Dr. Payton Ely, D.C

In 1990, after experiencing tight muscles and spasms in my neck, along with sinus issues, I was referred by a friend to an upper cervical chiropractor in Orange County. I didn’t know anything about chiropractors, let alone upper cervical chiropractors. I have two degrees from Stanford University and my MBA from UC Berkeley. I worked in conventional medicine, developing medical devices for angioplasty and minimally invasive surgery. After being X-rayed by Dr. Alvin Dettloff, I subsequently learned that I was missing the posterior ring of my C-1 vertebra. Dr. Dettloff said my condition was rare, but he thought he could adjust me. After analyzing my X-rays, he came up with an adjustment pattern and tapped on my atlas, or C-1 vertebra, with an instrument which delivered about 6 to 8 lbs of force. Immediately, after the adjustment, my muscles relaxed and my sinuses drained. Dr. Dettloff told me “you’ll sleep like a baby tonight.” In fact, I had so much energy, I felt like I’d had multiple cups of coffee - without the jittery side effects of caffeine. I held the first adjustment for one month and I went to Dr. Dettloff for 25 years, until he retired in January of 2015. For the past 11 years, I’ve been searching for a chiropractor who could provide the same results as Dr. Dettloff. I’ve tried different upper cervical chiropractic techniques, from hand adjusting (NUCCA) to adjusting with an AO instrument, which delivers sound waves to the C-1 vertebra. The NUCCA adjustments made me feel markedly worse and I usually held the AO adjustments for one week, on average. None of the chiropractors I saw were able to deliver consistent, sustainable results. In short, I’ve felt miserable for over a decade. I was recently led to Drs. Dawn and Payton Ely at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Rancho Bernardo. They X-ray the neck from three different planes to come up with the adjustment pattern. And, they then tap on the C-1 vertebra with an instrument with has light force, which is referred to as “orthospinology”. Dr. Payton X-rayed me on Monday, March 2, 2026 and I’m returning to see him on Thursday, March 5, 2026 for my adjustment. I’m relieved - I believe I’ve finally found one of the best upper cervical chiropractic offices in the San Diego area. I should also mention that their rates are very reasonable compared to other upper cervical chiropractors and they are willing to book appointments at times during the week that accommodate one’s schedule.

Dr. Dawn and Dr. Payton at Family First Chiropractic have been completely life changing for me. I have had low-back pain for 15 years - primarily sciatica from multiple disc herniations (l4/l5 and l5/s1). I have seen many chiropractors over the years, and while they provided short term relief, none of them ever talked to me about what is happening with my disc herniations and how to truly address the underlying issue. Drs. Dawn and Payton take a much more long-term healing approach and help you to understand what is going on and how to correct it. They are also the only chiropractor that I’ve seen who will talk x rays and customize your approach and adjustments to your x-ray - it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all approach. They are also very gentle in their approach - there is no harsh cracking or manipulation - they only use the activators to do adjustments. Over the last year I have been getting adjustments and also doing decompression therapy - when I started, I was at the end of my rope and considering surgery as my only alternative due to my pain and inability to function as a mom of two kids. Dr. Dawn helped me to realize that true healing of the disc herniations can happen without surgery and it’s possible to get my life back again. I’m incredibly grateful to both of them - I have almost no back pain anymore, which is incredible considering I started at a 10 out of 10 on the pain scale. I am able to have my life back in a way that I haven’t had for years. My 10 year old son has also been getting treated at Family First Chiropractic and has seen great results. Dr. Payton does a great job with the kids and helps them to feel at ease while also helping them to understand why he is adjusting them. They are also helping my father with recovery from traumatic brain injury that caused a TIA last year, and the results have been amazing with him as well. If you’re looking to avoid back surgery and to find a way to truly heal your spine and support overall wellness, Drs. Dawn and Payton are the best option out there.

Dr. Dawn and Dr. Payton quite literally changed my life in 2025. I came in January with a fully herniated C5/C6 disc and could barely move. From day one, they had a clear plan to fix me, and they followed through 100%. It takes time, but I am back, pain free, no weakness, and able to do everything I could before the injury. Y’all are truly amazing 🙌 Highly recommended!!

I’m on my third treatment and I must say I still feel like I am NOT being treated like a number. So often after an initial introduction/evaluation in a professional office, the attentiveness and initial interest in a person wears off, and you begin to feel like a number. This is definitely NOT the case with Mary at the front office or Dr. Payton. I am treated like I am the only one on their radar at that moment.

Family First Chiropractic in Rancho Bernardo is an amazing wellness center. Dr Payton was extremely professional and supportive. I’m so thankful to have found such an impressive place. I feel very confident that they are going to take excellent care of me. Thank you Dr Payton and staff.