Total Health Chiropractic - John Cannon, DC, BCAO
Board Certified Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractor in Portsmouth, NH
Precision Upper Cervical Evaluation
Atlas Orthogonal Care
Board Certified Atlas Orthogonist (BCAO)
Focused on injury-related cervical spine conditions
Recent motor vehicle injuries and long-standing structural instability
Practicing Atlas Orthogonal since 2005 with an emphasis on structural cervical spine evaluation and injury documentation.
Patients often present with either a recent injury or a long-standing problem that has never been fully explained. Some patients present with persistent headaches, neck and/or low back pain, or cervical instability following an accident. Others have lived with recurring symptoms for years and want to understand whether structural factors in the cervical spine may be contributing to their condition.
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The purpose of a precise upper cervical evaluation is careful structural assessment to determine whether the atlas and cervical spine are contributing to a patient’s symptoms. When injuries are involved, detailed clinical documentation is maintained so that findings are clearly understood by patients and other professionals involved in their care.
Who Seeks Evaluation
Patients seeking evaluation commonly present with conditions such as:
• Persistent headaches or migraines associated with neck injury
• Neck pain following motor vehicle collisions or prior trauma
• Post-concussion symptoms involving the cervical spine
• Chronic or recurring neck pain that has not fully resolved
• Cervical-related dizziness or vertigo following head or neck injury
When Atlas Orthogonal Evaluation
May Be Appropriate
Many patients seeking evaluation have experienced symptoms that persist despite previous treatment. In some cases, structural factors in the upper cervical spine may contribute to these problems.
An Atlas Orthogonal evaluation may be appropriate when clinical findings suggest structural involvement of the upper cervical spine, including situations such as:
• Symptoms that persist despite previous treatment or therapy
• Structural misalignment identified through imaging or examination
• Cervical instability following trauma or motor vehicle collision
• Post-concussion symptoms associated with cervical spine injury
• Recurring symptoms that temporarily improve but repeatedly return
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Not every patient requires upper cervical correction. Evaluation is performed to determine whether structural findings support this approach.
Atlas Orthogonal care is built on four clinical principles: precise imaging, minimal force correction, measured follow-up, and careful documentation.
Precision Imaging
Structural correction begins with detailed digital imaging of the cervical spine to establish an accurate structural diagnosis. Atlas Orthogonal imaging analysis is used to determine the precise spatial orientation of the atlas and the corrective vector required for alignment.
Imaging allows identification of the nature of the misalignment, assessment of stability, and evaluation of structural relationships within the cervical spine. When clinically indicated, flexion–extension or lateral bending studies may be obtained to evaluate motion and instability. Lumbar flexion–extension imaging may also be performed when lower spinal involvement is suspected.
Precise diagnosis guides precise structural correction.
Measured Follow-up
Care recommendations are based on objective findings and clinical response rather than predetermined visit schedules. Following correction, alignment and stability are reassessed to determine how well the spine maintains structural position under normal daily stress.
Some patients require short-term stabilization following recent injury. Others benefit from periodic reassessment throughout the year to maintain structural stability. The frequency of care reflects the degree of instability, prior trauma, and the body’s ability to maintain correction.
The goal is not ongoing treatment — it is structural stability. When alignment holds consistently, care decreases.
Minimal Force Correction
Atlas Orthogonal correction does not involve twisting or high-velocity cervical manipulation. Instead, a calibrated percussive instrument delivers approximately 3–6 pounds of force — comparable to firm fingertip pressure — directed according to biomechanical measurements established through imaging analysis.
At the C1–C2 articulation, joint surfaces move with extremely low mechanical resistance. Because of this anatomy, effective correction depends on accuracy of vector and positioning rather than magnitude of force. Precision analysis of the upper cervical spine allows structural correction to occur with minimal mechanical input.
The objective is controlled, measured structural correction — not aggressive manipulation.
Clinical Documentation
In cases involving motor vehicle collisions or prior trauma, objective clinical documentation is essential. Examination findings, imaging analysis, and clinical progress are recorded with attention to structural detail.
When appropriate, documentation may be prepared to support coordination with medical providers and legal counsel. The focus remains clinical — accurate diagnosis, measured correction, and clearly recorded findings. Clinical findings and imaging measurements are recorded in a format that can be clearly interpreted by other healthcare providers, insurers, and legal professionals when injury-related evaluation is required.
Care and documentation proceed together throughout the evaluation and treatment process.
About Dr. John Cannon
Dr. John Cannon is a Doctor of Chiropractic and Board Certified Atlas Orthogonist (BCAO) practicing on the Seacoast of New Hampshire. A graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic (2005), he has spent nearly two decades focused on the evaluation and correction of structural problems in the upper cervical spine.
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His clinical work centers on patients with persistent headaches, neck pain, post-concussion symptoms, and injuries following motor vehicle collisions. Many patients arrive with long-standing problems that have never been fully explained or properly evaluated.
Dr. Cannon’s approach emphasizes careful structural assessment, precise imaging, and minimal-force Atlas Orthogonal correction designed to restore stability to the upper cervical spine.
