The first day
Take it easy. Drink plenty of water. Avoid sport, heavy lifting and long drives if you can. Many people feel a striking lightness or an unfamiliar relaxation at the top of the neck. Others feel tired and want to sleep early. Both are normal.
The first days and weeks: old pains can return
Old pains and symptoms can come back, often milder than before, sometimes more intense. You may even get the feeling that the effect of the treatment has worn off after a few days. It has not. Patterns of physical functioning that have existed for years, perhaps decades, with pain and complaints cannot change completely in a few days. Body and mind need time to heal.
Think of how pain after surgery is usually worse than what you felt before the operation. But it is a different pain: you are better off because the cause has been removed, and the pain you feel is part of your road back to health. Many people experience something similar after the atlas treatment: pain can appear in different parts of the body, usually briefly, and then slowly disappear.
Things that commonly happen
- Tiredness for a few days, sometimes deep sleep and vivid dreams
- A temporary headache or, in migraine clients, one strong attack followed by improvement
- Muscle ache in the neck, shoulders or lower back as posture straightens
- Light-headedness for a day or two while balance recalibrates
- Emotional release: some people feel unusually moved or tearful for a short time
What to avoid in the first two weeks
- Neck manipulation or cracking of any kind
- Deep neck massage; a light massage of the shoulders is fine after a week
- Heavy training, contact sports and heavy lifting
- Sleeping on your stomach with the head turned
What helps
- Walking daily
- Good hydration and sleep
- Gentle attention to how you sit and carry your head, without forcing it
- Continuing physiotherapy or exercise programmes after the first week, and telling your practitioner about the correction
The follow-up check
Your follow-up appointment confirms the atlas has held and lets Dr. Wim see how your body is adapting. Bring notes of what changed, what returned and what disappeared. Most people need no further treatment after this.
When to contact us
If a reaction feels too strong, lasts more than two weeks, or you are simply unsure, message us. Dr. Wim would rather hear from you than have you worry. For any severe or unusual symptom, see a doctor first.
