--Andrew Persky, DC, founder of LifeAligned Upper Cervical Chiropractic

Andrew Persky, DC, founder of LifeAligned Upper Cervical Chiropractichas a unique background that shows the promising results that are possible when engineering meets chiropractic.

When and why did you go into such a specialized field as upper cervical chiropractic?

I came to chiropractic later in life than many doctors. I had a 20-year background in computer-based image analysis and robotics, worked for the world’s leading developer of this technology, and was awarded a patent for my method of determining the orientation of three-dimensional (3D) objects based on two-dimensional (2D) images.

I always wanted to be a doctor, though, and my passion for helping people didn’t diminish over the years. When the opportunity presented itself for me to train in the healing arts, I took the leap.

In chiropractic there is nothing more powerful or potentially life-changing than restoring proper alignment of the joint between the head and neck, also known as the upper cervical region. And yet, very few chiropractors choose to do this work because it requires a lot of specialized equipment and training. But for me it feels like I’ve found my true calling: Upper cervical work involves determining the three-dimensional orientation of the head and its alignment with the first bone in the neck, C1, based on 2D imaging. It is the perfect marriage of my expertise and a skill that can make a huge difference in the lives of people in chronic pain.

How do your treatments differ from traditional chiropractic?

It’s completely different. I use a precisely aligned 2D digital x-ray system and computer software to determine if a patient’s head is improperly aligned with the top of their neck and to calculate exactly how to fix it. There is no guesswork. The treatment itself doesn’t involve any twisting or cracking of the neck and can be literally life-changing—there’s a lot of anatomy up there, including the brain, brain stem and the origin of every major nerve of the central nervous system, all of which can be affected if a person has a misaligned head.

Who do you see as your typical patient?

My patients often have lived years, sometimes decades, with headaches, dizziness, neck pain, brain fog, spinal pain or some type of neuropathy. There are so many people living every day on opioids and other drugs. I feel driven to help those people, and to share the message that for many of them a safe, gentle alternative is available.

Location: 1432 Easton Rd., Ste. 4A, Warrington. For more information, call 215-491-4200 or visit LifeAlignedHealth.com. Search “Dr. Andrew Persky” on Facebook or YouTube to view a personal video. October 2017