Neck Pain

Neck pain is increasingly common in our screen-heavy world, and it's one of the most frequent complaints after auto accidents. Whether it came from posture, a collision, stress, or simply years of wear, we look at how well the neck is moving and at the muscles working around it. Neck tension often travels, which is why it can show up as a headache or a sore shoulder.

Neck pain usually announces itself at an inconvenient moment. You go to check your blind spot merging onto I-35 and your head won't turn that far. You wake up on the wrong side of a pillow and spend the day swiveling your whole torso to look at people. Or nothing happens at all, and the stiffness just builds through the week until Friday afternoon feels noticeably worse than Monday morning. That last version is the one we see most in North Austin, where a lot of our patients spend the day at a screen. Your head weighs more than most people guess, and the further forward it drifts, the harder the muscles along the back of your neck have to work just to hold it there.

It's rarely only one thing, either. A week of deadlines, a couple of bad nights on the wrong pillow, and eight hours a day at a monitor stack up together, and the neck is where a lot of people carry the total. The other thing worth knowing is that the neck almost never works alone. The joints at the top of the neck, the muscles that run out into your shoulders and between your shoulder blades, and your jaw all share the load, so a problem in one shows up in another. That's why people describe neck trouble as a headache starting at the base of the skull, or as an ache between the shoulder blades. When we look at you, we look at the whole region rather than only the spot that hurts, and we'll ask about your desk, your sleep position, and how you carry a bag.

Care for the neck is more careful and more gradual than people expect from what they've seen online. We look first, and if what we find isn't something chiropractic should be handling, we say so and point you toward the right kind of doctor. When adjustments make sense, we explain each one before it happens and match the technique to you. There are gentler, low-force and instrument-assisted options for people who'd rather not have a traditional neck adjustment, and asking for one is a completely reasonable thing to do. Alongside that, we usually work on the soft tissue, give you a short set of exercises for the deep neck and upper back muscles, and go through the practical changes: monitor height, phone habits, your pillow, and how often you get up.

Our office is at 3407 Wells Branch Pkwy, Suite 625, in Wells Branch, North Austin, with parking right at the door, and the Chicoine family has been caring for people here since 1989. Dr. Shelly Hogan, D.C. and Dr. Nicole Edwards, D.C. are sisters, and they see patients from Wells Branch, Pflugerville, and the Tech Ridge area. Rosamaria at the front desk speaks fluent Spanish and can help you through the whole visit. In Texas you don't need a referral, so you can book online or call (512) 255-1777. If you're not certain your neck is a chiropractic problem, tell us what's going on when you call and we'll be honest about whether we're the right stop.