A POTS chiropractor in Royal Oak looks at the nervous system, not only the heart. At Van Every Family Chiropractic Center, we explain POTS as a body holding layers of old stress, and our whole approach is helping the body know it's safe to let go of tension it doesn't need anymore.
Why does standing up become one demand too many?
The system that adjusts your body to gravity is run from your brainstem, and we said it struggles when it is busy holding old protection. The brainstem sits right where your brain meets your upper neck, and your neck and upper back are where we said the old tension builds up.
When that system is reading threat all the time, even when there isn't one, standing up does not get a quiet automatic adjustment. We described it this way: "It hits the alarm, the adrenaline floods in, and your heart races to cover it."
We also walked through the official criteria for POTS and dysautonomia. Your heart rate jumps 30 or more beats when you stand. Your blood pressure doesn't drop. It lasts three or more months. And the heart test, the blood work and the scans come back normal, because nothing is broken with those systems themselves. We see every one of those criteria as a body in protection mode.
How do layers of stress build up before the first symptom?
Each stressful event adds a layer, and the layers stack, often for years before the first symptom shows up. We put it this way: "Layers of old stress stuck in the body just waiting on permission to let go."
The list we shared is long: a stressful pregnancy, a hard birth with forceps, a vacuum, a c-section or a long labor, early childhood stress or illness, a concussion, a fall, a car accident, a surgery, mono, Lyme, COVID, grief, burnout and years of running on empty. We think of it like a stress bucket. Even when your body isn't actively thinking about those layers, they take up processing power, and when the bucket is full there is less room left to adapt to everyday life.
Many people can point to the moment it all started, and we said that moment is real and it matters. We told them research shows COVID roughly doubled the risk of developing POTS. But in our experience, "the event is usually the last straw, not the whole story."
We added that hypermobility shows up a lot with POTS. In one study, about one in three people with POTS met the criteria for hypermobile EDS. Looser joints and connective tissue mean the nervous system does more of the bracing, and more bracing means more of the system stuck in protection.
What does a POTS chiropractor in Royal Oak measure first?
We measure before we adjust, because we don't guess. Our insight scans are safe, with no radiation and nothing invasive.
- Heart rate variability shows how much fuel is in your nervous system's tank, and whether you're stuck on the gas, the brake or in the Goldilocks zone of adaptability.
- Thermography shows what your nervous system is working on right now and how long it has been working in that area.
- Surface EMG shows how those layers of tension are being held.
We re-scan through care so that you and our doctors can monitor the progress, and the scans give us a picture that the usual tests don't.
What is a gentle adjustment like?
It is different from what most people picture. We use no cracking, no popping and no twisting, and our contacts are very specific and very gentle. Learn more about our gentle chiropractic and the nervous system basics behind it.
We give the nervous system information instead of forcing it around. Our doctors look for where your body is ready to let go, and the body's way of saying yes is a temporary balancing of the spinal musculature, which we verify with the balancing of the legs or occiput. "We only ever adjust where the body says yes" and then we gently engage that tension in the direction it already wants to unwind.
We told families that it happens layer by layer, and that sometimes an old feeling comes back up for a little while. People say, "I haven't felt like this in years." We see that as the body getting a chance to unpack something it has been holding. We shared that our POTS patients typically notice standing up getting easier, the heart rate settling down faster, and more energy, better sleep and calmer digestion. Our three doctors see adults and children.
What does getting started look like?
Getting started takes two visits. On your first visit, we sit down and go through your whole story, everything that is taking up room in that stress bucket, and then we run your insight scans. They're non-invasive and there's no radiation.
On your second visit, we go over the report of findings, tie the scans to your story and lay out a care plan built custom for you or your child. You also have the opportunity for that first gentle adjustment. Families come to our Royal Oak office from Troy, Ferndale, Berkley and Madison Heights.
Our message to everyone living with POTS is this: "You're not broken. Your body is still protecting you and it's waiting on the signal that says it's safe to let go." Call or text (248) 616-0900 or book online and we will help your body know it's safe to let go.
Frequently asked questions
What does a POTS chiropractor in Royal Oak do at the first visit?
At the first visit we go through your whole story, then run insight scans: heart rate variability, surface EMG and thermography. They're non-invasive and there's no radiation. On your second visit we go over the report of findings, lay out a care plan built custom for you or your child, and offer a first gentle adjustment.
Does the adjustment involve cracking or twisting?
No. We use no cracking, no popping and no twisting. Our contacts are very specific and very gentle, and we adjust only where the body says yes, which we verify with the balancing of the legs or occiput. We give the nervous system information instead of forcing it around.
Why do the heart tests and scans come back normal in POTS?
We said they come back normal because nothing is broken with those systems themselves. The regulatory system is what is stuck. We see a body in protection mode that hasn't received the message that it's safe to let go of stress from the past that is no longer a threat.
Do you see children with POTS symptoms in Royal Oak?
Yes. Our care plans are built custom for you or your child, and all three of our doctors see babies and children as well as adults at our Royal Oak office. To ask about your family, call or text (248) 616-0900.
