upper cervical, whole body · ann arbor, michigan

Low back problems? We start at the top.

Upper cervical doesn't mean we only help necks. People come to us with low back pain, hip trouble and sciatica-type pain down a leg, often after years of care aimed at the place that hurts. Here is why we start somewhere else.

QSM3, the upper cervical work behind The Lazar Method™, is a full-body postural correction. The top of the neck is the lever, not the limit: it is where Dr. Jonathan Lazar, D.C., corrects the framework of the whole body. It is not a "bone out of place" model, and it is not neck-only care.

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Illustration: a smiling woman carrying a wooden crate of fresh vegetables along a tree-lined street in autumn
Illustration, not a patient.

who comes to us

People come to us with low back, hip and leg problems

Most have had their back scanned, stretched and strengthened. It still hurts when they stand up, and it seems strange that anyone would look at the top of the neck for an answer.

Low back pain that keeps coming back

It settles for a few days, then it is back when you stand up from a chair or get out of the car.

Stiff first thing, or after sitting

A back that has to be warmed up before it works, after a night's sleep, a long drive or a day at a desk.

Hip and pelvis trouble

One hip that sits higher, one leg that feels shorter, or a hip that aches on one side only.

Sciatica-type pain down a leg

Pain, tingling or numbness that runs from the low back or buttock down one leg.

Posture that leans

Someone tells you that you stand crooked, or you notice one shoulder sitting lower in photos.

You've tried the usual routes

Rest, exercises, stretching, medication, injections, another chiropractor. Each one aimed at the place that hurts.

Back pain with numbness in the groin, loss of bladder or bowel control, fever, or after a serious fall needs emergency care first.

Illustration: the spine seen from the side, lit from the top of the neck down to the pelvis

why we start at the top

The top of the neck is the lever, not the limit

Your head balances on the first bone of your neck. Your body works to keep your eyes level at almost any cost. So when the head sits off center there, every level below answers it. The shoulders tip. The spine curves. The hips tilt. The low back, sitting at the bottom of that chain, carries the strain.

That is why care aimed only at the low back can settle things for a few days and then lose ground: the frame above it hasn't changed. QSM3 works the other way round. It uses the upper cervical spine as the lever to correct the whole frame, and then lets the levels below follow.

Not every back problem starts at the top, and we don't assume it does. That is what the measurements are for.

  1. Head off center on the top of the neckThe first bone of the neck carries the head.
  2. Neck and shoulders tipTo bring the eyes back to level.
  3. The spine curvesEach level shifts to balance the one above it.
  4. Hips and pelvis tiltOne side can sit higher, and one leg can feel shorter.
  5. The low back carries the strainWhere many people feel it, though it isn't always where it starts.

Care aimed where it hurts

Rest, stretch, strengthen or medicate the low back. The frame above it stays the same.

Correction through the top

Measure the whole frame, then correct it at the lever: the top of the neck.

measured first

What we measure, from the neck to the low back

Nothing about your back is guessed. Before anything else, PostureIQ™ measures how your weight is balanced from side to side and front to back, down to the millimeter. The muscle tone scan runs the full length of the spine, from the top of the neck to the base of the low back, and shows where your posture is costing you energy. Digital X-ray shows the alignment of the upper neck itself.

Dr. Lazar or someone personally trained by him will go over your scans and images with you, in plain words. You see it on your own report, and your re-scans show whether it is changing.

What each scan measures, in plain words →

The PostureIQ posture scale: a standing platform with two weight plates, a measuring column, and a screen showing the difference between left and right
PostureIQ™ reads the difference between your left and right sides.
A scan taken along the spine with the neuroCORE instrument
The muscle tone scan runs from the top of the neck to the low back.

your first visit

What the first visit looks like

The first visit is a conversation and a measurement, not a correction. You are heard, start to finish, and your posture is measured.

Book a visit Call 734.274.5107

Dr. Jonathan Lazar, D.C. talking with a patient during a consultation
  1. Complimentary
    Consultation with PostureIQ™.

    A $251 value, complimentary for new patients. Tell us about your back, your hips, what you've tried and what it is keeping you from. Then you stand on the PostureIQ™ scale and see how your weight is balanced.

  2. $605
    NeuroStructural Assessment.

    Two visits. Three nerve scans and digital and motion X-rays if indicated. At the second visit, your Report of Findings: Dr. Lazar or someone personally trained by him will go over your scans and images with you, and this is where you learn whether we can help. If Dr. Lazar finds you need a plan of care, your schedule and the full cost are put in writing before you decide anything.

  3. If we can help
    The correction.

    Gentle and specific, at the top of the neck, planned from your own imaging. No cracking, no twisting. Re-scans show what is changing, from the neck to the low back.

questions

Questions people ask about low back care here

Still have a question? Call 734.274.5107, or book a Clarity Call. Cost and insurance are answered plainly on the FAQ page.

Keep reading

If we can help, we'll tell you. If we can't, we'll help you find someone who can.

Illustration: the top vertebra of the neck, with blue nerve threads branching out from it to the whole body
"Upper cervical means neck. Why would you look at my low back?"
Upper cervical names where the correction is made, not the only place we help. QSM3 is a full-body postural correction: the top of the neck is the lever we use to correct the framework of the whole body. People come to us with low back, hip and sciatica-type problems, and we measure the whole frame before anything else.
"I came in for my back. Why start at the top of my neck?"
Because your body works to keep your eyes level. When the head sits off center on the top of the neck, the spine below shifts to make up for it, all the way down to the pelvis. Whether that is part of your back problem is something PostureIQ™ and X-ray can show, so nobody has to guess.
"Do you see people with sciatica-type pain down the leg?"
Yes. People come to us with pain, tingling or numbness that runs from the low back or buttock down one leg. We measure first, and if anything in your history or scans needs a medical doctor first, we'll tell you. Numbness in the groin or loss of bladder or bowel control needs emergency care right away.
"Is the correction forceful?"
No. The correction is made at the top of the neck, gently and specifically, with you lying on your side in a neutral position. No cracking, no twisting, nothing forceful. It is planned from your own imaging, and your first correction is followed by a call from your doctor that evening.
"What if my back problem doesn't start at the top?"
Then we'll tell you. Not every back problem is connected to the top of the neck, and that is why we measure first. If we can help, we'll tell you. If we can't, we'll help you find someone who can. Your scans are decision support, not a diagnosis.
"What does research say about upper cervical care for low back pain?"
It is thin, and we say so. A large 2011 study measured low back pain and disability in new upper cervical patients over about two weeks, with no comparison group. A 1998 case report describes one man whose main problem was in his neck. Neither can tell you what will happen for you. Each study is summarized in our research library.
"Do I have to come in several times a week?"
Care is frequent at first, because that is when the correction is most likely to hold, and visits taper as your scans stabilize. Your schedule is set at your Report of Findings, in writing, before you decide. If you live far away, an intensive gathers the early visits into one stay in Ann Arbor.
"Do you take insurance?"
We're an out-of-network, self-pay practice. Care is HSA/FSA eligible, and we give you a superbill you can submit to your insurance. If Dr. Lazar finds you need a plan of care, we offer interest-free payment options up to 18 months for those who qualify.

tried everything

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Screening adapted from the autonomic dysfunction screening developed by Bruce Bell, MD.

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