The Power of Upper Cervical Care
When most people think of chiropractic care, they picture cracking backs or relief from neck pain. But what if I told you the most impactful part of your spine isn’t in your low back — it’s at the very top of your neck?
Upper cervical care isn’t something to fear — but it’s often misunderstood. Only 1.7% of chiropractors specialize in this area, yet it plays one of the most important roles in how your body functions.
At The Catalyst Spine Co., we focus on the upper cervical spine because the primary subluxation of interest often occurs in the upper cervical region of the spine, also known as the craniocervical junction. This area houses the C1 and C2 vertebrae, which sit just below the brainstem. This small but mighty region plays a massive role in how your entire nervous system functions and it is where messages from your brain travel down your spine and out to every part of your body and is a critical control center for heart rate, breathing, digestion, and balance. When it’s out of alignment, it doesn’t just cause discomfort — it can disrupt everything from balance and blood flow to mood and muscle tone.
Even a subtle misalignment in this area can affect:
Headaches and migraines
Dizziness, vertigo, and balance disorders
Jaw tension and TMJ dysfunction
Focus, memory, and cognitive clarity
Mood regulation, anxiety, and emotional resilience
Sinus drainage and Eustachian tube function
Neck, shoulder, and upper back tension
Postural imbalance and gait changes
Autonomic nervous system regulation (digestion, heart rate, etc.)
Sleep quality and circadian rhythm
Motor coordination and proprioception
Full-body compensation patterns and chronic tightness
Upper cervical care isn’t about chasing symptoms — it’s about restoring connection. We want to make sure your nervous system can communicate clearly and efficiently with the rest of your body.
Upper cervical adjustments are:
Precise – We don’t “crack” or twist your neck. Adjustments are gentle and targeted.
Intentional – Every adjustment is based on your unique anatomy and nervous system function.
Lasting – When the upper cervical spine is clear, your body can hold adjustments longer and adapt better to stress.
Below are Peer Reviewed Research Studies that support the power of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care:
IMPROVEMENT OF DIZZINESS FOLLOWING AN UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC TECHNIQUE AND INDIVIDUALIZED VESTIBULAR REHABILITATION PROGRAM: A RETROSPECTIVE CASE SERIES
In this retrospective case series, patients with chronic dizziness saw significant improvement after receiving upper cervical chiropractic care combined with a personalized vestibular rehabilitation program. The study highlighted that addressing the upper cervical spine can play a meaningful role in restoring balance and reducing dizziness symptoms — especially when integrated with targeted movement therapies. This supports the growing evidence that the upper neck is closely connected to how the body maintains orientation, stability, and clarity.
Autonomic nervous system and endocrine system response to upper and lower cervical spine mobilization in healthy male adults: a randomized crossover trial
In a randomized crossover trial comparing upper and lower cervical spine mobilization, researchers found that mobilizing the upper cervical spine led to greater activation of the parasympathetic nervous system — the part responsible for rest, digestion, and recovery. Participants also experienced reductions in stress markers like blood pressure and cortisol. This suggests that gentle upper cervical care can have a measurable, calming effect on both the nervous and endocrine systems, even in healthy individuals.
Clinical Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction
A large-scale study involving over 5 million upper cervical chiropractic adjustments found no reports of serious complications, reinforcing the safety of this specific approach to care. Patients in the study reported noticeable improvements within a few weeks, with high satisfaction scores averaging 9.1 out of 10. These findings reflect what many upper cervical chiropractors see in practice — that when delivered with proper training and precision, this form of care is not only safe but also highly effective.
