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TexStar Chiropractic

Neck Pain

Whether the neck pain is whiplash from a car accident or stiffness from a desk, a pillow, or a long drive, the chiropractor locates what is driving it. That includes arm tingling, headaches that start in the neck, and a care program built for you.

AustinBee CaveBudaDripping Springs / Belterra
Book your visitCall (512) 899-2228
Dr. John E. Jacobson adjusting a patient's neck

What it feels like

The Versions That Walk in Most

Neck pain is several different problems sharing a name. These are the ones the clinics see.
  • A tight band across the top of the shoulders by the afternoon
  • Turning your head to reverse the car being the worst movement
  • Waking stiff and blaming the pillow most mornings
  • Ache at the base of the skull that creeps toward a headache

Desk and Driving Patterns

A head that sits forward loads the lower neck and the muscles across the shoulders. Care may include an adjustment, a short decompression trial if a disc is suspected, and posture work so the change lasts past the parking lot.

Why the Mid-Back Gets Examined

The neck sits on top of the thoracic spine, and when that region stops rotating the neck makes up the difference every single day. A neck that keeps getting stiff again after treatment often has a mid-back that is not doing its share, which is where rehab tends to get added.

Arm Symptoms Change the Plan

Stiffness that stays in the neck is one problem. Tingling into the thumb or the little finger, or a grip that has weakened, is another. That second group gets nerve testing, and the tools considered shift toward cervical decompression rather than muscle work.

What to Expect from a Gentler Approach

Necks are frequently treated with less force than people expect, including drop-piece and instrument work. If the idea of a manual thrust to the neck bothers you, say so during the exam, because there are other ways to treat the same joint.

Symptoms That Change the Plan

Pain with fever, a severe headache unlike any you have had, or arm weakness needs medical screening before chiropractic treatment. Ordinary neck stiffness without those signs can start with the new-patient exam.

Neck Symptoms Needing Medical Assessment First

Do not book an adjustment for these. They need screening before any hands-on treatment.

  • The worst headache of your life, arriving suddenly
  • Neck pain with fever and a stiff neck you cannot flex
  • Dizziness, slurred speech, double vision, or trouble swallowing
  • Weakness or clumsiness in both hands
  • Neck pain that started with a crash, fall, or blow to the head

Where

Available at all four clinics

Same offer and same phone number at every office. Name the clinic you want when you book.

First visit

What the First Visit Includes

One appointment covers the consultation, exam, one trial treatment, and a findings review.
See what the first visit includesBook your visit

Questions

Common Questions

Answers from the chiropractors. Anything specific to you is for your doctor, not a web page.
Is whiplash treated the same way as other neck pain?

No. A crash is a different history. Tell the clinic the date of the collision so the exam starts from that.

Is it safe to have my neck adjusted?

The chiropractor screens for the findings that would rule it out before treating, and can use instrument or drop-piece methods instead. Raise any concern during the exam so the technique is chosen with you.

What pillow should I use?

The one that keeps your head level with your spine in the position you actually sleep in, which differs for side and back sleepers. The chiropractor can look at this with you rather than recommending a product blindly.

Why do my shoulders hurt when the problem is my neck?

The muscles across the top of the shoulders attach to the neck, and the lower neck refers pain into that area. It is a common pattern and does not mean you have two separate problems.

Can a bad workstation really cause this?

A screen that is too low or a mouse too far away holds your head forward for hours at a time. That sustained position is usually a contributor rather than the sole cause, and it is worth fixing either way.

Keep reading

Related Pages

The treatments the chiropractor may reach for, and the conditions that overlap with this one.

Founder

Dr. Michael P. Henry, DC

Dr. Henry founded TexStar Chiropractic in 2011. He grew up in Manchaca, studied kinesiology at The University of Texas, and was appointed to the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Your visit is with the chiropractor at the clinic you choose.

Get to the Root of Your Pain

The consultation, the exam, one trial treatment, and a review of what your doctor found, in a single appointment.

Book your visitCall (512) 899-2228