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
Trigeminal neuralgia, when the face pain runs your day
The pain comes like an electric shock across your face, from brushing your teeth or a breath of cold air. You've been told the nerve is the problem, and the medication leaves you foggy.
what it often looks like
What people with trigeminal neuralgia often describe
- Sudden, shock-like pain on one side of the face
- Pain set off by chewing, talking, brushing your teeth or a cold breeze
- Planning meals and conversations around the next attack
- Feeling foggy or slowed down on the medication
Why it is often missed. Trigeminal neuralgia is usually framed as a problem with one nerve in the face, and the first answer is medication, then sometimes surgery. How the top of the neck and the brainstem are working is rarely part of that conversation.
Why the upper neck may be involved. The trigeminal nerve carries sensation from the face, and part of its pathway runs down into the upper spinal cord, near the top of the neck. That close neighborhood is why some upper cervical doctors and researchers have asked whether the upper neck plays a part for some people.
what the research looked at
Two published studies on trigeminal neuralgia
Published 2019 to 2023. The strongest design among them: case series. 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.
- Five people with daily trigeminal neuralgia and Atlas Orthogonal care
- A 62-year-old woman with two years of facial pain, and NUCCA care
Six people across two reports, no comparison group, and pain measured by each person's own report or visit notes. It is a reason to keep asking the question, not an answer to it. Any change to medication belongs with the doctor who prescribes it.
The trigeminal neuralgia 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. Your scans tell us whether there is something we can help, or whether there isn't.
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: Any change to trigeminal neuralgia medication belongs with the doctor who prescribes it. New numbness or weakness in the face needs a medical evaluation 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 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 trigeminal neuralgia 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 trigeminal neuralgia
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 the upper neck be involved in trigeminal neuralgia?
It may be for some people, and no one can tell from symptoms alone. Part of the trigeminal nerve's pathway runs down into the top of the spinal cord, near the atlas. That is why we measure the upper neck before saying anything. For many people other causes matter more, and their doctors should rule those out.
Is there research on upper cervical care for trigeminal neuralgia?
Very little. We found two reports: a 2023 case series of five people with daily trigeminal neuralgia who received Atlas Orthogonal care, and a 2019 NUCCA case report of one woman. Pain was measured by each person's own report or visit notes, with no comparison group. That is a reason to keep asking the question, not an answer to it.
Will I have to stop my medication?
No. We never ask anyone to change or stop a medication. Any change to trigeminal neuralgia medication belongs with the doctor who prescribes it, and upper cervical care sits alongside that care, not in place of it. Keep your doctors in the loop about everything you are doing.
Is the correction gentle enough when my face is this sensitive?
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. If even that worries you, ask about it on a 15-minute Clarity Call before you decide anything.
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.