By Dr. Rusty Lavender, D.C. — upper cervical chiropractor, Lavender Family Chiropractic, Sarasota, FL. Reviewed and updated November 2026.
In short: Lavender Family Chiropractic is an upper cervical office in Sarasota that sees the whole family: infants and children, expectant mothers, working adults, and seniors. The approach is the same at every age, because the structure is: the atlas (C1) carries the head and surrounds the brainstem from birth to old age. What changes is how we evaluate and how gently we correct. There is no twisting, no cracking, and no rotation of the neck for anyone. This page explains what family care means here, how it differs by age, and where to read more for the person you are searching for. Call (941) 243-3729.
What “family chiropractor” means at an upper cervical office
In most offices, “family chiropractor” means everyone in the family can get a general spinal adjustment. Here it means something narrower and more careful. We evaluate one region, the top of the neck, because that is where the head’s weight is carried, where the brainstem sits, and where the nerves that regulate balance, headache, heart rate, and much else converge. We measure it rather than guess at it: with a neurological and orthopedic examination, with paraspinal infrared thermography, which has no radiation and can be repeated at any age, and, when it is warranted and appropriate for the patient, with 3D CBCT imaging. And we correct it with the Knee Chest technique, a brief, low-force contact that does not twist or crack the neck. That is why the same office can see a two-month-old and an eighty-year-old on the same morning.
Care by age
Infants and children. Birth itself loads the upper neck, and falls, sports, and heavy backpacks follow. We see children for torticollis and head tilt, recurrent ear infections and ear fullness, headaches, dizziness after a concussion, and the nervous system complaints parents bring when nothing else has explained them. Thermography does the monitoring; imaging is kept to a minimum and is never routine in children. A parent is present for every step. Our pediatric chiropractor in Sarasota page explains how a child’s visit differs.
Expectant mothers. Pregnancy moves the center of gravity, loosens ligaments, disrupts sleep, and removes most headache medication from the table, and the top of the neck carries much of that load. We see headaches, neck pain, dizziness, and jaw tension during pregnancy with no twisting, no pressure on the abdomen, and no imaging until after delivery. Our pregnancy chiropractor in Sarasota page covers trimester-by-trimester positioning and how we work with your OB or midwife.
Adults. The largest group, and the conditions are the ones this website is built around: vertigo and dizziness, migraines and headaches, neck pain, TMJ, tinnitus, POTS, car accident and whiplash injuries, and the long list of complaints that trace back to a neck injury nobody connected to them. Our conditions page lists them.
Seniors. The upper neck stiffens, the position sensors that help with balance lose precision, and the inner ear ages, so dizziness and falls become the concern. Upper cervical care fits older patients because there is no rotation of the neck, imaging screens for the bone changes of age, and corrections are made only when thermography shows they are needed. Our chiropractor for seniors in Sarasota page covers safety, balance, and what a first visit looks like.
What stays the same for everyone
Serious conditions are ruled out by a physician first, and we read their reports before we begin. We measure before and after every correction. We correct only when the measurement says to, and we say so plainly when the upper neck is not the problem. Results vary by person. And we send findings to your pediatrician, OB, primary care physician, or specialist on request, because family care works best when the whole team sees the same picture. Our what to expect page walks through a first visit step by step.
Serving Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and Venice
Our office is at 5899 Whitfield Avenue, Suite 107, Sarasota, FL 34243, at University Parkway and Whitfield Avenue, with parking at the door and no stairs. Hours are Monday through Thursday 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, and Friday 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Families from Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, and Venice can read their local pages. We hold time for same-day new patient visits, and family members can often be scheduled back to back.
Common questions about family chiropractic care in Sarasota
Do you see children and seniors at the same office? Yes. The region we evaluate, the top of the neck, is the same at every age; the examination, the imaging decision, and the force of the correction are adapted to the patient.
Can my whole family be seen the same day? Usually. We schedule family members back to back when we can, and a parent is present for every step of a child’s visit.
Is the adjustment the same for a child as for an adult? The technique is the same, the force is not. A child’s correction is a very light contact, and imaging is kept to a minimum.
Do you adjust the whole spine? No. We correct the atlas and axis. When the top of the neck is aligned, the rest of the spine often re-balances because the brain is no longer compensating for distorted input from the upper neck.
What if the neck is not the problem for one of us? We say so and refer to the provider who fits. An honest no is part of family care.
How quickly can we be seen? We hold time for same-day and next-day new patient visits. Call (941) 243-3729 or book online.
Find out whether the top of the neck is part of the picture
Call (941) 243-3729 or book online. Lavender Family Chiropractic in Sarasota, Florida offers a thorough upper cervical evaluation to find out whether we can help.