Posted on9 October 2025,in

Holistic Doctor in Sarasota: Living with constant dizziness, headaches, brain fog, or chronic fatigue can make life feel smaller than it should. Many people in Sarasota and Manatee County spend years searching for answers—seeing specialists, trying medications, and undergoing tests—only to be told their results are “normal.” Yet their symptoms persist.

At Lavender Family Chiropractic in Sarasota, Florida, we approach health differently. We believe your body was designed to heal itself when the nervous system is functioning at 100%. Instead of masking symptoms, we identify and correct the underlying structural and neurological imbalances that prevent your body from thriving.

Our clinic specializes in Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care, a precise and gentle form of chiropractic that focuses on the alignment of the top two bones in your neck—the atlas (C1) and axis (C2)—which directly influence brainstem function, blood flow, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation, and balance. This approach makes Lavender Family Chiropractic one of the most trusted holistic doctors in Sarasota and Manatee County, helping patients with conditions like migraines, vertigo, Meniere’s disease, dizziness, POTS, fibromyalgia, numbness, neuropathy, and more.

Holistic Doctor in Sarasota: Understanding What It Means to Be a Holistic Doctor in Sarasota

The word holistic comes from the Greek “holos,” meaning whole. At its core, holistic healthcare addresses the entire person—body, mind, and nervous system—rather than just isolated symptoms.

A holistic doctor doesn’t focus on chasing pain or prescribing quick fixes. Instead, they seek to identify the underlying dysfunction that’s causing symptoms. At Lavender Family Chiropractic, we apply this philosophy through precise analysis of the upper cervical spine, the area where the head and neck meet. This delicate region protects the brainstem, which controls nearly every automatic function in your body: heart rate, blood pressure, balance, digestion, and even immune response.

When the upper cervical spine shifts out of alignment due to injury, poor posture, or stress, it can distort nerve messages between the brain and body—leading to symptoms that often seem unrelated.

Many of our Sarasota patients come in after years of chasing treatments for migraines, dizziness, fatigue, or neuropathy. But once the upper cervical misalignment is corrected, they finally begin to experience lasting healing.

The Upper Cervical Connection to Whole-Body Health

Your brainstem acts as a “switchboard” for communication between your brain and every organ, tissue, and cell. It also helps coordinate the vestibular system (your sense of balance), cardiovascular regulation, and even pain sensitivity.

When the atlas or axis bones are even slightly out of alignment, they can compress or distort this vital communication pathway. The result? Symptoms that appear far from the neck—but are actually rooted there.

This is why upper cervical chiropractic is considered a true holistic approach. It doesn’t just look at the symptom—it looks at the entire neurological chain reaction causing the dysfunction.

Migraines: The Hidden Neck Connection

Migraines aren’t simply “bad headaches.” They are complex neurological events that can cause light sensitivity, nausea, vision changes, and hours or even days of debilitating pain.

While many doctors focus on triggers (foods, stress, hormones), few address the underlying neurological instability that allows those triggers to wreak havoc in the first place.

At Lavender Family Chiropractic, we use 3D CBCT imaging to precisely assess the alignment of your upper cervical spine. In many migraine patients, we see subtle rotations or misalignments of the atlas vertebra, creating tension in the surrounding muscles and altering blood flow to the brain.

When corrected through our gentle, non-twisting adjustments, many patients experience a dramatic reduction in migraine frequency and intensity—often after years of suffering.

Common migraine symptoms we help resolve include:

Throbbing or one-sided head pain
Visual disturbances (auras, flashes, zig-zags)
Nausea and vomiting
Neck stiffness or pressure at the skull base
Light and sound sensitivity
Fatigue and mental fog

Migraines are a sign that your nervous system is under stress. Upper cervical chiropractic care restores that communication, allowing your brain and body to function harmoniously again.

Vertigo and Meniere’s Disease: When Balance Feels Lost

Vertigo is more than dizziness—it’s a sensation that the room is spinning or that you’re moving when you’re not. It can come with nausea, eye twitching, imbalance, and even anxiety.

Many people are told they have BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) or Meniere’s disease when, in fact, the deeper issue lies within the upper cervical spine and its effect on the vestibular system.

The inner ear, eyes, and neck muscles constantly send balance information to the brain. If your atlas bone is misaligned, it can distort the sensory feedback between these systems. This creates what’s called a sensory mismatch, leading to dizziness, imbalance, and even tinnitus.

At Lavender Family Chiropractic, our Sarasota patients often report:

Feeling like they’re walking on a boat
Pressure or fullness in one ear
Spinning sensations with head movement
Lightheadedness when standing
Fatigue and disorientation

By correcting the atlas alignment, we restore communication between the vestibular nuclei in the brainstem and the inner ear. This often leads to significant improvement—even when traditional vestibular therapy, medication, or ENT visits have failed.

Dizziness and Vestibular Dysfunction

Dizziness is one of the most common yet misunderstood symptoms in medicine. It can come from cardiovascular issues, dehydration, or inner ear disturbances—but often, the underlying factor is neurological.

When the upper neck is misaligned, it alters blood flow through the vertebral arteries and irritates the cranial nerves that help control balance and eye movement. This can produce symptoms such as:

Lightheadedness
Off-balance sensations
Nausea
Sensitivity to motion or visual movement
Difficulty focusing your eyes

Our office uses functional nervous system scans (Tytron thermography) to measure nerve function and detect patterns of imbalance. Once we correct the structural misalignment, the brainstem can restore normal balance control—helping patients feel grounded and steady again.

POTS: When Your Nervous System Misfires

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a condition in which the autonomic nervous system fails to regulate blood pressure and heart rate properly. Patients often experience dizziness, lightheadedness, rapid heart rate, and fatigue upon standing.

While traditional medicine often prescribes medication or lifestyle changes, many cases of POTS have a deeper neurological root related to the vagus nerve and brainstem pressure.

The upper cervical spine directly surrounds and influences these structures. A misalignment at the atlas can interfere with autonomic balance—overstimulating the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) system and reducing parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) control.

When we restore alignment, many patients notice improved circulation, calmer heart rate responses, better digestion, and less dizziness.

Fibromyalgia: A Whole-Body Sensory Overload

Fibromyalgia is often described as widespread pain with no clear cause. Patients experience chronic fatigue, muscle stiffness, and hypersensitivity to touch.

However, recent studies have shown that fibromyalgia involves nervous system hypersensitivity—the brain amplifying pain signals that should be mild or harmless.

At Lavender Family Chiropractic, we’ve found that upper cervical misalignment can trigger or worsen this sensitivity by compressing the brainstem and altering CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) flow.

When the flow of CSF is restricted, waste products like inflammatory molecules can build up around the brain, contributing to fatigue, brain fog, and pain amplification.

By restoring proper alignment, CSF drainage improves, nerve function normalizes, and patients often notice less pain and more energy within weeks.

Numb Hands and Neurological Irritation

Numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in the hands are often blamed on carpal tunnel or peripheral neuropathy. But many cases begin in the neck, not the wrist.

The nerves that control sensation and strength in your arms exit from the cervical spine. When the upper neck is misaligned, it creates tension and inflammation that radiate down through the brachial plexus—resulting in numbness, weakness, or cold hands.

At Lavender Family Chiropractic, we perform detailed postural and neurological exams to identify the true source of your symptoms. Once the upper cervical misalignment is corrected, normal nerve communication is restored—and numbness and tingling begin to fade.

Why Traditional Medicine Often Misses the Root Cause

Many Sarasota residents have been through a long medical journey before finding us. They’ve seen neurologists, ENTs, cardiologists, and rheumatologists. They’ve taken prescriptions, tried physical therapy, and undergone scans—yet still, no answers.

That’s because traditional medicine often separates the body into systems: ear problems go to the ENT, heart problems go to the cardiologist, pain goes to a pain clinic. But the human body doesn’t work in parts—it works as an integrated system directed by the nervous system.

Our holistic, neurological approach brings everything back together. Instead of chasing symptoms, we restore the body’s master control system so it can regulate itself again.

Lavender Family Chiropractic: Sarasota’s Leading Holistic Doctor Team

At Lavender Family Chiropractic, our doctors—Dr. Rusty Lavender, Dr. Jacob Temple, and Dr. Will Guzinski—have helped thousands of patients from Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Ellenton, Venice, Osprey, Punta Gorda, St. Petersburg, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Lido Key, and Myakka City reclaim their health through upper cervical chiropractic care.

Our office is known for combining compassion, advanced technology, and precise technique to produce results that last. We’re not just chiropractors—we’re holistic healers focused on restoring the integrity of your nervous system.

Advanced Technology: 3D CBCT Imaging and Functional Nervous System Scans

Our diagnostic process is what sets us apart.

3D CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography):
This advanced imaging system provides a full 3D view of your upper cervical spine—allowing us to see the exact misalignment pattern of your atlas and axis bones down to fractions of a millimeter. This precision ensures your adjustment is tailored exactly to you.
Tytron Paraspinal Thermography:
This tool measures skin temperature along the spine to detect nerve interference. Changes in thermographic readings help us determine when your body is holding its alignment or when it needs correction.

These technologies make Lavender Family Chiropractic one of the most advanced and trusted holistic chiropractic clinics in Florida.

The Gentle Precision of Upper Cervical Adjustments

Many new patients are surprised to learn that upper cervical adjustments involve no cracking, twisting, or popping. Instead, we use a precise, gentle correction to realign the atlas or axis bones.

This light touch—often no more pressure than checking your pulse—stimulates a neurological reset at the brainstem level. Once alignment is restored, the body begins healing itself: muscles relax, inflammation decreases, and communication between the brain and body normalizes.

What to Expect at Lavender Family Chiropractic

Your first visit is all about understanding you—your health history, your goals, and your neurological function. We begin with a detailed consultation and perform advanced scans and imaging.

Once we’ve identified the exact cause of your symptoms, your doctor will craft a personalized care plan designed to restore balance to your body and nervous system.

Many patients notice improvements in:

Energy and focus
Sleep quality
Headache frequency
Balance and coordination
Digestion and heart rate regulation
Pain levels and muscle tension

Every visit builds on the last as your body stabilizes and holds alignment longer over time.

Stories of Transformation

Patients often tell us, “You were my last resort—and I wish I’d found you sooner.”

We’ve seen patients who couldn’t drive due to vertigo, who were bedridden with migraines, or who’d been told their fibromyalgia was “all in their head.” Today, they’re working, playing with their kids, and living life again—because someone finally looked at the nervous system, not just the symptoms.

Top 15 FAQs About Holistic Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

What makes upper cervical chiropractic holistic?
It focuses on restoring balance to the nervous system, which influences every function of the body.
Do you crack or twist the neck?
No. Our adjustments are gentle, precise, and tailored using 3D imaging.
Can this help migraines and vertigo?
Yes—these are among the most common symptoms we treat.
What about POTS or dizziness?
By improving brainstem function and autonomic balance, many POTS patients experience significant relief.
Can you help fibromyalgia?
Yes. We address nervous system overactivity and CSF flow, which play key roles in fibromyalgia symptoms.
Will I feel the adjustment?
Most patients barely notice it—it’s light but powerful.
Do you treat kids or seniors?
Absolutely. Our techniques are safe for all ages.
What if I’ve tried traditional chiropractic or physical therapy?
Upper cervical care is completely different—it focuses on precision, not force.
How long before I feel better?
Some patients feel immediate relief; others improve gradually as stability returns.
Do you take insurance?
Our office is out of network with insurance. We provide superbills for reimbursement and offer payment plans.
Do you help with TMJ or jaw pain?
Yes. Misalignment at the atlas can affect jaw mechanics and tension.
Can this help my posture?
Yes. Correcting the atlas often restores full-body balance and posture.
What if my MRI or CT scan was normal?
Most medical imaging isn’t designed to detect the subtle misalignments we correct.
Do I need ongoing maintenance?
Once your body stabilizes, we perform periodic checkups to help you maintain alignment and wellness.
Why choose Lavender Family Chiropractic in Sarasota?
Because we combine compassion, precision, and advanced technology to address the true root cause of your symptoms—not just mask them.

Serving Sarasota and Beyond

We proudly serve patients from Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Ellenton, Venice, Osprey, Punta Gorda, St. Petersburg, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Lido Key, and Myakka City—and many travel hours for the results they can’t find anywhere else. If you are too far to come see us, please reach out so we can connect you with an upper cervical chiropractor in your area.

Our office is located at 5899 Whitfield Ave Ste 107, Sarasota, FL 34243.

Find Real Healing at Lavender Family Chiropractic

If you’ve been searching for a holistic doctor in Sarasota who listens, cares, and truly understands complex conditions like vertigo, migraines, POTS, fibromyalgia, and more, you’ve found the right place.

At Lavender Family Chiropractic, we don’t just want you to feel better—we want your body to work better. Through gentle, precise upper cervical chiropractic care, we help restore the body’s natural ability to heal and thrive. The best way to heal from chronic health conditions is by getting to the root cause of the issue instead of masking the symptoms that you have been dealing with. If you are ready to take your life back, schedule a free consultation with our doctors here in Sarasota!