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
Dysautonomia and POTS, when the heart tests come back normal
Your heart races when you stand up, you feel shaky inside, and the tilt table or the heart tests came back normal. Then the label became anxiety.
in their words
What people say about dysautonomia and POTS
"I know that something isn't right, but my tilt table results came back normal."
"I'm starting to feel like maybe I'm crazy because they can't find anything wrong with me"
"I Feel Like I'm Shaking Inside, but No One Can See It"
Why it is often missed. Heart and blood tests can come back normal, and then the label becomes anxiety. The part of the nervous system that regulates heart rate and blood flow is seldom what was measured.
Why the upper neck may be involved. The autonomic nervous system runs heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and temperature without you thinking about it, and the brainstem, which the top bone of the neck surrounds, is one of its main control centers. That is why we look at the upper neck and measure how the autonomic system is regulating, starting with heart rate variability.
what the research looked at
What the research has and hasn't looked at
There is little published upper cervical research on dysautonomia or POTS itself, and we haven't found a verified study on either. The closest research measured heart rate variability and blood pressure, two things the autonomic nervous system controls, and even there the results are mixed.
The closest research:
The closest 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. Heart rate variability shows how much reserve your nervous system has and whether it is stuck in fight or flight, and thermal scans read the part of your nervous system that runs the organs.
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: Fainting, chest pain, or a racing heart with shortness of breath needs a medical evaluation first.
This page is educational and is not medical advice. Keep the doctors who know you in the loop.
Heart rate variability, in plain words. The small, healthy change in time between heartbeats. It reflects how your nervous system balances fight or flight with rest and digest, and low variability can mean there is little reserve. It is a measurement, not a diagnosis, and not a condition in itself. What the research on heart rate variability looked at.
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 dysautonomia and POTS 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 dysautonomia and POTS
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
What kind of doctor should I see for dysautonomia or POTS?
Start with your medical doctor and, often, a cardiologist or neurologist who knows autonomic disorders, because some causes need medical care. Many people still end up with normal results and no plan. We are not POTS specialists. We measure how your nervous system is regulating your body, and we look at the upper neck.
Is there research on upper cervical care for POTS?
Not on POTS or dysautonomia directly. We haven't found a verified upper cervical study on either. The closest research measured heart rate variability and blood pressure, which the autonomic nervous system controls, and even there the results are mixed. We would rather say that plainly than borrow a result that doesn't apply.
What is heart rate variability?
Heart rate variability is the small, healthy change in time between heartbeats. It reflects how your nervous system balances fight or flight with rest and digest. Low variability can mean the system has little reserve. It is a measurement, not a diagnosis, and it is one of the scans we take before any correction.
Is it just anxiety?
Anxiety is real, and so is a nervous system stuck in fight or flight. When heart and blood tests come back normal, the label often becomes anxiety without anyone measuring how the autonomic system is regulating. Measuring it doesn't dismiss either possibility. It gives you and your doctors something more to go on.
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.