Constantly cracking your neck to make it feel better?
If you spend the day stretching, rolling and cracking your neck and upper back just to get a few minutes of relief, it is probably worth having it properly assessed.
Calls and texts reach the chiropractor, not a call centre. Texts are usually answered the same day, even between patients.
One appointment. Here is what it covers.
- Your history, your work and how long this has been going on
- Assessment of neck, upper back and shoulder movement
- A plain language explanation of what we find
- Treatment on the day where appropriate
- Exercise and practical advice where relevant
Follow-up appointments $90. No packages, no lock-in plans, no paying upfront for future care.
You will probably recognise some of this
- Cracking or twisting your own neck several times a day, often without thinking about it.
- Rolling your shoulders or stretching your neck at your desk every twenty minutes.
- That spot between the shoulder blade and the spine that you keep trying to dig a thumb into.
- Leaning into a door frame, a tennis ball or a massage gun to get at the rhomboid area.
- Relief that lasts minutes rather than hours.
- Tightness that builds through the day and is at its worst by mid afternoon.
- Stiffness first thing in the morning, or after a long drive.
About the cracking
Plenty of people crack their own neck. We are not going to tell you it is dangerous or that you have been wrecking yourself, because that is not the point and it is not a useful thing to frighten people about.
The point is simpler than that. If you need to do it again twenty minutes later, the relief is not lasting. That's a good reason to have the neck and upper back properly assessed rather than just repeating the same cycle.
We also will not promise that treatment stops you doing it. What we can do is assess what is going on, explain it in plain language, and give you something more useful to work with than another stretch that lasts five minutes.
What may be looked at
Depending on your presentation, the assessment may consider some of the following.
Neck movement
How the neck moves in each direction, what feels restricted, and which movements bring your symptoms on.
Upper back movement
The mid and upper back contributes to how the neck moves, so it is assessed alongside rather than separately.
Shoulder movement
Shoulder and shoulder blade movement can be relevant to symptoms felt around the upper back and rhomboid area.
Muscular tension
Where the tension actually sits, how irritable it is, and whether it reproduces the symptoms you have been chasing.
Strength and control
Strength and control through the neck, upper back and shoulders may be relevant, and are assessed where appropriate.
Work and desk demands
What your day actually looks like, how long you sit or drive, and what you do repeatedly at work.
Training
Lifting, pressing, grappling or overhead work can all load the neck and upper back differently.
Previous injuries
Old whiplash, sporting knocks or long standing symptoms that never quite settled.
None of these are assumed to be the cause of your symptoms. They are things that may or may not be relevant to you. What actually applies in your case is worked out during the assessment rather than decided in advance.
What happens at the first appointment
You will know what we found and what we suggest before you leave.
We listen first
How long it has been going on, where you actually feel it, what makes it worse, what you have tried, and what your working day looks like.
Assessment
Neck, upper back and shoulder movement, along with anything else that may be relevant to your presentation. Orthopaedic, neurological and movement testing is used where appropriate.
Explanation in plain language
What we found, what we think is reasonable to do about it, and roughly how many appointments that usually involves. If we are uncertain about something, we will say so.
Treatment where appropriate
Hands-on treatment usually starts the same day where it is appropriate. What is used depends on your presentation rather than a set routine.
Exercise and practical advice
Exercise designed around your presentation, plus practical suggestions for the working day, the drive and your training where those are relevant to you.
If chiropractic is not the right approach, we will tell you
Neck symptoms have a lot of possible contributors and not all of them are chiropractic problems. If what we find suggests a GP review, imaging or a different practitioner would be more appropriate, we will say so at the first appointment.
We also will not book appointments you do not need. There are no treatment packages here, nothing is sold upfront, and when things are going well we say so.
What it costs
Clear pricing, no packages and no paying upfront for future appointments.
Questions people ask
Is cracking my own neck bad for me?
It is a very common habit and we are not going to lecture you about it. What matters more is that the relief does not last, which is a good reason to have it properly assessed. If you have specific concerns about it, raise them at your appointment and we will talk them through.
Will treatment stop me needing to crack my neck?
We cannot promise that. What we can do is assess what may be contributing to the stiffness and explain what we find in plain language. What happens from there depends on your presentation and what you are able to do between appointments.
I sit at a desk all day. Is that the problem?
It may be relevant, but it is not automatically the cause. Plenty of people sit at desks all day with no symptoms at all. Your work setup is considered alongside your movement, your training and your history rather than assuming one thing explains everything.
I get headaches with it as well.
Mention it at the appointment. Neck related symptoms and headaches are assessed together where relevant. If your presentation suggests a GP review or further investigation is more appropriate, we will tell you.
What does the first appointment cost?
The initial appointment is $140 and covers history, assessment, an explanation of what we find, treatment where appropriate and exercise advice where relevant. Follow-up appointments are $90.
Can I claim through my private health fund?
Yes. Health fund rebates are claimed on the spot via Tyro, so you only pay the gap on the day. Medicare CDM (EPC) referrals are also accepted.
Worth getting it looked at properly
Call or text and you will reach the chiropractor directly. New patients are welcome.
49 Bruce St, Bexley NSW 2207 · Get directions
Mobile: 0416 922 566 · Clinic: (02) 9587 3753