Critical Atlas Adjustment Helps Neck Pain & Stiffness! What is the critical atlas adjustment? For those of you new to my socials, I will explain the critical atlas adjustment here. When I say the patient has a critical atlas, it means that there is an atlas (C1) misalignment on one side and there is an opposite misalignment of C2. Basically, C2 has an opposite wedge to C1. In the gonstead method, the way we adjust the atlas is on the side of laterally, the side of the open wedge. It is a lateral