Neck Pain
Neck pain
Your neck is the most mobile part of your spine, and it carries a lot.
It holds up your head, moves constantly and responds quickly to stress, so it's no surprise that neck pain is one of the most common reasons people come to see us. The upper neck is also closely connected to your jaw, your head and your nervous system, which is why neck pain often comes with headaches, jaw tension or poor sleep. In our experience, focusing on the painful area without looking at the strain that caused it misses half the picture.
What neck pain can look like
Stiffness in the neck or shoulders, especially after sleeping
Difficulty turning your head, or pain when you do
Aching at the base of the skull, sometimes spreading into headaches
Pain, tingling or heaviness spreading into the shoulder or arm
Neck pain after a car accident, a fall or a sporting knock
Tension that builds through the day at a desk, on a phone or behind the wheel
What can contribute
Posture, desk and screen set-ups, long drives, old injuries including whiplash, overuse and stress all play a part. When you're under strain, many people hold their shoulders up and their neck tight without noticing. Over time those muscles tire and become sore, and the neck can feel stiff and restricted.
How we work with it
Spinal Somatics is a gentle, precise approach to chiropractic that uses quite light, brief contacts to work with your nervous system to release the tension in your spine and body. For neck pain, we pay particular attention to the upper neck and how it works with the rest of your spine, even all the way down to your pelvis. There are no forceful techniques involved, which many people with a sore neck find reassuring.
We also look at how you hold tension and how you breathe, because both affect how your neck feels. For example, poor breathing often means the muscles at the front of your neck overwork and hold tight, rather than your breathing being mostly from your diaphragm. See also [Jaw pain and TMD] and [Headaches].
Honest advice
We explain what we're finding and what we recommend. It’s not routine for us to refer you for x-rays or scans but if we think it is necessary we’ll discuss it with you. If for any reason we think you’d be better suited seeing another practitioner for your problem we’ll happily refer you for another opinion.
What your first visit looks like
We start by listening: when the neck pain started, what makes it better or worse, and what else is going on, including headaches, sleep and stress. We check how your neck and upper back move, then explain what we find and what we recommend. Your first visit is typically 1 hour, and regular visits are around 15 minutes.
Common questions
Is it safe to have my neck worked on? Yes. Our contacts are quite light and brief, and we adapt them to you. There are nor forceful or uncomfortable techniques used. We explain what we're doing and you can ask us to ease off at any point.
Can I come after a car accident or whiplash? Yes, we only use very gentle, low-force techniques, but if you have severe pain or unusual symptoms after a recent significant accident or trauma (severe headache, weakness, trouble walking, sudden dizziness, etc) please seek medical assistance by calling 000.
Meet Dr Stephen Foster [here]