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
Whiplash: when the X-rays were clear and the symptoms weren't
It started after the accident. The X-rays and the CT scan were clear, and months later the headaches, the stiff neck and the fog are still here.
in their words
What people say about whiplash
"It started after…"
"No one believes me, I'm starting not to believe me"
"I'm just so sick of no one being able to help me."
Why it is often missed. After an injury the images can look unremarkable while the symptoms carry on. The upper neck, which carries the head and surrounds the brainstem, is usually not where anyone looked.
Why the upper neck may be involved. In a fast stop, the head whips forward and back on the top of the neck. The ligaments that hold the upper neck can be strained in ways a standard X-ray isn't designed to show. That is one reason we use digital X-ray, and motion X-ray when it is indicated, before any correction.
what the research looked at
Three published studies on whiplash
Published 2004 to 2026. 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.
- Neck pain and headaches after a car accident that injured an artery in the neck
- A 21-year-old woman after a car crash: an injury the first tests didn't show
- A 23-year-old man after a head-first fall: seizures, sleep, mood and migraine
Three case reports, one person each. They are useful for one thing above all: a reminder that a clear first scan is not the end of the question. They can't tell you what care would do for you. After any head injury, new or worsening symptoms (confusion, vomiting, weakness, a severe headache) need emergency care first.
The whiplash 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 itself, PostureIQ™ measures your posture, and three 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: After any head or neck injury, new or worsening symptoms (confusion, vomiting, weakness, a severe headache) need 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 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 whiplash 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 whiplash
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 do I still have symptoms after whiplash when my X-rays were normal?
A standard X-ray is good at showing fractures. It is not designed to show how the top of the neck moves, or strain in the ligaments that hold it. Symptoms can carry on while the first images look unremarkable. Measuring the upper neck, and how your nervous system is coping, is a different question.
How long after an accident can whiplash symptoms show up?
Some people feel it right away. Others notice the stiffness, headaches or dizziness hours or days later, and some notice new problems months on. If you've been in an accident, see a medical doctor first, and keep a note of when each symptom started. That timeline helps whoever looks at your case next.
What does research say about upper cervical care after whiplash?
Three case reports, one person each. They describe injuries that the first tests didn't show, and they are a reminder that a clear first scan is not always the end of the question. They can't tell you what care would do for you, and we won't suggest they can.
Is the correction gentle enough after a neck injury?
We start only after a medical doctor has ruled out a fracture or anything urgent. The correction is gentle and specific: no cracking, no twisting, nothing forceful. It is planned from your own imaging, so nothing is guessed. If the scans show something 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.
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