“In late June, I decided to see Dr. Gallagher because of lower back pain that wouldn’t go away. I have been to Chiropractors on and off my entire life. (My mom’s a fan!) My aunt referred me to Dr. Gallagher. The first visit went great, but he evaluated me to see if my head was on straight. I went for lower back pain not my head. Dr. Gallagher explained that it starts with your head. Leaving a little apprehensive, I trusted Dr. Gallagher and after nine weeks of care I have:
My Head On straight
No Lower Back Pain
No Neck Pain
TMJ Pain Gone
More Energy
And, yes, my posture is better too!
I knew a chiropractor could help my aches and pains but it never occurred to me that my posture would improve too. I’m so thankful I stuck with Dr. Gallagher’s plan.”
– Tammy
“Before coming to see Dr. Gallagher I suffered constant headaches, pressure behind my left eye, and loss of movement on the left side of my face. Within days my headache had almost cleared and the frequency had also diminished. Three days after having the procedure done the pressure behind my left eye was gone. On the same day, I regained the facial movements that I had lost 3 months ago. I cannot sing enough praises for Dr. Gallagher and the work he does. I would recommend him to anyone who thinks relief cannot be obtained.”
-Darren
“When I was 16 I was in a car wreck and ever since then I had tension and uncomfortable feelings in my neck and shoulders. I heard about the atlas orthogonal technique and figured I’d give it a try. After Dr. Gallagher performed the procedure on me I immediately felt better. The tension in my neck subsided and the mobility increased. Thanks to this procedure my quality of life has increased.”
– Nathan
“My earliest memory of pain that lasted me well into adulthood started at 4 years old. A pain I experienced in my back when I would take deep, full breaths. Being in voice lessons during my high school years heightened that sensation. I always thought it was a reaction to taking those deep full breaths. As I have gotten older there are many “pains” that I have experienced that I thought were all just part of “getting older” but none of them were life-changing difficulties so I never pursued relief other than my own remedies.
Over the last several years I have watched my dad deal with excruciating neck and knee pain. He has done EVERYTHING (except Chiropractic) to help him deal with his pain. Medication, creams, injection, physical therapy. He has only gotten worse. I decided I did not want to end up in that kind of pain.
On my first appointment with Dr. Gallagher (on a Friday), I was adjusted in several spots including my neck, shoulders, and back. It felt amazing!!! On Saturday morning when I woke up, I was PAIN-FREE for the first time in my adult life! I laid in bed laughing. It was the most amazing feeling and the best decision I have EVER made in my life.
I have never believed in Chiropractic care before this. I thought it was a farce. I am now a TOTAL BELIEVER!
DO NOT WAIT FOR YOUR BODY TO HURT SO BADLY THAT YOU CAN NOT FUNCTION!!!!!! GET CARE FOR YOUR BODY!!!!!!
Dr. Gallagher, you have an amazing gift. You have changed my life.”
– Kim
“This chapter started on September 17, 2008, when I went to a church-sponsored Health Fair. I received a free assessment at [your clinic] so…I went and my life was changed by your skill.
I have spent years accepting a slow downward spiral that is usual for multiple sclerosis. This diagnosis has been hanging over my head for twenty years (since 1989). I had developed a lot of the handicaps and warning signs of MS. Once multiple MRI brain scans had confirmed the benchmark signs, I had resigned myself to that lifestyle. BUT…Once I learned that my head was eighteen degrees off, and Dr. Gallagher fixed that, I have a much brighter future! I walk without a cane and am looking forward to a trip to Hawaii. I hope to do some hiking with my son and grandchildren on the mountainous volcanic terrain. I will take pictures and bring some on my return.
Well, there is the short history of a life with MS and I am hoping I can convince the [local] MS self-help group to have Dr. Gallagher present a short program to the friends I have there. I know that many of them could benefit from new techniques to help deal with MS.
Again, I thank you for one of the greatest miracles of my life! Have a blessed holiday and I will see you in January.”
– Nancy
“Before the treatment, I was hit on the top of the head in football, pressing my head straight down. I had a headache since September 2015 and started seeing Patrick [Gallagher] on May 13, 2016. The headache would spike periodically. It would get so bad that I couldn’t do anything because of the pain. I tried about everything. I went to Duke Hospital, East Carolina University, and a [different] chiropractor. I took so many meds they gave me stomach pains. A friend recommended [atlas] orthogonal chiropractic because it helped her, so I tried it, and right after he [Dr. Gallagher] moved my atlas my headache basically disappeared. I think this is the only thing that worked to relieve my headaches.”
– Noah
“The trauma to my neck left it completely unable to lift or even hold my head up and [it] took several months to regain [the] strength to do so. Throughout the years, I suffered from head, neck, and body pain and the pain got progressively worse….Years of blood work, MRIs with and without contrast, CAT scans, neck, and spine x-rays revealed nothing.
The biggest changes started to happen shortly after that visit. I slept all night without taking a sleeping pill and did not wake up once. The most amazing thing was getting out of bed the next morning and not [needing] a pain pill.
My children have also benefitted from this because they have their mommy back. I am actively searching for employment again and feel so eager to return. That is something I thought was impossible.”
– Caroline
“I wish to express my gratitude and let you know how grateful I am that you were able to help me!
When I came to your office, I was at sixteen months of not eating foods that required any chewing and severe jaw pain. I had been to countless dentists, doctors, and clinics that tried to help me, but I was still not better. After all this time, I was taking many medications, narcotics, muscle relaxers, etc. Plus, receiving dental work and therapy with no relief. One week prior to coming to your office, I was in a very dark place and was desperate with God to please show me something that would help, and felt completely hopeless.
My friend Carrie recommended I see a chiropractor that specialized in the activator and the atlas, I very reluctantly agreed to go.
After just one treatment, I felt totally different! I left your office and slept wonderfully (I had not slept good in sixteen months or more!!!), I awoke to find my jaw pain completely gone and I can now eat regular food.
Praise God and thank you so much, Dr. Gallagher!!”
– Mary
“I have a son who has been plagued with ear infections all of his life. One hundred and twenty rounds of antibiotics, four sets of ear tubes, and two mastoidectomies have all contributed to the partial hearing loss in both of his ears. So I admit that I first visited Dr. Gallagher in an act of desperation, as I had read that chiropractic treatments often help kids with ear infections, as well as kids who have autism. Yes, my son has high-functioning autism, which, strangely, is frequently accompanied by high incidences of ear infections.
Over two years ago, after fielding my emotional phone call (after yet another ear infection diagnosis!), Dr. Gallagher agreed to open his office on a Saturday morning, when he x-rayed, examined, AND adjusted my son’s atlas. My son, who typically cannot describe his own physical state, moaned in relief and said, “Wow, I feel better!” I actually cried on the spot. Dr. Gallagher was very patient in working with my son, explaining to him how to not “pop” his neck, and teaching what he should and should not do to keep his neck and back in alignment. We saw Dr. G. several times afterwards, but then life went on. It took me about three months to realize that Carl did not have an ear infection, which was so unusual. Then another three months passed, but without ear infections! I could hardly believe that adjusting his atlas would so much affect my son, but it did.
Now, at age seventeen, my son has had only four infections in the past two years, which is unbelievable considering nothing could stop them before our treatments with Dr. Gallagher. He now will ask me to make an appointment when he feels that his neck is out of alignment!
I recommend this safe and effective treatment for any mother who is looking for another way of reducing her child’s ear infections!”
– Diane
“I began seeking help from Dr. Gallagher after an episode with optic neuritis which blurred my vision. I have Multiple Sclerosis and it was the second flare-up of optic neuritis I had experienced in less than one year. With the second episode of optic neuritis came a tingling in my feet that lasted eleven months. I also experienced headaches daily for years and would often wake up in the morning with a headache. I was desperate to find a natural approach to help with my symptoms.
My husband is a chiropractor so I was well aware of what wonderful things chiropractic care can do for a person. My husband suggested I see an Atlas Orthogonal practitioner. I had never been to an orthogonal chiropractor and was anxious to see if being adjusted by this technique could help my situation. My husband is very well aware of the profound effects that Atlas Orthogonal work can have in addition to full spinal care. He searched through his colleagues and Dr. Gallagher’s name was presented multiple times. So I set up an appointment quickly and from the moment I met Dr. Gallagher, I felt at ease. He is a very warm and compassionate person. He was excited to help me and I am so grateful for that. His office is relaxing and comfortable. This was a very stressful time in my life and I felt surrounded by people who were loving and willing to go above and beyond to help me.
After the second adjustment by Dr. Gallagher, I began to notice that my headaches had almost disappeared. I honestly can’t believe that I lived so long with such constant pain. Soon after I noticed the change in my headaches, I began to see an improvement in my vision. My eyesight was something I prayed about daily and the loss of my 20/20 vision had caused me much emotional distress. I truly believe that the lack of optimal nerve flow to my eyes was a major component in my headaches and optical neuritis. By the third month under Dr. Gallagher’s care, seventy-five percent of the tingling in my feet had disappeared. Although the tingling was not disabling, it was a very uncomfortable feeling and always noticeable.
I will be the first to admit I was not the easiest patient. I could not hold the adjustment at first so I had to make the drive to his office from my home more than two hours away a couple of times a week for the first two months. Dr. Gallagher never gave up hope that he could help me. I cannot tell you how thankful I am to Dr. Gallagher and all his help. He is a wonderful doctor and provides unbelievable service. Thank you for improving my health.”
– Melissa
“When I first came to Dr. Gallagher, I was having trouble turning my neck and rising to a standing position due to my hip mobility being slim to none in these circumstances. I also had trouble navigating stairs, having to hold on for dear life and do one step at a time due to balance issues. I had been on muscle relaxers for two years and had run out of my prescription and was in quite a bit of pain.
Dr. Gallagher has me walking with more ease, standing more upright, and I have no need for muscle relaxers. I previously was unable to sleep on my side, due to my neck locking or getting very nauseous if I stayed on my side for more than 30-60 seconds depending on my activity that day. It made even setting my alarm a challenge, even having to take breaks.
I am happy to say, I worked in my yard the last weekend. I even shoveled mulch! I also was able to lie on my side for five minutes! I only rolled over in fear of getting sick. I am very pleased and very thankful to have Dr. Gallagher and his expertise in taking the best care of me and am looking forward to being able to challenge myself further and get my life back to the appropriate level of activity!!! THANK YOU DR. GALLAGHER AND YOUR AWESOME STAFF!!
Prior to finding Dr. Patrick Gallagher, I had been suffering severe, debilitating headaches with vomiting. Medical doctors called my sickness “migraines.” These headaches were daily with little let-up in pain. Normally they lasted all day and night, approximately twenty-seven to twenty-nine days every month. This went on for approximately thirty years.
When the headaches were at their worst, I ended up in the hospital anywhere from three to five times a month being given oxygen, ice packs on my neck, a drug called Demerol and Morphine to stop the pain, and Phenergan to stop the vomiting. The drugs would stop the pain, but leave me so drowsy I could not function. In addition, as soon as the drugs wore off, the pain would occur again. I suffered through it and worked in pain, going into the restroom, vomiting, and then going back to work. Many days I could not work at all. When the “migraines” started in my twenties, I went to any medical doctor I thought could help me. I had CT scans, bio-feedback, epileptic testing, brain MRIs, and other tests too numerous to list. Strange, although the doctors tested me in so many different ways, they never took x-rays of my neck.
The doctors I saw prescribed every known migraine medicine to treat me. The only thing to cut the pain and allow me to function at all was Imitrex. This drug caused my heart to race and palpitate, and caused heaviness in my chest but yet it cut the pain, so I took it anyway. The headaches were so frequent, that the nine Imitrex pills that were the normal monthly dosage didn’t help much as there were more days in a month than nine. So, the doctors asked and received a waiver to up my monthly dosage to eighteen pills of Imitrex a month. That still left me with approximately twelve days where I lived in extreme pain.
About eight years ago, my cousin told me about Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic. I searched the Internet and found Dr. Gallagher. His office was two-and-one-half hours one way from my home, but I hoped he could help me.
Dr. Gallagher took x-rays of my neck and then showed me where my atlas bone was out of alignment thereby causing extreme pain. After Dr. Gallagher set my atlas bone back in place, the headache immediately left. It was simply amazing! For the first time in thirty years, I was without pain and it was without the use of pain medication!
Dr. Gallagher and the Atlas Orthogonal adjustments are my miracles from God. I now have a life free of prescribed pain medicines and one filled with absolute joy at being pain-free.
I highly recommend anyone who suffers from neck or joint pain, or headaches to go see an Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractor, as you may receive your miracle too!”
– Sandy
“Back in November of 2015, my back spasms and spinal stenosis had been reaching a new level of unbearable on a daily basis. It was getting to the point where getting up and sitting down was very painful and I was nearing the point of sweating due to pain all of the time. Something had to be done so I sought out a chiropractor. The reason being is that I wasn’t ready for seeking out a surgeon and medicinal treatment and intervention were starting to take their toll on me. With my Cerebral Palsy, I felt that traditional chiropractic visits would be difficult at best. My gait and wear on my body are different than most due to the spasticity and muscle tightness that I have. Up to this point, I had never heard of an AO so I was very interested in trying it out.
After the initial consultation with Dr. Gallagher, a treatment plan was put in place and for the most part, I have tried to follow it. I will be honest that trying to engage my core and actively keep my lower back in alignment is still work, even almost a year later. I do feel that the work that we have been able to accomplish has been beneficial. I do not rely on the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication as much and when a back spasm does start to present itself, I am able to head it off before it gets flared up too much and my recovery is much sooner. Now it is more like a day instead of three or four.
I am thankful for Dr. Gallagher’s work and determination to find a solution that is working for me. I feel that his work has been able to provide me with a more normal way of life that doesn’t involve as much medical intervention, I feel strongly that we are extending the usefulness of my body with the work that Dr. Gallagher has done and I am very appreciative of that.”
– Matthew
CASE STUDIES
This month’s testimonial is one of seven I brought to Atlanta to be included in the book being created by the Sweat Foundation. It’s stories like her, plus hundreds of others that Dr. Sweat and many others want to get out to the public.
“I woke up one morning in April of 2017 curled up like a squirrel tucking in for a cold winter with my neck exposed to the elements of a cold draft from the A/C vent. My body must have been in this position for quite some time for it was quite difficult to straighten up. It was near impossible to move my neck and my upper back muscles were screaming from tension. I hobbled about the day, attributing the pain as simply a ‘cold in the neck’. I went to a chiropractor and got some relief from the pinching in the middle of my back but overall still felt disjointed. I used arnica and lidocaine creams, a heating pad, a shiatsu pillow, a mini ‘TENS’ machine, and popped ibuprofen or aspirin hoping it would go away…
By November every injury I had ever done to my body seemed to explode to the surface. The pain consumed my whole muscle structure which in turn changed my easy-going disposition….
In April 2018 I happen to cross paths with Dr. Gallagher’s Chiropractic First PLLC booth at a local community day fair and purchased his book, “Is Your Head On Straight?” The book is well written with his personal experiences, simply put procedure/history description, patients’ stories, and body maintenance tips; not even getting through the fifth chapter, I felt this AO (Atlas Orthogonal) procedure was worth a try. Little did I know that this was the beginning of the knowledge and care I needed to begin the healing process.
The first visit Dr. Gallagher led me through a series of x-rays so that he could establish and study the coordinates for the adjustments. On the second visit, he then revealed to me the x-rays with a great amount of information regarding the distortion of my atlas and spine…in minute degrees! I have been going to chiropractors for years but nothing as so trigonometry accurate as this! Now he was ready for the detailed described procedure which for me was to lay on my side and for him to position my head and then the probe at just the right angle on the left side of my head where the atlas was tilting up. Within a second of the instrument did its job and I felt a “whoosh” at the top of my spine and the left side of my face felt warm as if a flood gate had opened up. I was amazed and ecstatically happy! I could finally move my head without pain! And it was done in a second!
After several other visits to correct the rest of my spine, hips, pelvic, shoulders, knees, jaw, etc (as I said, I was a train wreck!) I noticed one day as I walked through the store how absolutely effortless it was to hold my head up! My body was in a balanced stride and I felt happy. I also began remembering things such as when I walk into a room to get something and it was always, “What the heck am I in here for?” moments. I remembered when the atlas became misaligned which had been almost 40 years ago! and I feel as if I’ve been given back those years! I have gone through life with dyslexia and now my thought process is so much more crisp and clearer. Not only had Dr. Gallagher adjusted my body but also my attitude towards life.
Dr. Gallagher is a true artist in his profession, a compassionate and dedicated individual and I am privileged to have crossed paths with him. Thank you, Dr. Gallagher!”
– Anonymous
This month’s success story touches on an aspect of chiropractic care that I am thrilled to expound on. Sure we get people out of pain and dysfunction. Good examples are the Bell’s Palsy case we had earlier this year or many of the migraine headaches cases we have had the privilege of helping. Yet this patient is Diane N.
She began care at my clinic in Sept. of last year, essentially on the advice of her son. He was under the care of a good friend and colleague, Dr. Bill Macchi, one of the eight other BCAO doctors in NC. She just wanted to be well and healthy and with her son’s encouragement wanted to do that by getting her head on straight first. She shared today how she was able to pick up her granddaughters and had no “issues” with that. She visited them last year and of course, they were a year younger and lighter, yet her body couldn’t support picking up those kiddos without complaining. She was quite sore from displaying her grandmotherly love to her granddaughters. This year, with seven months of corrective care, she had no problem! Her body was in alignment able to meet her demands of being a good granny.
That’s it! Whether you’re in your forties and want to run your first marathon, as I did, or in your eighties and still want to play eighteen holes at the clubhouse, I truly enjoy helping people accomplish those goals. Some of my patients are teenagers who are stellar athletics and know the value of being in alignment for their best performance. It covers all aspects of life. Wherever you are in life, it is always better to be in alignment. To come to that level of understanding, of how chiropractic can enhance their life, not all of my patients have arrived at this level of understanding, yet it is my ultimate goal to educate all my patients of that valuable truth.
This month’s success story points out a belief that there are three events that can cause a subluxation; physical stress, emotional stress, and chemical stress. The following testimony points out the not often seen stress of chemicals.
“On January 2, 2018, I was in the ER with tons of pain and literally passing nothing but blood. The doctor diagnosed me with having an Intestinal Bacteria Infection, which steamed from the Food Poisoning I had in December 2017. The doctor gave me an antibiotic to take care of the Intestinal Bacterial Infection. In June I started hurting again. I was in pain every time I ate. The only time I wasn’t hurting was when I didn’t eat anything. I actually thought I had symptoms of a bad gallbladder. I went back to the ER and had CT Scan, MRI, Ultrasound, and then eventually I had a HIDA Scan and an Upper Endoscopy. All of the results came back normal and perfectly fine. The same day I had my Upper Endoscopy done, I asked my dad to take me to Dr. Gallagher. I went to Dr. Gallagher’s office around Friday, June 29, 2018, and my atlas was off! He fixed my atlas and by the next day, I felt like a new woman. I went back to him the next Monday, July 2, 2018, for a follow-up. He did some other minor adjustments and that was it. Ever since I went to Dr. Gallagher, with his help from God, I have felt like my old self again! It literally is life-changing and a miracle. I felt like I was going to die and possibly be diagnosed with a disease and now look at me! I am PAIN-FREE! I can eat again without having pain. I never realized that something so severe as food poisoning/bacterial infection could affect my atlas! Because my atlas was out my poor body and immune system could not heal themselves back. Once my atlas was put back in place, in seconds, I was healed! God is Good and Dr. Gallagher and his office is a blessing to our community!”
Her body wasn’t quite right. After five different studies, most likely costly also, from a number of different health care providers, they still didn’t know why it was not right. The bacterial infection was a large stressor to her body, so badly that the stress caused the lightest bone in her spine (the atlas ) to shift/subluxate. Then with her atlas insulting her brain stem, there’s no wonder she could not bounce back and be the dynamic young woman God has called her to be.
Our latest “long distant patient’ has come in from San Antonio TX. Upon reading my book, with family in the area, she gave us a chance at putting her head back on straight. She began to have migraines in ’95 and continued until January of this year. She was struck by a horse’s head as a 14-year-old and has had migraines since. Her symptoms were so bad she literally can’t function when they come on. She had vertigo, photophobia, audio phobia, vomiting and even a sense of taste would be enough to trigger a migraine headache. This migraine would happen every other day. Since she flew back to TX, early last month, she has only had three migraines. And a note from her said, “They are significantly less.” 1/23/18. She is due in for a visit later this month.