Why you've tried everything and still don't feel right
The seven-minute visit, and the one question the system was never built to ask.
upper cervical care · ann arbor, michigan
Bell's palsy: what has been studied, and what we look at
One side of your face stopped working almost overnight. You're doing what the doctor said, and you're checking the mirror every morning.
what it often looks like
What people with Bell's palsy often describe
- One side of the face that droops or won't move
- An eye that won't close all the way
- Pain behind the ear before it started
- Eating, drinking and smiling that feel strange
Why it is often missed. Bell's palsy is rightly managed by a medical doctor first, often with medication early on. How the top of the neck and the nervous system around it are working is not usually part of that conversation.
Why the upper neck may be involved. The facial nerve leaves the skull just behind the ear, close to the top of the neck. We don't provide care for Bell's palsy itself. What we look at is the upper neck and how your nervous system is regulating your body. One published NUCCA case report describes a man two weeks into Bell's palsy.
what the research looked at
One published study on Bell's palsy
Published 2019. The strongest design among them: case report. Each one is summarized in plain words in our research library: who was studied, what was measured, what was found, and where it falls short.
- A 68-year-old man two weeks into Bell's palsy
One person, early in the illness, and Bell's palsy often improves on its own. A case like this can't show that care made the difference. Sudden facial weakness needs a medical evaluation first, the same day, to rule out a stroke.
The Bell's palsy studies, by design and year
how we measure
The Lazar Method™ measures first
Everyone else told you what might work. We measure before anything is decided. Digital X-ray shows the alignment of the upper neck, and the nerve scans show how your nervous system is regulating your body.
Before any correction we measure how your nervous system is regulating your body: heart rate variability, thermal and muscle tone scans, PostureIQ™, and digital X-ray of the upper neck. Dr. Jonathan Lazar, D.C., or someone personally trained by him, will go over your scans and images with you. QSM3, the method used at our office, is a progression of NUCCA, and the correction is gentle and specific: no cracking, no twisting.
If we can help, we'll tell you. If we can't, we'll help you find someone who can.
Please note: Sudden weakness on one side of the face needs a medical evaluation the same day, to rule out a stroke.
This page is educational and is not medical advice. Keep the doctors who know you in the loop.
Your doctor. QSM3 Level M Certified. One of eight doctors in the world. In practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan, since 2008. About Dr. Lazar
the dr. lazar show
Hear how Dr. Lazar thinks before you call
Heard for 17 years on WMUZ 103.5 FM, The Dr. Lazar Show is now on YouTube and as a podcast. There is no episode on Bell's palsy on its own yet. These two are where most people start.
The Lazar Method™: how we actually reset the system
The five steps on air for the first time: measure, identify, clarify, correct, restore, and what gets measured before anything else.
traveling for care
Coming from another state, or hours away?
People drive from across Michigan because nothing closer worked. If you live hours away, or in another state, working out the days, the hotel and the records shouldn't be yours to carry alone. Our office is at 203 S. Zeeb Rd, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Traveling with a child? Families welcome.
- IntensiveIntensive programs
Your assessment, your Report of Findings and a concentrated block of corrections in one stay in Ann Arbor, usually one to two weeks, set at your Report of Findings. We read your records before you travel, so you only make the trip if it makes sense. The prices are itemized on the page.
- StayStaying in Ann Arbor
A negotiated medical rate for patients and their families at the Holiday Inn & Suites Ann Arbor, with breakfast, Wi-Fi and parking included.
- RemoteRemote care
Can't travel to Ann Arbor at all? Dr. Lazar works with a small number of remote patients. The correction itself is hands-on, so when your case needs it, we'll tell you, and help you find a qualified upper cervical provider near you.
questions
Questions people ask about Bell's palsy
Still have a question? Call 734.274.5107, or book a 15-minute Clarity Call, a phone call with our team and no commitment. Cost and insurance are answered plainly on the FAQ page.
Keep reading
Does upper cervical care change Bell's palsy?
No study shows that it does. We found one NUCCA case report, about a 68-year-old man two weeks into Bell's palsy, and Bell's palsy often improves on its own, so a single case can't show that care made the difference. What we can offer is measurement, alongside your doctor's care, and a plain answer about what we see.
Should I see a doctor first for facial weakness?
Yes, the same day. Sudden weakness on one side of the face needs a medical evaluation right away to rule out a stroke, and early medical care for Bell's palsy matters. Upper cervical care, if it fits at all, sits alongside that care, never in place of it. Keep your doctors in the loop.
Is the correction gentle enough while my face is weak?
The correction is at the top of the neck, not the face, and it is gentle and specific: no cracking, no twisting, nothing forceful. You lie on your side in a neutral position, and it is planned from your own imaging. If we can't help, we'll tell you, and help you find someone who can.
tried everything
When nothing else has worked, start with clarity.
In about 4 minutes, you'll see whether your symptoms point to nervous system dysfunction, and exactly what to do next. Free. Your answers stay private. No spam, ever.
Prefer to talk first?
or call 734.274.5107 · ready to come in? Book your complimentary consultation
Screening adapted from the autonomic dysfunction screening developed by Bruce Bell, MD.
A member of our team will reach out within one business day.