Neck pain

How common it is

The neck is built to be mobile so we can look in every direction, and that mobility is part of why it complains. Strains from sustained postures, trauma and arthritis are described as the most common causes of neck pain. ^[1]

It also sits inside the broader picture of back problems in Australia, which cover the cervical spine as well as the lower back. ^[2] Many people come to us after months of managing it with heat packs and stretches.

What can be behind it

Seven small vertebrae carry the weight of the head through a narrow column, with joints at the back of each level that guide rotation. When one or two of those joints stop gliding, the muscles around them tighten to protect the area and the whole neck feels locked.

Nerve roots leave the spine between those levels, which is why irritation in the neck can be felt in the shoulder, arm or hand rather than in the neck itself. Sustained sitting and working with the shoulders slouched and the chin poking forward adds load to the same joints and muscles. ^[1]

• One or two cervical levels that will not glide
• Muscle guarding after a strain or an awkward night
• Nerve root irritation felt down the arm
• Screen and desk load carried through the day

How we assess it

We start with what you can and cannot do: which directions are limited, what makes it sharper, whether anything travels into the arm. A neurological screen checks reflexes, strength and sensation when symptoms are running past the shoulder.

The Gonstead cervical examination is hands-on. Heat readings taken down both sides of the spine, then static palpation for swelling and tenderness, then motion palpation level by level while you move. If any of that raises a question imaging can answer, we explain why before an X-ray is taken.

What care looks like

Cervical adjusting is a small, specific contact rather than a general twist of the whole neck. You are positioned so only the level being worked on is taken to tension, which is the part of the Gonstead approach I value most in this region.

We also ask about your desk setup, pillow and time spent sitting. Progress is reviewed at each visit and the plan changes with the findings.

When to seek urgent care

We are not an emergency service. If you have loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the saddle area, weakness in both legs, or pain after a serious accident, call 000 or go to an emergency department.