Main Cause of Seizures: How Lavender Family Chiropractic Addresses Seizure Triggers with Upper Cervical Care

By Dr. Rusty Lavender, D.C. — upper cervical chiropractor, Lavender Family Chiropractic, Sarasota, FL. Reviewed and updated October 2026.

Our complete guide to upper cervical chiropractic care in Sarasota explains what the top two vertebrae control, how we measure them with 3D imaging, and what a correction feels like.

Main Cause of Seizures: Seizures are sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbances in the brain that can cause a wide variety of symptoms, from mild staring spells to violent convulsions. Understanding the underlying causes of seizures is key to addressing them effectively. In many cases, patients are offered medications to control seizures, but these treatments often mask symptoms rather than correcting the root cause. Lavender Family Chiropractic in Sarasota, Florida, specializes in an alternative approach using upper cervical chiropractic care, which has shown promise in addressing certain causes of seizures, particularly when related to nervous system dysfunction.

Understanding Seizures: What Are They?

Seizures result from abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The symptoms and severity vary depending on which part of the brain is affected. Some seizures cause the body to convulse, while others may result in a temporary loss of awareness or cognitive function. In all cases, seizures are alarming and can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life.

There are many types of seizures, including:

• Generalized Seizures: These involve both sides of the brain and can result in loss of consciousness, muscle stiffness, and jerking movements.
• Focal Seizures: These start in one specific part of the brain and may cause abnormal movements, sensations, or feelings without a loss of awareness.
• Absence Seizures: Often referred to as “staring spells,” these seizures are brief and involve a sudden lapse in awareness.

While seizures themselves are neurological events, the reasons they occur vary. Lavender Family Chiropractic uses upper cervical chiropractic care to address nervous system disruptions that may play a role in the development of seizures, offering a potential holistic solution for patients seeking an alternative to medication.

Common Causes of Seizures

Seizures can be caused by numerous factors, including:

1. Brain Injuries: Trauma to the brain, whether from a car accident, sports injury, or fall, can disrupt the normal function of neurons, increasing the likelihood of seizure activity.
2. Genetic Factors: Some people inherit genes that make them more susceptible to seizures. Conditions such as epilepsy can run in families.
3. Infections: Brain infections, like meningitis or encephalitis, can cause inflammation and damage to the brain, triggering seizures.
4. Metabolic Issues: Conditions that affect metabolism, such as low blood sugar, dehydration, or kidney failure, can lead to seizures.
5. Stress and Lack of Sleep: High levels of stress or sleep deprivation can weaken the brain’s ability to regulate electrical activity.
6. Structural Issues: Abnormalities in the brain, such as tumors or malformed blood vessels, can create electrical imbalances, leading to seizures.

The role of the nervous system in seizures is clear, and this is where upper cervical chiropractic care comes into play. By focusing on the alignment of the top two vertebrae in the neck—the atlas (C1) and axis (C2)—upper cervical chiropractors, like those at Lavender Family Chiropractic, aim to restore proper communication between the brain and the rest of the body.

How Upper Cervical Chiropractic Can Help Address Seizures

Upper cervical chiropractic care is a specialized field within chiropractic that focuses on the alignment of the uppermost vertebrae of the spine. This area is crucial because it houses the brainstem, the part of the central nervous system responsible for transmitting signals between the brain and the body. Misalignments in this region can result in interference with normal nervous system function, potentially leading to a variety of health problems, including seizures.

At Lavender Family Chiropractic, Dr. Temple and his team use gentle, precise adjustments to correct misalignments in the upper cervical spine. Here’s how this approach may benefit individuals experiencing seizures:

1. Improved Brain-Body Communication: When the atlas and axis vertebrae are out of alignment, it can compress or irritate the brainstem and surrounding nerves. This miscommunication can result in improper nerve signaling, which may contribute to seizures. Correcting these misalignments restores proper nerve function, helping to reduce the likelihood of abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
2. Reduction in Nervous System Stress: Upper cervical misalignments can create stress on the nervous system. This stress can manifest as increased electrical activity in the brain, making it more prone to seizures. By relieving pressure on the nervous system, upper cervical chiropractic care helps reduce this stress and may decrease seizure frequency.
3. Increased Blood Flow to the Brain: Poor alignment in the upper cervical spine can also affect blood flow to the brain, limiting oxygen and nutrients necessary for healthy brain function. Upper cervical adjustments can improve circulation, supporting better brain health and reducing the chances of seizure activity.

Case Studies: Chiropractic and Seizures

While more research is needed, several case studies have shown a reduction in seizure activity following upper cervical chiropractic adjustments.

• Case Study 1: A young girl with epilepsy experienced a significant reduction in seizure frequency after receiving upper cervical chiropractic care. Following regular adjustments, her seizures diminished from several per week to just one per month, without the need for medications.
• Case Study 2: An adult male who had suffered seizures for over 20 years sought out upper cervical chiropractic care as a last resort. After a few months of care, his seizures decreased in both frequency and severity, and he reported improved overall well-being.

These examples demonstrate the potential benefits of upper cervical care in individuals suffering from seizures, especially when traditional treatments have failed to provide relief.

Seizures and the Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve plays a critical role in regulating many of the body’s automatic functions, including heart rate, digestion, and, importantly, brain function. The nerve travels from the brainstem (located in the upper cervical region) down to the chest and abdomen. When the upper cervical spine is misaligned, it can put pressure on the brainstem and disrupt the normal function of the vagus nerve, which may contribute to the onset of seizures.

Upper cervical chiropractic adjustments at Lavender Family Chiropractic help to restore proper vagus nerve function by correcting misalignments in the upper neck. This can reduce the likelihood of nervous system disruptions that might lead to seizures, providing a drug-free and non-invasive option for patients.

The Importance of Addressing the Root Cause

While medications are often prescribed to manage seizures, these drugs only mask the symptoms. Upper cervical chiropractic care, on the other hand, aims to address the root cause of the problem: nervous system interference due to spinal misalignments. By focusing on this underlying issue, patients may experience long-term relief and even a reduction in seizure activity over time.

Lavender Family Chiropractic believes in a holistic approach to health care, addressing not just the symptoms but also the factors that contribute to a patient’s condition. For those experiencing seizures, this can be a powerful way to regain control of their health and reduce dependency on medications that often come with side effects.

Lavender Family Chiropractic’s Approach to Seizure Care

At Lavender Family Chiropractic in Sarasota, Dr. Jacob Temple and his team take a comprehensive, individualized approach to treating each patient. For those with a history of seizures, the process typically begins with a detailed consultation and examination, including advanced imaging techniques to assess the alignment of the upper cervical spine. This precise analysis allows the doctors to create a tailored treatment plan designed to correct any misalignments and restore proper function to the nervous system.

Care is provided using gentle, non-invasive adjustments that focus specifically on the upper cervical region. Unlike traditional chiropractic methods that may involve twisting or cracking, upper cervical adjustments are precise and light, ensuring a safe and comfortable experience for patients, even those with neurological conditions like seizures.

Holistic Care Beyond Adjustments

In addition to chiropractic adjustments, Lavender Family Chiropractic provides guidance on lifestyle changes that can further support seizure reduction. This includes:

• Nutritional Counseling: Proper nutrition can play a crucial role in maintaining nervous system health. Dr. Temple and his team may recommend dietary changes that support brain function and reduce inflammation, which could help decrease seizure activity.
• Stress Management: Stress is a common trigger for seizures. Lavender Family Chiropractic offers advice on managing stress through techniques like meditation, breathing exercises, and regular physical activity.
• Sleep Optimization: Ensuring patients get adequate sleep is vital, as sleep deprivation is a known cause of seizures. Chiropractic care can improve sleep quality by reducing nervous system stress and alleviating pain that might interfere with rest.

Conclusion: A Natural Approach to Seizure Management

For individuals dealing with seizures, upper cervical chiropractic care at Lavender Family Chiropractic offers a natural, non-invasive way to address the root cause of their condition. By focusing on correcting misalignments in the upper cervical spine, this approach restores proper brain-body communication, reduces nervous system stress, and may decrease seizure frequency and severity. For many patients, this holistic method provides new hope for long-term seizure management without the need for medication.

If you or a loved one is struggling with seizures and are seeking an alternative approach to care, consider scheduling a consultation with Dr. Temple at Lavender Family Chiropractic. With personalized care and a focus on upper cervical adjustments, this Sarasota-based clinic is committed to helping patients achieve better health by addressing the underlying causes of seizures.

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What the Research Says About Seizure Triggers and the Neck

Seizures arise from abnormal electrical activity in the brain, and the formal definition of epilepsy requires two unprovoked seizures more than 24 hours apart, or one seizure with high recurrence risk, or an epilepsy syndrome (Fisher et al., Epilepsia 2014). The neck is not an established cause of seizures, and we will not claim it is. Research on upper cervical chiropractic for seizure disorders is limited to case reports and small studies, with no controlled trial showing fewer seizures after atlas correction. A UK evidence report that reviewed manual therapies across many conditions rated the evidence for non-musculoskeletal conditions largely inconclusive or negative (Bronfort et al., Chiropr Osteopat 2010). Diagnosis, medication and trigger management stay with your neurologist, and nothing in our care should change that plan.

Where upper cervical care has a legitimate place is the head and neck trauma that so often travels with a seizure disorder. Falls during seizures can injure the neck, and neck pain after trauma is common, with about half of people still reporting it a year after a collision (Holm et al., Spine 2008). Headache is another frequent companion; upper cervical structures from C1 to C3 converge on the trigeminocervical complex, so irritation at the top of the neck can refer pain into the head (Bogduk & Govind, Lancet Neurol 2009). Reviewers propose spinal manipulation alters sensorimotor integration, how the brain processes input from the spine (Haavik & Murphy, J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2012). For those neck-related symptoms we image the atlas in 3D, make a correction that matches the images, and re-measure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does upper cervical care fit alongside seizure treatment?

Seizure disorders are diagnosed and managed by a neurologist, and every medication decision stays with that doctor. We do not treat seizures. What we do is correct the alignment of the atlas, which sits around the brainstem and affects how the nervous system regulates. Some patients with seizures carry an upper cervical misalignment from an old injury, and addressing it takes a source of ongoing stress off the nervous system. We measure the response with thermography.

What is the connection between the vagus nerve and the upper neck?

The vagus nerve exits the skull right beside the atlas. It is the main calming nerve of the body and plays a role in regulating brain activity, which is why vagus nerve stimulation is a medical treatment for some seizure disorders. When the atlas is misaligned, the vagus can be affected. Correcting the atlas addresses that relationship structurally. Thermography before and after each correction shows us how the autonomic system is responding.

What do you mean by addressing the root cause of seizures?

We mean looking at what else may be stressing the nervous system beyond the diagnosis itself. For many people that includes a head or neck injury years earlier that left the atlas misaligned. A 3D cone-beam CT shows the actual position of C1 and C2. If a misalignment is present, we correct it with a precise, low-force Knee Chest adjustment. If the upper neck is not involved, we say so and refer.

Will you coordinate with my neurologist?

Yes, always. We work alongside neurology, never in place of it, and we share imaging and thermography findings with your medical team on request. Your neurologist manages the seizure disorder and medication. We correct the upper cervical alignment and confirm with measurement that the nervous system is responding. Many patients notice changes in how they feel overall as the atlas holds its correction, though results vary by person and we never promise specific outcomes.

What happens at a seizure patient’s evaluation in Sarasota?

We take a detailed history, including any head or neck trauma, then image the upper cervical spine with 3D cone-beam CT and scan with paraspinal thermography. We explain the findings plainly and, if the upper neck is involved, outline an individual care plan. Our office is at 5899 Whitfield Avenue, Suite 107, Sarasota, minutes from Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton. We are cash-pay and provide superbills. Call (941) 243-3729 to schedule an evaluation.