New Atlas question!!!
(2 discussions)
ok doc! Again I apologize for the confusion.
I found the pics I was looking for.
The atlas should be this / but it like this \ . This is obviously not the actual degree of the angle, but the directions are correct.
This is a view looking at the right side of the head and neck.
So, do you feel that this can cause all the problems I mentioned? Also, if the chiropractor can’t get it to move, what would the next step be?
It’s hard to know if it has moved at all due to his frequent falls. Either way, xrays after 30 days showed no change.
They are continuing at no charge for another 30 days. Not sure what after that.
Thanks for any help or suggestions in advance!
2 comments
doc4bax
It sounds like he has had plenty of tests and seen plenty of doctors to rule out most known causes. Is he taking a lot of medications? We have had patients in the past with similar symptoms and have on occasion found that the medication they were on was the cause. I would recommend a MRA of the brain. This is a MRI designed to look at the blood vessels of the brain. Aneurysms can cause these symptoms as can certain abnormalities in the blood vessels.As far as the atlas position, it’s hard to tell. Many times patient positioning can cause false positives. Meaning, his head was just tilted slightly when performing the x-ray leading the doctor to believe the atlas was tilted or rotated when really it wasn’t. Is your chiropractor an upper cervical doctor? Meaning she practices a technique where she just adjusts the two upper vertebrae of the neck? An upper cervical doctor specializes in the upper vertebra of the neck and has special training to analyze the atlas position using precise radiographs. They shoot a group of films to analyze the atlas, not just an AP cervical or lateral. The atlas is close to the brain stem and cranial nerves. When it is out of position it can cause compression of these structures and can cause a host of bizarre symptoms. I would think that after a few months of treatment if symptoms do not improve then unfortunately it’s probably not the cause. What have the other doctors diagnosis him with? I would think they gave some sort of working diagnosis.
Lisa
Tons of doctors and money and no working diagnosis. Lots of possibilities, but nothing ever comes of any of them. This is as close as we’ve come, but if she can’t get the atlas to move, there’s no way to know for sure. We’ve had before and after 30 days xrays and looked the same in both. Not sure what the odds are that both were false. She does not specialize in upper cervical. We’ve checked into atlas orthogonal online, but the best we can tell the closest one is over 300 miles from us. He is not on any meds at this time. He’s tried numerous beta blockers & such, but no differences and tended to make him feel worse in one way or another. I’ve not heard of an MRA, but will talk to our doctor about it. You said it’s different from an MRI?