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 How It Works
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How It Works
 
Often times headache and neck pain are the result of the displacement of one or more cervical vertebra (neck bones). Reducing this displacement reduces the frequency, intensity, and duration of pain. In other words a patient is expected to experience pain less often, and if they do, it's not as bad and does not last as long.
This displacement is the result of injury to the neck. Some patients cannot remember when they actually hurt themselves.  It may be one event or may be the cumulative effect of several events. Some of the most common injuries we see are from:
 
Car accidents
Contact sports
Skiing/ Snowboarding
Horseback riding
 Poor posture/ Repetitive stress

 Slip and fall

Denver Headache and Spine Center and it's board certified staff specialize in  a non-surgical, FDA  approved, painless procedure aimed minimizing headache and neck pain. Not everyone is a candidate, but if you are, this treatment can drastically reduce the amount of time you spend suffering.



 The device used during the procedure is called an Atlas Orthogonal instrument and was developed by engineers at Georgia Tech University. The slender metal piece at the bottom is called the stylus. This piece makes contact with the skin just behind your ear. Based on specific angles determined from your imaging, the Atlas Orthogonal instrument delivers a precise correction to the upper neck. This correction is made by a single percussion sound wave generated by the instrument. The measured force at the end of the stylus is approximately 3.5 pounds of pressure. If you feel anything at all, it is a split second "vibration" or "tickle". The use of sedatives or other drugs is not required. No treatment related pain is expected following each visit and generally no restrictions are necessary. After initial imaging, an office visit usually lasts about fifteen minutes.

 

 

 
This picture shows the apparatus on which the Atlas Orthogonal instrument is attached. This is called the Stereotactic Gantry assembly.  The headpiece below the device is where your head is positioned during the procedure.