Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care in St. Petersburg, FL
The atlas is the small ring of bone at the very top of your spine, the bridge between your skull and the rest of your nervous system. From our practice in St. Petersburg, we use CBCT imaging and the Advanced Orthogonal technique to deliver a correction planned from precise measurements of your specific anatomy.
Book a ConsultationThe atlas is the first cervical vertebra, the ring-shaped bone at the very top of your spine that carries the weight of your skull. It sits at the junction where the brainstem transitions into the spinal cord. Through this small space travel the vertebral arteries supplying the brainstem and cerebellum, the jugular veins, the vagus nerve, the spinal cord itself, the dura mater, and the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes your central nervous system.
The brainstem passing through this junction controls cardiovascular regulation, respiration, balance, pain processing, and the coordination of every signal traveling between your brain and your body. When the atlas is even fractionally misaligned, it creates mechanical irritation at this junction. That irritation can produce symptoms across many different systems depending on which structures are affected. Chronic headaches, dizziness, neck pain, brain fog, fatigue, and dysautonomia are among the most common presentations, often without a clear explanation from standard imaging.
Precision is what makes upper cervical care distinctive. Standard X-rays show anatomy in two dimensions. The atlas occupies a complex three-dimensional space, and its misalignment cannot be accurately measured without three-dimensional imaging. Dr. Silver uses CBCT, Cone Beam Computed Tomography, to capture a detailed image of the atlas region with a low radiation dose. From that image he takes seven specific measurements and runs them through a calculation protocol to determine the exact angle and direction the correction requires. The adjustment is delivered through a specialized instrument producing a gentle, calibrated percussive stimulus.
After the correction, the goal is stability, an atlas that holds its position long enough for the surrounding musculature and connective tissue to adapt. Dr. Silver monitors alignment at follow-up appointments and intervenes only when the atlas has shifted. As the body adapts, the interval between corrections lengthens progressively over time.
Dr. Silver trained directly under Dr. Pierce Sr., the founder of the Advanced Orthogonal technique, and spent five years at the Pierce Clinic of Chiropractic refining the discipline before developing new tools and analysis procedures now used by practitioners internationally. Every correction is instrument-assisted, planned from three-dimensional imaging, and delivered at the exact vector your specific anatomy requires.
Care begins with three-dimensional cone beam CT imaging that shows your exact cervical anatomy: the precise angle, degree, and direction of any atlas misalignment. Dr. Silver takes seven specific measurements from this imaging and runs them through a calculation protocol to determine the correction vector. Every adjustment is planned from objective measurements of your specific anatomy.
Using a precision instrument calibrated to the exact vector your imaging analysis requires, Dr. Silver delivers a gentle, precisely angled percussive correction. There is no manual manipulation, no twisting, and no cracking. The adjustment is gentle enough that most patients feel very little, and the neurological impact is measurable in the examination that follows.
After every correction Dr. Silver re-examines your nervous system, including balance, eye movements, muscle tone, and postural indicators, to confirm the adjustment produced the intended neurological response. He monitors alignment at follow-up appointments and intervenes only when the atlas has shifted, working toward progressively longer hold times as the body adapts.
Dr. Josh Silver spent five years at the Pierce Clinic of Chiropractic in St. Petersburg training under Dr. Pierce Sr., the founder of the Advanced Orthogonal technique. During that time he became a board member of the Advanced Orthogonal Institute and served as a technique instructor, training other practitioners in the discipline. He developed the analysis software and 3D-printed instruments for the procedure, including a laser positioning system and a more ergonomic headpiece, both designed to improve correction accuracy and patient comfort.
It was during this period that Dr. Silver developed Upper Cervical Neurology, a formal clinical system that treats atlas misalignment and the neurological dysfunction it produces as a single presentation requiring simultaneous structural and neurological evaluation. He completed a three-year residency in functional neurology at Imagine X in Santa Barbara to deepen the neurological side of that work, and continues to teach and refine the integrated system internationally.
Dr. Silver practices in St. Petersburg, FL, and sees patients from across the greater Tampa Bay area. Every upper cervical assessment, CBCT analysis, and adjustment at Neuroplasticity St. Pete is performed by Dr. Silver personally.
Upper cervical chiropractic care is a precision discipline focused on the alignment of the top two vertebrae, the atlas (C1) and axis (C2), at the junction where the brainstem meets the spinal cord. Misalignment here generates ongoing neurological irritation that can affect many systems throughout the body. The Advanced Orthogonal technique used by Dr. Silver employs CBCT imaging to measure the misalignment in three dimensions and a specialized instrument to deliver a precise, low-force correction.
Advanced Orthogonal is a precision upper cervical chiropractic technique that uses CBCT imaging to take exact three-dimensional measurements of atlas position. Those measurements are run through a calculation protocol to determine the specific angle and direction of the correction. The adjustment is delivered through a specialized instrument with no twisting, no rotation, and no manual manipulation. Dr. Silver trained for five years under Dr. Pierce Sr., the founder of the Advanced Orthogonal Institute, and served as both a board member and technique instructor there.
The atlas sits at the junction where the brainstem transitions into the spinal cord. Through this small space pass the vertebral arteries, jugular veins, the vagus nerve, the spinal cord, the dura mater, and cerebrospinal fluid. The brainstem controls cardiovascular function, respiration, balance, pain processing, and the coordination of signals throughout the body. Mechanical irritation at this junction can produce symptoms across many systems, including headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and dysautonomia, depending on which structures are affected.
Yes. The Advanced Orthogonal technique is one of the most gentle forms of spinal care available. The adjustment uses a specialized instrument with no manual manipulation, no twisting, and no cracking. The force required is minimal because the correction vector is calculated precisely from CBCT imaging. The CBCT scan delivers a low radiation dose comparable to a standard dental X-ray series.
This depends on how long the misalignment has been present and how well the surrounding musculature adapts to the corrected position. Most patients require several corrections in the first weeks as the body adjusts, with the interval between corrections lengthening progressively as alignment stabilizes. Dr. Silver monitors alignment at each follow-up and adjusts only when the atlas has shifted. The goal throughout is to lengthen the holding time, not to maintain a recurring schedule.
Upper Cervical Neurology is a clinical system developed by Dr. Silver that integrates upper cervical chiropractic care with functional neurological examination and rehabilitation. It treats the atlas misalignment and the neurological dysfunction it produces as a single clinical presentation requiring evaluation at both structural and neurological levels. Dr. Silver developed this system during his five years at the Pierce Clinic and continues to teach it to practitioners internationally.
A Patient’s Experience
I was very skeptical and full of anxiety, but WOW so thankful that I made that first appointment. Six appointments later I am still amazed by his techniques and I found a doctor that listens and cares. I got my very first adjustment after doing the scan, which says a lot because I wouldn’t let anyone touch my neck. He uses a device with precise measurements from the scan and you seriously don’t even feel anything.
Schedule a consultation with our upper cervical chiropractor in St. Petersburg. Care begins with CBCT imaging, three-dimensional analysis, and a thorough neurological examination before any correction is made.
2370 Dr. MLK Jr St N · St. Petersburg, FL 33704 (opens in new tab) Serving Tampa Bay · Clearwater · Tampa · Pinellas County