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
Fatigue and brain fog when the blood work comes back normal
You wake up tired no matter how much you sleep, the words won't come, and every blood test is normal. They keep saying it's anxiety.
in their words
What people say about fatigue and brain fog
"Waking up tired no matter how much you sleep"
"I feel awful all the time. Physically, mentally."
"They just keep saying it's anxiety because the blood tests aren't identifying anything."
Why it is often missed. Blood work looks for disease. When it finds none, tiredness and brain fog are often put down to anxiety, and how hard your nervous system is working is never checked.
Why the upper neck may be involved. When the nervous system is stuck on, the body braces for an emergency that never ends. Digestion, healing, sleep and clear thinking get pushed aside, and fatigue and fog are often what's left. The brainstem, surrounded by the top bone of the neck, is part of the system that decides which mode you're in.
what the research looked at
One published study on fatigue and brain fog
Published 2012. The strongest design among them: cohort, pilot or before-and-after study. 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.
- Nineteen people with chronic fatigue syndrome, six months after a NUCCA correction
One small study with no control group and one practitioner, from a journal PubMed does not index. Quality of life and sleep scores improved; that is not the same as showing the fatigue itself changed, or that it would for you. Persistent fatigue deserves a full medical workup as well.
Read the fatigue and brain fog research, with every source →
The fatigue and brain fog 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. Muscle tone shows how much energy your posture is costing you, and heart rate variability shows how much reserve your nervous system has.
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: Ongoing fatigue deserves a full medical workup, including thyroid, iron and blood sugar.
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 it on The Dr. Lazar Show
Heard for 17 years on WMUZ 103.5 FM, The Dr. Lazar Show is now on YouTube and as a podcast. The first episode here touches on fatigue and brain fog; the others 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 fatigue and brain fog
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
Why am I so tired when my blood tests are normal?
Blood tests look for disease, such as anemia or a thyroid problem, and they should be done. When they come back normal, a different question is often missed: how hard your nervous system is working. A system stuck in fight or flight uses energy all day, and that can be measured.
Can a chiropractor help with brain fog?
It depends on what is driving the fog, and no one can tell that from a symptom list. Published upper cervical research is thin: one small NUCCA study of chronic fatigue, and nothing on brain fog itself. What we can do is measure how your nervous system is regulating your body. If we can't help, we'll tell you.
What do you measure for fatigue?
Heart rate variability shows how much reserve your nervous system has and whether it is stuck in fight or flight. Muscle tone scans show how much energy your posture is costing you, and where. Together they turn tired all the time into numbers you can see, and compare on later re-scans.
Is it worth traveling for an assessment?
Only if your case makes sense for it, and we work that out before you book anything. Our team hears your story on a 15-minute Clarity Call, and for an intensive we read your records first. If you can't travel at all, Dr. Lazar works with a small number of remote patients.
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.