" Crowder (BJ Palmer's clinic director)
    • Spent time with Dr. Michael Burcon of Grand Rapids, MI with his unique approach to Blair Upper Cervical Adjusting in Meniere's cases

    • Personally mentored by Dr. Tony Palermo, who learned directly from Dr. Kale Sr., and was the practice management coach for Upper Cervical Health Centers of America
    • Had dialogues with outside-the-box upper cervical practitioners like Dr. Michael Thomas of Belleview, FL a contributor to Quantum Spinal Mechanics, and RN, (deceased) and Dr. Philip Schalow of Rockford, IL who was a professional violinist and teacher of the Alexander Technique (deceased)

    • Has actually owned and read every available copy of the Upper Cervical Monograph
    • Spent time reading the "Black Tie" newsletter of Dr. Vic Coxon, which was circulated by upper cervical chiropractors in the late 1930 and early 1940s, which in the mid-2000s, were available via the Palmer Archives
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