Through his travels, Gert Eriksson came into contact with both Western and Eastern healing traditions—knowledge that would later prove valuable when his wife Gunilla developed chronic pain in her thoracic spine. Methods such as chiropractic care and acupuncture helped to some extent, but the pain never fully disappeared.

Gert Eriksson is the founder of Atlaskotan.

When Gert and his wife, who had previously lived in Switzerland, were advised to try the ATLANTOtec method, they felt that after years of searching for a solution they had nothing to lose. After just a single treatment Gunilla experienced an improvement unlike anything she had felt in years, and the effect proved to be lasting.

Recognizing the potential of the method, Gert and Gunilla opened their own clinic in Stockholm in 2008 after completing internal training.

At first, they offered treatment to family and friends. However, as the results proved successful, word of the therapy spread quickly, and soon other therapists became interested in incorporating the treatment into their own practices. “Massage therapists in particular became interested, since they could handle very difficult problems with just two treatments,” says Gert. The business continued to grow, and today there are 13 clinics across Sweden where more than 20,000 people have been treated using the method.

Consumer Ombudsman Cuts Customer Base in Half

In early 2017, Atlaskotan was anonymously reported to the Swedish Consumer Ombudsman (KO) who prohibited the company from using words in marketing that refer to conditions such as headaches, migraines, dizziness, or pain in the neck and back. According to the Ombudsman, such terms require evidence in the form of scientific double-blind studies before they can be used.

However, the term “evidence” is not explicitly written into Swedish legislation and lacks a formal definition.

An old friend who worked as a senior physician at the Karolinska Institute offered Gert the possibility of conducting a double-blind study at a cost of 4.5 million SEK. But since such studies are designed for chemical pharmaceuticals rather than physical treatments, they are practically impossible to carry out.

“The Consumer Ombudsman demands scientific studies, but how would you perform such a study on massage therapy if the therapist isn’t allowed to know whether they are giving a real massage or a fake one? It becomes a Catch-22,” says Gert.

Once people could no longer easily find information about why they should seek treatment at Atlaskotan, the number of patients dropped by half, and the company once again had to rely largely on word-of-mouth.

At the same time, Expressen journalist Anna Bäsén launched a media campaign targeting around 20 alternative clinics with the stated aim of exposing what she described as “fraudulent methods,” and Atlaskotan was among those publicly criticized.

The Underlying Problem

When a muscle remains contracted for a prolonged period, it gradually shortens over time. This can result from poor working posture, prolonged sitting, or injuries at birth. The result is poorer posture and the development of pain and discomfort.

The top cervical vertebra, the atlas vertebra, is particularly vulnerable because the neck muscles are constantly under isometric strain. As a result, the vertebra may become asymmetrically positioned relative to the skull.

Before the treatment, a manual examination of the musculature and the ability to turn the head is carried out. Misalignments are also measured and documented. The examination is followed up after the treatment.

The body’s sense of balance signals that the head is tilted, but the correction often occurs through uneven loading of the rest of the body. This can create static tension in the neck, shoulders, thoracic spine, hips, gluteal muscles, or lower back. If such tension persists for many years, problems can arise.

A function in the spinal discs communicates through the fascia (connective tissue) with the brain to signal that the body should straighten when standing crookedly. However, when pain becomes too intense, this signaling system can shut down.

An imbalanced atlas vertebra may also create pressure on the vagus nerve, potentially affecting heart rate as well as the digestive system. Tension in the surrounding muscles may also influence blood flow to the brain through the carotid artery, which passes close to the atlas vertebra.

“When muscle tension decreases, ultrasound examinations have shown that blood flow to the brain can increase from 40 cm/s to 80 cm/s,” says Gert.

The Technique

The principle behind ATLANTOtec is to relieve muscle tension through deep relaxation, allowing posture to gradually return toward its natural alignment. The primary focus is on muscle groups around the atlas vertebra, but the treatment also includes muscles along the entire spine down to the hips.

AtlantoVib is used in pairs (two devices at the same time), so that additional frequency modulation is achieved. The frequencies are added to and subtracted from each other in such a way that vibrations of varying intensity and frequency arise. These change continuously, which means the muscles do not have time to get used to them—and therefore relax even faster.

Using a specially-developed instrument called AtlantoVib, physical vibrations are directed toward deep-lying muscles and ligaments. The depth and speed of the vibrations change automatically so that different muscles are brought into resonance.

By utilizing the muscle’s natural resonance rather than simply vibrating it, the method aims to achieve a highly effective and lasting relaxation that proponents say cannot be achieved with other techniques.

Studies and Experience

Between 2008 and 2009, the German Institute for Customer Satisfaction Analyses and Marketing conducted a questionnaire-based study of the ATLANTOtec method in Sweden and Switzerland on behalf of ATLANTOtec. A total of 504 individuals aged 16 to 84 participated.

The treatment always begins by warming up the muscles with infrared heat while the patient lies face down on a comfortable massage table.

More than 85% reported being completely or partially free from problems related to neck pain, headaches, and muscular pain. Over 70% reported becoming pain-free or experiencing a reduction in the intensity or frequency of pain in the shoulders, lower back, and hips, as well as reductions in dizziness, migraines, fatigue, sleep problems, tinnitus, depression, and digestive issues. The treatment appeared to have the strongest effect on migraine symptoms.

AtlantoVib devices are used in pairs—two instruments simultaneously—to create additional frequency modulation. The frequencies interact by adding and subtracting from each other, producing oscillations of varying intensity and frequency. These change continuously, meaning the muscles cannot adapt to them and therefore relax more quickly.

A Patient Association Provides Support

The association Friends of Atlaskotan was founded by a group of private individuals who had experienced positive results from ATLANTOtec treatment. On the association’s website, www.atlaskotan.info, patients describe how the method helped relieve issues such as chronic pain, headaches, tinnitus, and migraines.

In March 2018, the association conducted its own study among members and other individuals treated with ATLANTOtec at five different clinics. Of the 100 people who reported suffering from migraines or chronic headaches before treatment, more than 80% reported that their symptoms had either completely disappeared or improved within five to eight weeks.