Image depicting the Atlas Bone, highlighted in red.
The Atlas Bone is the topmost (or highest) vertebra in the neck. It is the vertebra that is in contact with the Occipital bone– a flat bone located at the back of the head. It’s named after the Greek Titan, Atlas. The story of Atlas is based in Greek Mythology. The short version of the story is this: Zeus, who was considered to be the ruler of the Greek gods, was known for mistreating and abusing those around him. He continually humiliated the other gods and cheated on his wife with many lovers, among other things. Zeus’ treatment of the Titans led to an uprising in the heavens, which included the mightiest Titan; Atlas. The rebellion was unsuccessful, and as punishment for participating in the rebellion, Zeus sentenced Atlas to forever bear the weight of the heavens on his shoulders, lest they fall and destroy the earth.
The image of Atlas holding up the heavens is one that is recognizable by many people even today. That image is why Atlas the Titan is the namesake for the Atlas bone in your C-1 vertebrae. The Atlas bone stands on the top of your spine and body, like Atlas standing on the earth. The head and brain sit atop the Atlas bone, just like Atlas balancing the heavens. The function of the Atlas bone is the same as well; as Atlas was responsible for holding up the heavens, the Atlas bone is responsible for holding your head and brain in place at the top of your body.
If you notice the position of Atlas, he holds the heavens in a way that keeps the weight of the ball balanced on his body. This is important because it’s this ability to balance the heavens that kept them from falling and destroying the Earth. There’s a similarity here with the Atlas bone, as well. The weight of the human head and brain is roughly the same as the weight of a bowling ball. If the balance is off-center, it creates stress, forcing the body to reposition. The conclusion is, if your Atlas bone is not properly positioned or balanced, it can create stress that gets carried to the rest of the body, and up into the brain.
Being on our phones as much as we are and working long hours at a desk make us more susceptible to this imbalance and unfortunately, it’s linked to a number of unwanted symptoms and conditions including headaches, neck pain, back pain, migraines, nausea, seizures, colic, trigeminal neuralgia, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and ADHD. It’s amazing to think about, but every area of your body that has nerves (which is pretty much your whole body) can be negatively affected if the Atlas bone is out of alignment with Occipital bone above or the Axis bone (C2 vertebra) below.
Thankfully, upper cervical chiropractors primarily study the Atlas bone and seek to restore the bone to its best position; and you don’t need to crack or twist your neck to do it. Since the Atlas bone connects the head to the spine, the position of the bone can have a significant impact on the body’s nervous system. Every nerve in the human body leads back to the spine, so there are many things that can be impacted by improper alignment of the Atlas bone.
If you or someone you know is experiencing severe pain or any of the other symptoms and conditions listed above, we would love to see how we can help. Upper Cervical Chiropractic care has shown tremendous success in helping patients get back to normal, without being burdened by chronic pain and debilitating ailments. At Blair Chiropractic Clinic, we want to fix the problem you’re having. Our motto is “Find it, fix it, then leave it alone”. Visit www.blairclinic.com or call (806) 747-2735 today to speak with a member of our staff about scheduling a screening or ask any questions you might have.