I need to clarify my post. When I said my daughter’s doctor advised us never to have a physical adjustment of the upper cervical area, she meant that we should never have our upper cervical area manually adjusted with a physician/chiropractor’s hands. I hope that makes better sense.
I am thrilled to say that Upper Cervical/Orthogonal Atlas adjustments have been a lifesaver! I have had TN for nearly 3 years now. I am not able to take any meds for TN due to different ailments/disease of my gastrointestinal system and the horrible side effects of all the meds. I have been dealing with TN on my own with acupuncture and microwave heat pad to the right side of my face. Besides TN, I also suffer from chronic, life-long effects of Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, nerve pain from shingles (on the same side as TN), thyroid issues and continued Gi issues , now possibly needing intestinal surgery :( I had done research into alternative treatment for TN, as the meds are not an option and surgery would be my last resort.
I know the Upper Cervical specialists are rare and I am very fortunate there is actually an upper.cervical specialist here in my hometown in Fl. For the past 5 years or so, I noticed that my head was always crooked in pictures & couldn't get a straight haircut lol If I attempted to straighten my head, it just felt awkward ,uncomfortable & unnatural. My head felt 'normal' when it was crooked as it had been that way so long. I just assumed I had mild scoliosis, poor posture or something. I was amazed when I viewed my cervical xrays and sure enough, my Atlas bone was off by nearly 20 degrees!! My Doctor even reviewed my case with the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association because he had never seen an Atlas bone so off kilter before!!! The right side of my face drooped, my one shoulder was much lower than the other, my hips were out of whack and leg length was off by almost an inch ! I had hip and back pain that I always attributed to my joint pain with Lyme disease....
After my first Atlas bone adjustment, my TN pain improved considerably , my head was almost centered/straight, shoulders and hips leveled!! However, I did have a lot of neck muscular burning pain, which was normal, as the muscles & tendons were getting used to holding my head in it's new, normal position. At first I needed 2 adjustments per week for 2-3 months. As my body began to heal itself ( which it can now function properly as the spine is now in alignment, not just in my neck, but throughout the entire spine), I needed less and less adjustments~ my Atlas bone was holding steady. My upper cervical doctor measures my leg length and hips at every visit. Sometimes I don't even need an adjustment. I am now on 'maintenance" once a month. I am into my 6th month of adjustments and I can honestly say that my TN has improved about 80-85 %. TN is something I will always have, as there is no cure...but these adjustments have helped so much that I do not have the searing, unbearable shooting, stabbing burning pain in my cheek, jaw, eye, every tooth on the upper & lower right no long ache with pain. I only get occasional twinges that are brief, tolerable and manageable. I feel like my upper cervical doctor has given me a new chance at life :)
hope you find this helpful, Upper Cervical/ Atlas adjustments have helped me and I hope that by sharing this, it can help others too :)
Hello Mischief1966,
Thank you for sharing your TN success story! It means so much that you would take the time to let the membership know of your success with upper cervical care. My Atlas was way out of whack as well and I had been experiencing strange and severe neck pains a few months before my TN attacks began.
I wish you continued success!!!
Adele :)
mischief1966 said:
I am thrilled to say that Upper Cervical/Orthogonal Atlas adjustments have been a lifesaver! I have had TN for nearly 3 years now. I am not able to take any meds for TN due to different ailments/disease of my gastrointestinal system and the horrible side effects of all the meds. I have been dealing with TN on my own with acupuncture and microwave heat pad to the right side of my face. Besides TN, I also suffer from chronic, life-long effects of Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, nerve pain from shingles (on the same side as TN), thyroid issues and continued Gi issues , now possibly needing intestinal surgery :( I had done research into alternative treatment for TN, as the meds are not an option and surgery would be my last resort.
I know the Upper Cervical specialists are rare and I am very fortunate there is actually an upper.cervical specialist here in my hometown in Fl. For the past 5 years or so, I noticed that my head was always crooked in pictures & couldn't get a straight haircut lol If I attempted to straighten my head, it just felt awkward ,uncomfortable & unnatural. My head felt 'normal' when it was crooked as it had been that way so long. I just assumed I had mild scoliosis, poor posture or something. I was amazed when I viewed my cervical xrays and sure enough, my Atlas bone was off by nearly 20 degrees!! My Doctor even reviewed my case with the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association because he had never seen an Atlas bone so off kilter before!!! The right side of my face drooped, my one shoulder was much lower than the other, my hips were out of whack and leg length was off by almost an inch ! I had hip and back pain that I always attributed to my joint pain with Lyme disease....
After my first Atlas bone adjustment, my TN pain improved considerably , my head was almost centered/straight, shoulders and hips leveled!! However, I did have a lot of neck muscular burning pain, which was normal, as the muscles & tendons were getting used to holding my head in it's new, normal position. At first I needed 2 adjustments per week for 2-3 months. As my body began to heal itself ( which it can now function properly as the spine is now in alignment, not just in my neck, but throughout the entire spine), I needed less and less adjustments~ my Atlas bone was holding steady. My upper cervical doctor measures my leg length and hips at every visit. Sometimes I don't even need an adjustment. I am now on 'maintenance" once a month. I am into my 6th month of adjustments and I can honestly say that my TN has improved about 80-85 %. TN is something I will always have, as there is no cure...but these adjustments have helped so much that I do not have the searing, unbearable shooting, stabbing burning pain in my cheek, jaw, eye, every tooth on the upper & lower right no long ache with pain. I only get occasional twinges that are brief, tolerable and manageable. I feel like my upper cervical doctor has given me a new chance at life :)
hope you find this helpful, Upper Cervical/ Atlas adjustments have helped me and I hope that by sharing this, it can help others too :)
I also go to an upper cervical chiro. I tried by the request of Dc. Ken Casey. Yes, I also have had positive results. I found that i have had several misalignments and fusions as results of accidents and concussions.
I slowly got better removing 1 med a week. It was like a miracle. I then fell and tore my rotator cuff on the same side as my TN. It came back in rare form. He found that I knocked my alignment way out and reset me. Yes, the pain got better.
My feeling is that this technique does not cure TN but does take pressure off nerves that "talk " to each other. It does appear to definitely help me with the intensity of the pain. Because I live 120 miles from the man I see, I had at first seen him once a week. Then once every 2 weeks. Now once a month. Then it will be whenever I feel the alignment is off.
Dr. Casey told me if i ever wanted atlas work done… To ONLY use a NUCCA certified specialist
So you will know, they know TN
and have extra certifications above and beyond your local chiropractor.
They are really rare to find
Hi george,
I have the same issues as everyone on this discussion which doctors refuse to acknowledge even though my MRI clearly indicated several problems with my cervical spine disks. I ask you about the doctor in Philadelphia since this is about an hour or less from me too. Is this Dr. Hirschorn in Rockledge, which is near Phila.?
take care
Prudence
george said:
Absolutely worked for me. Went into his office not able to talk or eat anything without the most severe chocking pain. X-rays proved my atlas was rotated and slide to the side. He adjusted and took new x-rays, and I could personally see the bone moved back into place. I left his office from that first visit talking and ate a steak dinner with minimal pain. Came back the next morning, went for another visit that day, but the results weren't as remarkable, although reduced a bit. Another visit day 3, with mediocre results. I then took a break from visits. Day 5 was a miracle - like three shocks all day. From that point on, the pain was only a couple times a day. I went back about once a week for the next three weeks, and which time the pain was completely, 100% gone. That was over 2 years ago now. I've had a short time of pain since then about 2 weeks after a mission trip to Haiti where several hours riding on a very rough back country 4x4 trails knocked my neck out. A couple visits to the upper cervical chiropractor fixed it once again. I go about every 6-8 weeks now just to make sure I stay in place, and am 100% pain free.
My experience and observation has convinced my of several things:
1) That my TN is absolutely related to my neck being out and a nerve pinched.
2) That until neck ligaments adjust to the new position, it's VERY difficult to keep a neck in the proper place. Mine sometimes wanted to pop back to the old position within minutes of an adjustment. This is why it's important you go often at first, and be careful immediately following the adjustment. Also, be careful to lie still on your back for the first few nights.
3) It takes about 2 weeks after my neck is out for the pain to flare up, and it takes one-two weeks after the pressure is released for the nerve to completely calm down.
4) There's a big variation in the ability of upper cervical chiropractors to get a badly mis-aligned neck in place. I searched for the most experienced guy I could find, and it worked for me. Dr. Brad Hirschorn from Philadelphia. Have to drive over an hour, but definitely worth it. Cost is fairly reasonable also, which is important, since I self-pay all my medical. I don't think he takes insurance, but never asked. .
5) I'd recommend every TN sufferer to try it - there are tons of success stories. Go 3X week one, 2X week two, and 1X week three and four, be careful not to knock your neck out in between. Also read the book "What Time Tuesday" by James Tomasi...very enlightening.
My heart goes out to each of you who suffer. It's the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life, and I wish I could somehow make it go away. The least I can do is spend some to give you the benefit of my experience. It was posts from this forum that gave me hope during that very dark time, and the experiences of others here that encouraged me to try upper cervical. I'm so thankful God led me to upper cervical. For me, it was a miracle.
Blessings!
So nice to read about all the positive results from upper cervical manipulation. As previously stated, no doctor ever mentioned that TN could be due to a pinched nerve in the cervical region. I have had for years a severely degenerated disc in my neck. When I went to a neurologist for the TN he recommended an MRI which showed negative results.
Began to suspect that the radiation of pain into my face might have been from the neck region and all these amazing posts confirm my suspicion. Next step is to convince some doctor this type of therapy will help. I purely HATE taking medications which have such awful side effects if a physical solution can be found.
Heartfelt thanks, everyone and best of luck with this horrible affliction!
Christine
Quebec, Canada
I also see an upper cervical chiro. My TN started 7/3/13 and meds worked for only 2 wks. I read a blog on this site about a man who got 100% relief from upper cervical from a dr in LA so I thought I had nothing to lose so I tried it. I couldn’t believe it could work but it did. Dr hall got me to 100% but like a fool 
I went to universal city and rode the rides and knocked it out. He is working on me again but it was so bad that I had to go on gabapentin until the adjustments hold.
Upper cervical takes time and is expensive but when the meds stop working it’s definitely worth a try.
My heart goes our to you all as I know too well the unbearable pain.
Hi Prudence,
Yes, that's the guy...He's the best in the business in my opinion. The story of what got him into upper cervical chiropratic is amazing, but basically, upper cervical gave him a new lease on life after an accident as a young man. He approaches it with the passion that can only arise out of such a direct experience. Let us know how it goes!
Blessings!
Prudence said:
Hi george,
I have the same issues as everyone on this discussion which doctors refuse to acknowledge even though my MRI clearly indicated several problems with my cervical spine disks. I ask you about the doctor in Philadelphia since this is about an hour or less from me too. Is this Dr. Hirschorn in Rockledge, which is near Phila.?
take care
Prudence
george said:Absolutely worked for me. Went into his office not able to talk or eat anything without the most severe chocking pain. X-rays proved my atlas was rotated and slide to the side. He adjusted and took new x-rays, and I could personally see the bone moved back into place. I left his office from that first visit talking and ate a steak dinner with minimal pain. Came back the next morning, went for another visit that day, but the results weren't as remarkable, although reduced a bit. Another visit day 3, with mediocre results. I then took a break from visits. Day 5 was a miracle - like three shocks all day. From that point on, the pain was only a couple times a day. I went back about once a week for the next three weeks, and which time the pain was completely, 100% gone. That was over 2 years ago now. I've had a short time of pain since then about 2 weeks after a mission trip to Haiti where several hours riding on a very rough back country 4x4 trails knocked my neck out. A couple visits to the upper cervical chiropractor fixed it once again. I go about every 6-8 weeks now just to make sure I stay in place, and am 100% pain free.
My experience and observation has convinced my of several things:
1) That my TN is absolutely related to my neck being out and a nerve pinched.
2) That until neck ligaments adjust to the new position, it's VERY difficult to keep a neck in the proper place. Mine sometimes wanted to pop back to the old position within minutes of an adjustment. This is why it's important you go often at first, and be careful immediately following the adjustment. Also, be careful to lie still on your back for the first few nights.
3) It takes about 2 weeks after my neck is out for the pain to flare up, and it takes one-two weeks after the pressure is released for the nerve to completely calm down.
4) There's a big variation in the ability of upper cervical chiropractors to get a badly mis-aligned neck in place. I searched for the most experienced guy I could find, and it worked for me. Dr. Brad Hirschorn from Philadelphia. Have to drive over an hour, but definitely worth it. Cost is fairly reasonable also, which is important, since I self-pay all my medical. I don't think he takes insurance, but never asked. .
5) I'd recommend every TN sufferer to try it - there are tons of success stories. Go 3X week one, 2X week two, and 1X week three and four, be careful not to knock your neck out in between. Also read the book "What Time Tuesday" by James Tomasi...very enlightening.
My heart goes out to each of you who suffer. It's the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life, and I wish I could somehow make it go away. The least I can do is spend some to give you the benefit of my experience. It was posts from this forum that gave me hope during that very dark time, and the experiences of others here that encouraged me to try upper cervical. I'm so thankful God led me to upper cervical. For me, it was a miracle.
Blessings!
Hi Everyone,
I see that I am a couple months late to this discussion! But I am wondering if you all are still having good luck with the Upper Cervical/Atlas Orthogonal adjustments?
I am in NYC, and I have found a few places that say they do these types of adjustments, but I am wondering if anyone has any experience with NYC NUCCA chiropractors? I can't tell which ones are trustworthy.
I have been dealing with TN for about 9 months. I have had allergic reactions to three anti-seizure meds (Carbamazepine, Gabapentin, and most recently Dilantin) and am in the midst of a very painful bout, so I'm getting desperate. My doctor is starting to recommend things like a "low dose opioid transdermal patch" which for me sounds really scary, so I think I'm going to try any and all alternatives before resorting to that.
Any advice is greatly appreciated!
So sorry for the pain you're experiencing...in answers to your question...I'm still having great success and zero pain through upper cervical. Dr. Brad Hirschorn in Phila (Rockledge) every 6-12 weeks just to make sure my neck doesn't go out of place. I'd highly recommend you visit him first given the proven track record, and then consider switching to another once you know what to look for in a doc. You'll learn to feel when you're neck is correct. There are plenty of UC people out there that really don't know what they're doing. It's not that far of a drive from NYC...there's people that fly in to see him from much greater distances. Hope you find relief, most of all. I'm completely passionate about it because the results were so dramatic for me.
LANded said:
Hi Everyone,
I see that I am a couple months late to this discussion! But I am wondering if you all are still having good luck with the Upper Cervical/Atlas Orthogonal adjustments?
I am in NYC, and I have found a few places that say they do these types of adjustments, but I am wondering if anyone has any experience with NYC NUCCA chiropractors? I can't tell which ones are trustworthy.
I have been dealing with TN for about 9 months. I have had allergic reactions to three anti-seizure meds (Carbamazepine, Gabapentin, and most recently Dilantin) and am in the midst of a very painful bout, so I'm getting desperate. My doctor is starting to recommend things like a "low dose opioid transdermal patch" which for me sounds really scary, so I think I'm going to try any and all alternatives before resorting to that.
Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Hi LANded,
I am having EXCELLENT results since May 1st with Dr.Angelo Colavita,who is a Certified Atlas Orthogonist, at the Vita Head, Neck & Facial Pain Relief Center, located at 991 Van Houten Avenue, Clifton, New Jersey. He works in conjunction with Dr. Louis R. Vita, D.D.S.,who specializes in different types of Facial Pain, including TN, for over 25 years. Dr. Vita spent 2 hours with me initially, going over my health history and examining my mouth and cervical spine. Although my neurologist diagnosed me with TN, Dr. Vita is convinced that I am actually suffering from Neuralgia due to" Entrapment of the Facial Nerves that run parallel to the Trigeminal Nerve." He explained that my Trigeminal Nerve has been irritated by my cervical spine problems, as he could reproduce some of the sharp, jabbing facial pain when palpating my cervical spine in the C-1 and C-2 region.( I have a long history of problems with neck pain over the years, but the facial pain is new)
Interestingly though,my TN pain began right after I had a lower right molar removed in November of 2012. Then the pain went away after a few weeks and in August 2013 it came back. Then it went away for 4 months and came back again on January 20th, 2014 after a chiropractic adjustment from my old chiropractor whom I hadn't seen in about 2 years.The forceful "cracking" of my neck sent me into a tailspin of terrible TN pain!
The Orthogonal Chiropractic approach is completely different from that of conventional chiropractic. Dr. Angelo Colavita gently adjusts my Atlas (bone at the top of the spine, where the skull connects to the cervical spine). I was having a terrible bout of burning/pressure pain on my right side (eye and temple area continuously for days) to the point where I was in tears. He adjusted me with the stylus instrument (air pressure instrument) that was so gentle it didn't feel like he did anything. He slowly adjusted me, 3 times, until the Atlas was in perfect alignment. Then I lay flat on the adjustment table with my head on a chiropractic block for about 25 minutes...(I fell asleep!) When Dr. Colavita came back in the room, the burning /pressure pain was 80 percent gone. By the end of the day, the pain was 90 percent gone. The next morning I was pain free!!! I have had some tiny electric pains in my lower right lip since, but NO bad pain at all. I am currently taking 450mg of Trileptal daily,(down from 600mg before my appointment with Dr. Colavita, and as long as I am doing well with this therapy, I will continue to taper down,hopefully.
I am happy to say that I can recommend Dr.Louis Vita and Dr.Angelo Colavita wholeheartedly. I have learned so much about TN during the last 10 months. Since my MRI was normal and I do not have MS, it was a relief to learn that there was someone out there who could shed some light as to WHY I was in pain (Dr. Vita) and someone who could HELP me (Dr. Colavita). I am so happy I found them and tried them.
I hope you find what works for you very soon!
Thank you, George and Adele, for your words of encouragement. I think I am going to try it. It seems like there's not much to lose at this point. I will write an update once I have an appointment. Thanks again! It is very comforting to know others are going through the same frustrations.
Hi LANded,
Just want to let you know that in my case, I was seeing a different orthogonal chiropractor (From February 2014 through April 2014) who DID help me, but I never seemed to "hold" the adjustment with her and I was always having recurring pain. I was going 3 times a week and although I DID experience relief at times, there were other times I actually felt worse after the adjustment.
My experience with Dr.Colavita this month has been completely different! He adjusted me ONCE....on May 1st 2014 and I have "held" the adjustment since then. And I feel amazingly better since then. Although I have had some smallish electric pains in my lower right lip since then, that horrible pressure/burning pain in my right eye and temple is completely gone.
So, the moral of my story is: not all upper cervical doctors utilize the same technique...medicine is a science but it is also an art. Some doctors have a better knack at the adjustments than others it seems, so if the first doc you try doesn't help, find another one. There are many facial pain patients that swear by upper cervical care.
Good luck to you!
Jumping in here…do any of you know if chiro/atlas/nucca is supposed to be helpful for Type 2 as well as Classic TN? When I first started with my facial pain back in January I went once to a Nucca chiropractor who I didn't really like/trust but I think I might like to try again with someone else (perhaps your doc in Clifton, Adele) - I am in Nyack NY, which is not far. I am having bilateral, atypical pain - with some zaps here and there.
Hi Jennifer,
Yes, I have both: Typical TN features on my right side (electric zaps and sharp jabbing pain, especially in my right eye and right cheek) and also occasional zaps on the left side (lower left lip, top left gum, but only occasionally before the upper cervical care). After being diagnosed with TN by my neurologist in early February, I consulted with a neurosurgeon at John's Hopkins in March 2014 and he told me I had both classic TN features and Atypical Facial Pain features because the pain had crossed the mid-line of my face, to include the left side. Also, because I have burning/pressure pain on the right side in the temple and eye areas that can be constant for days, he stated that that is considered Atypical Facial Pain. The upper cervical care works for me so far. It got rid of the most awful burning/pressure pain on my right side and now the electric zaps all over are minimal. My Atlas Orthogonist told me he thinks he can get me into 100 percent remission soon....which I am hoping and praying for. It would be wonderful.
From what I understand about TN, if the root cause of your pain is coming from your cervical spine because of pinched facial nerves (or nerve entrapment within the C-1,C-2 region) upper cervical care can work wonders. Success also depends on the doctor you choose. They all seem to utilize slightly different techniques.
Adele :)
Thanks Adele! Are you also taking medication or no? If you don't mind me asking...
Yes. I was on Tegretol,but I couldn't function on it,so my neurologist switched me to Trileptal in early April. I was taking 600 mgs. daily, however I am now tapering down. I am currently on 450mg a day and feeling like a human being again for the first time since January.Will continue to taper down by 150mg a week as long as there is no pain.
Hi Adele,
I made an appointment with Dr. Vita for Monday. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll let you know how it goes!
Alana
Hi Alana,
I think you'll be impressed! Good Luck and I hope you will be pain free very soon.
Adele :)