Neck pain. Usually the neck, often the upper back too.

Stiffness, limited turning, a knot at the base of the skull, pain that runs into the shoulder blade or down an arm. The neck is where desk work, phone posture, driving and poor sleep all show up first.

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Your first visit
  • History and hands-on exam first
  • X-ray on site, only when the exam calls for it
  • A plain-language explanation and a plan, or a referral

What to expect →

Sound familiar?

What neck pain usually feels like.

  • Stiffness and reduced turning, especially checking a blind spot
  • Pain or burning between the shoulder blades
  • Headaches that start at the base of the skull
  • Pain, tingling or numbness running into the shoulder or arm
  • Waking up with a 'crick' that lasts days
  • Grinding or clicking with movement

What's usually going on

The mechanics behind it.

The neck has seven vertebrae and more range of motion than any other part of the spine. It pays for that mobility with less stability, so it relies on the upper back and shoulders to share the load. When the upper back stiffens, which it does in nearly everyone who sits for a living, the neck compensates and the lower neck joints wear.

Most neck pain is joint and muscle. Some of it involves a nerve, which is when you feel it in the arm. The exam sorts those out, and it also tells us whether the neck is the problem or just where the problem shows up.

How we treat it at Borealis

Find the cause. Treat it. Keep it from coming back.

1

Find the cause

We examine the neck, upper back and shoulder girdle as one system, test the nerves if there are arm symptoms, and take X-rays on site when your history calls for it.

2

Treat it

Specific adjusting to the restricted segments, often including the upper back. Instrument and low-force techniques are available for anyone who prefers not to have the neck adjusted by hand. Massage and cold laser address the muscle guarding and inflammation around it.

3

Keep it from coming back

Screen height, sleep position and a few upper-back mobility drills do more than any device you can buy. We'll show you the two or three that fit your pattern.

Services involved ChiropracticMassage therapyMLS cold laserPhysiotherapy & rehab

Questions

What people ask about neck pain.

Don't see yours? Call and ask. The front desk will get you an answer or put you through to a doctor.

Do you have to crack my neck?
No. Manual adjusting is one option. Instrument-assisted and low-force techniques work well for the neck and are what many patients choose. Tell your doctor your preference and it will be respected.
Why does my arm tingle?
Nerves that run to the arm exit between the vertebrae in the neck. Irritation at that exit, from a disc, a swollen joint or tight muscle, is felt along the nerve's path. The exam locates where, and that decides the treatment.
Can a pillow fix this?
It can help maintain progress but it rarely fixes an established problem. Get the joints moving first; then the right pillow keeps them that way. Your doctor can tell you what to look for in one.
Is it from my phone?
Often, partly. Looking down at a phone puts several times the head's weight through the lower neck. It isn't the whole cause, but it's usually the thing keeping it from healing.

Describe it. We'll figure out the rest.

Call and talk to Dawn at the front desk, or walk in Monday through Thursday. You'll leave your first visit knowing what's going on.

Call (715) 748-4433 Get directions