These 7-minute Atlas Adjustment Stretches Relieve Back and Neck Pain. (2024)

Body Part:
Neck & Head

Equipment:
Mini Massage Ball

Level:
Beginner

Roland Liebscher-Bracht

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If you can shake your head from side to side easily, move it up and down fluidly, and bring it backwards and forward swiftly, a big ‘thank you’ goes to your agile atlas. However, if you frequently suffer from

neck pain that hinders your head movement,
burning back pain that keeps you from your favourite sport,
dizziness or feel lightheaded,

these may be signs that your atlas bone is misaligned and could use our pain-relieving routine. There are a host of pain conditions, from TMJ to herniated discs, that can be traced back to a misaligned atlas.

Located at the top of your cervical spine, the atlas is the very first of your cervical vertebrae and is connected to your head by two joints called the atlanto-occipital joints. The atlas was named after the Greek god who carried the world on his back because it performs a noteworthy job: the atlas supports your head and helps facilitate movement of the neck and head. Of all the bones that make up your cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, the atlas is the most mobile.

. It’s also the most prone to injury and misalignment.

If your atlas becomes misaligned, you may suffer from:

Regular tension headaches. The most common of headaches, tension headaches, cause pain in your neck, head and behind your eyes.
Stiff neck. Your neck feels sore, and moving your head is painful, particularly if you try to move it from side to side.
Neck aches, or your neck feels tender.
Neck pain that is so intense it interrupts your sleep or prevents you from sleeping.
Jaw pain.
Dizziness.
A burning sensation that may travel from your neck to the shoulder and arm.
Increased blood pressure.¹⁾

There are many causes for a misaligned atlas. These include:

Poor posture. Slouching, sitting in a hunched over position, or craning your neck forward to stare at a screen for long periods of time can put pressure on your spinal cord and knock your atlas out of alignment.
Your body is put under an excessive amount of physical stress.
Overworking the muscles in your neck. This usually happens from activities that require repetitive movements, like playing sports or dancing.
An injury to the spine like falling or whiplash (which may cause cervical instability and chronic pain).

We’ve developed an 8-minute routine to adjust your atlas and help alleviate the pain that can result from atlas misalignment. All you need to perform the routine is our Mini Massage Ball. If you don’t have one, try using a tennis ball. Take a look at our YouTube video or check out the instructions below.

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HOW TO ADJUST YOUR OWN ATLAS VERTEBRA

To maximize the benefits of our atlas adjustment routine, exercise intensely and intelligently. Challenge yourself to stretch and massage at a high intensity that may produce an uncomfortable sensation. (This is a sign that the stretch is working.) However, do not push yourself to the point that your breaths become short and shallow, or you find that you’re holding your breath or clenching your teeth.

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Stretch 1: Cervical Spine Stretch

Sit in a chair or on the floor with your back straight.
Clasp your hands and place them on the crown of your head.
Pull your head down and turn your head slightly to the right. (Try looking at your right pants pocket.)
You’ll feel a stretch down the back of your neck.
Hold for about 40 seconds.
Press your head as forcefully as you can against the pull of your hands and hold for 10 seconds.
Stop pressing against your hands and pull your head deeper into the stretch.
Hold for about 10 seconds more and finish.
Repeat the stretch turning your head slightly to the left.
Lay down on the floor.
Bring your chin into your neck and press your cervical spine against the floor.
Hold for 10 seconds.
Finish.

Exercise 2: Side Stretch

Sit in a chair or on the floor with your back straight. Make a fist with your right hand and bring it to your right shoulder.
Turn your head so that you’re looking at your fist.
Place your left hand on the right side of your head just above your ear and pull your head to your left shoulder. Adjust your head to stretch the area where the tension has built up.
Pull your right shoulder down as far as you can. Hold for 30 seconds.
Press your head against the pull of your hand and hold for about 10 seconds.
Stop pressing and pull your head further down.
Repeat the previous 2 steps twice.
Hold the stretch for 30 seconds more.
Take your hand off your head and pull your head as close to your left shoulder as you can.
Hold for about 10 seconds.
Return your head to a neutral position and circle your shoulders forward a few times.
Repeat the stretch on the other side.

Exercise 3: Cervical Spine Massage

For this exercise, you’ll need our Mini Massage Ball. Massage your cervical spine slowly, spending at least 1 minute on each side. How long this massage takes will depend on how tense your neck is.

Let your head hang forward.
Press your fingers against the right side of your upper cervical spine. Walk your fingers up to the point where your spine meets your skull.
Place the Mini Massage Ball on the top right side of your cervical spine.
Press with as much force as you can and begin making small circles, moving down along the right side of your cervical spine.
When you reach a tense or sensitive spot, stop. Increase the pressure and massage until the tension is released.
Continue until you reach the bottom of your neck.
Repeat on the left side.
Finish.

Get the Atlas of a Titan.

If you’re experiencing acute pain, perform our atlas adjustment routine 6 days a week for 3 weeks. When you’ve completed the initial sprint, check in. If the pain is going away, you can reduce how frequently you stretch.

Sources & Studies

↑1 Bakris, G., Dickholtz, M., Sr, Meyer, P. M., Kravitz, G., Avery, E., Miller, M., Brown, J., Woodfield, C., & Bell, B. (2007). Atlas vertebra realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study. Journal of human hypertension, 21(5), 347–352. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002133.

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If you have atlas pain, you might also be interested in:

Atlas Correction: Small Vertebra, Large Influence

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If your head slants, appears twisted to one side, or your chin rests in an abnormal position, you may have torticollis. This routine can help.

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