About Dr. Shelley
Small-Town Roots.
World-Class Precision.
Dr. Shelley Lorenzen didn't choose NUCCA chiropractic. NUCCA chose her, at a conference in Chicago, in 2003, when she witnessed something that contradicted everything she'd been taught about the spine. That moment redirected her entire career.
The Journey to Your Atlas
Shelley Lorenzen grew up in Colfax, Wisconsin, a town so small it has no stop signs, more cows than people, and exactly the kind of childhood that produces distance runners and people who don't quit. She was a three-sport athlete through high school: cross country, basketball, and track.
She studied biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where the question shifted from "what does a body do?" to "what prevents it from doing what it should?" That question led her to Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, the birthplace of chiropractic itself.
But the real turning point came in 2003, at a chiropractic conference in Chicago. A NUCCA practitioner demonstrated how a single, gentle correction to the atlas vertebra, the C1, the ring-shaped bone where the skull meets the spine, could realign the entire body. No cracking. No force. Just precision.
Dr. Shelley was hooked. She pursued advanced NUCCA certification and in 2006 moved to Austin, Texas, joining Back N Balance, where she spent the next 19 years mastering the technique. Thousands of patients. Thousands of X-rays. Every atlas is different, and she's seen them all.
In 2025, she took the leap. Top Atlas Chiropractic was born: her own solo practice, her own vision, her own way. A place where every patient gets the time, attention, and precision they deserve.
Beyond the Office
The Whole Person Behind the Practice
Dr. Shelley has been a fitness instructor at The Lagree Studio in Austin for over seven years. She practices what she preaches: alignment isn't just spinal, it's how you move through life.
At home, you'll find her yellow lab Arjen (named, yes, after a Dutch footballer), 16 chickens with more personality than most people, and 3 ducks who answer to nobody.
She runs Austin's trails, teaches strength with precision, and spends her professional life keeping athletes performing, runners on the road, and everyday people out of pain. If your body has been telling you something is off but nobody can find it, Dr. Shelley might be the one who finally listens.
Ready to Meet Dr. Shelley?
Your first visit is 90 minutes of focused, personalized care. X-rays, analysis, and your first gentle NUCCA adjustment.
Schedule Your First Visit