She did everything right and still got missed
A woman who saw specialist after specialist for migraines, pain at the base of her skull and more. Why it is worth asking whether anyone has looked at the top of the neck.
upper cervical care · ann arbor, michigan
Migraine, when you've tried everything and the scans came back fine
You've tracked every trigger, tried the medications and seen the specialists. The MRI came back normal. The migraines still take days out of your month.
in their words
What people say about migraine
"I can't just sit here doing nothing for this headache that doctors cannot figure out."
"Everything came back normal and we were told he had childhood migraines."
"I'm at the point that it's so hard to believe anything like this would help."
Why it is often missed. Each specialist looks at the headache from their own side. No one has measured how your nervous system is regulating your body, or how the top of your neck fits into it.
Why the upper neck may be involved. The top bone of the neck, the atlas, carries your head and surrounds the brainstem, where the nervous system helps regulate blood flow, pain signals and the stress response. Some researchers have asked whether a shift there can play a part in migraine for some people. It is a question worth measuring, not a promise.
what the research looked at
Three published studies on migraine
Published 2012 to 2026. 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.
- Eleven adults with migraine, imaged by MRI before and after NUCCA care
- A woman who traveled abroad for an intensive week of upper cervical care for migraine
- A 39-year-old woman with essential tremor and migraine
Three studies, and the largest followed eleven people. This is an early body of research. The NUCCA pilot is the most careful of the three, and its main MRI measure did not change on average, even though headache days and quality of life did. The two case reports each describe one person; they can't show that the care caused the change.
The migraine 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 where. PostureIQ™ measures your posture, and digital X-ray shows the alignment of the upper neck.
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: A sudden, severe headache unlike any before, or a headache with weakness, confusion or loss of vision, needs emergency care first.
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 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 migraine; the others are where most people start.
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.
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 migraine
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
Can a problem in the upper neck play a part in migraines?
It may, for some people, and that is what we look for. The atlas sits around the brainstem, which helps regulate blood flow and pain signals. Whether it plays a part for you is a question for measurement, not guesswork. Many migraines have other causes, and some need a neurologist first.
What does research say about upper cervical care for migraine?
Three studies have been published that we could verify. The most careful is a 2015 NUCCA pilot of eleven adults: headache days and quality of life changed, but its main MRI measure did not change on average. The other two describe one person each. It is an early body of research, and we say so.
Should I keep seeing my neurologist?
Yes. Upper cervical care sits alongside the care you already have, not in place of it. Keep the doctors who know you in the loop, and never change a migraine medication except with the doctor who prescribes it. If your scans show something we can help, we'll tell you, and we'll tell you if they don't.
Is it worth traveling to Ann Arbor for migraines?
Only if it makes sense for your case, and we work that out before you book a flight. On a 15-minute Clarity Call our team hears what you've been through, and for an intensive we read your records before you travel. If the trip doesn't make sense, we'll tell you plainly.
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.