Upper Cervical vs. General Chiropractic: What’s the Difference, Really?

Let’s start with a little story. Imagine you’re trying to fix a wobbly dining room table. Every time you sit down, the table rocks just enough to slosh orange juice onto your pancakes. A general fix might be to shove a napkin under the short leg every morning. Problem solved—until the napkin shifts or someone moves the table.

Upper cervical chiropractic? That’s like finding out the floorboards under the table are crooked, fixing them so the whole thing sits level for good. No more daily napkin acrobatics. No more coffee casualties.

That’s kind of the difference we’re talking about here.

The View from My Side of the Adjusting Table

Over my career, I’ve worked with about 4,000 patients. That’s a LOT of spines—and a lot of stories. Some people walk in after a lifetime of chiropractic care. Others have never been adjusted in their lives.

Here’s something funny: the patients who have seen many chiropractors sometimes try to tell me exactly how to adjust them. I’ll smile politely and say, “That’s interesting… but let me show you how I do things.” Because what I do is not the same as general chiropractic.

How General Chiropractic Usually Works

In general chiropractic, the approach is often local. If your lower right back hurts, that’s the spot that gets adjusted. If it still hurts at your next visit, it’ll get adjusted again. And again. And again… until it hopefully holds longer.

This can be helpful for symptom relief—and let’s be honest, feeling better right away is always nice. The problem? It doesn’t always lead to long-term results. It’s like chasing that wobbly table leg over and over without checking if something bigger is causing the problem.

How Upper Cervical Chiropractic Works

Upper cervical care is more like detective work. Instead of focusing only on the “crime scene” (the spot that hurts), we look for the mastermind behind the pain—the primary misalignment.

Here’s what we’ve found over and over again:
Many of those primary misalignments start at the joints that affect the brainstem. This little powerhouse, located where your skull meets your neck, is command central for your nervous system.

When the brainstem is under pressure from a misalignment, your body may develop other “secondary” misalignments all along the spine—mid back, low back, hips, even down to your knees. If I chase those secondary spots, I’m just treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

But when I correct the brainstem area? The rest of the spine often falls right back into place—and stays there much longer.

Why This Matters for You

Think of your brainstem as the main breaker in your home’s electrical panel. If the breaker is flipped, you can replace light bulbs all day long, but the lights won’t stay on. Fix the breaker, and suddenly everything works the way it should.

In chiropractic terms:

• General chiropractic = changing the lightbulb (treating the painful spot)

• Upper cervical chiropractic = resetting the breaker (fixing the root cause)

The Benefits of a Brainstem-First Approach

1. Longer-Lasting Adjustments

Because we focus on the right spot from the beginning, the adjustment often holds much longer. Patients aren’t coming in twice a week forever just to get temporary relief.

2. Whole-Body Impact

Correcting a brainstem misalignment can improve posture, balance, nerve function, and even reduce tension in unrelated areas like the low back or shoulders.

3. Less Is More

Upper cervical adjustments are extremely specific and gentle. There’s no cracking every joint just to “cover all the bases.” Instead, we adjust only what’s truly out of place.

Common Symptoms We See Improve

When the brainstem is aligned properly, the body can start to heal itself. We’ve seen improvements in:

• Migraines and chronic headaches

• Neck pain and stiffness

• Vertigo and dizziness

• Back pain (yes—even low back pain)

• Shoulder or hip pain

• Fatigue and brain fog

And because the nervous system controls everything, patients sometimes notice bonus improvements in sleep, digestion, or overall energy.

What This Isn’t

Let’s be clear—upper cervical chiropractic isn’t a magic trick. You won’t get adjusted once and never need care again. Healing takes time, especially if you’ve been out of alignment for years.

But unlike chasing pain around your spine with repeated local adjustments, this approach aims to correct the problem at its source so you can actually hold your alignment—and enjoy the benefits for longer stretches between visits.

A Patient’s Perspective

Many of my patients tell me they didn’t “get it” at first. They were used to feeling better for a day or two after a general adjustment, only to have the pain creep back. It’s almost surprising when, after an upper cervical adjustment, they come back weeks later and say, “You know what? I’m still feeling good!”

That’s the goal: not just to help you feel better today, but to keep you feeling better for the long haul.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been stuck in the cycle of short-term relief and endless repeat visits, it might be time to try something different. Upper cervical care goes beyond the quick fix. By addressing the brainstem and the root cause of misalignments, we give your body the best chance to heal, stabilize, and thrive.

This isn’t a band-aid. This is care that heals.

So whether you’re dealing with back pain, migraines, neck pain, vertigo, or other issues that might be tied to your brainstem, there’s a good chance upper cervical chiropractic could help.

Your Next Step
If you’re ready to get out of the “adjust, repeat, adjust, repeat” loop and start experiencing long-term relief, reach out to schedule an appointment. Your brainstem—and the rest of your body—will thank you.

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