Does this sound like you?
Common signs
- An ache at the base of the neck and across the top of the shoulders that worsens through the working day
- Tightness that eases on holiday or at the weekend and returns by Tuesday
- Headaches that begin at the back of the skull and wrap forward
- Reduced ability to turn your head fully to one side, or to check your blind spot when driving
- A rounded upper back and head that sits forward of your shoulders in photographs
- Tingling or pins and needles into the shoulder blade or arm
- Clicking or grinding when you roll your neck
This list describes the condition in general. It is not a diagnosis. Only an in-person assessment can tell you what is causing your symptoms.
What contributes to it
Why it happens
- Sustained forward head posture
- The further forward the head sits, the more work the muscles at the back of the neck do to hold it up. Screens set below eye level, laptops used without a stand, and long stretches on a phone all encourage that position, and the tissue adapts to whatever it is asked to do most.
- Static loading rather than movement
- Joints are nourished by movement. A neck held still for hours stiffens regardless of how good the posture is. A well-set-up desk still causes trouble if you never get up from it.
- Joint restriction in the upper neck
- When a segment of the neck stops moving properly, the ones around it take up the slack and become irritated. Restriction high in the neck is a common contributor to the headaches that accompany desk-related neck pain.
- Sleep and stress patterns
- An unsupportive pillow, sleeping on your front with the head turned, and the low-grade muscle guarding that comes with stress all keep the area loaded overnight, so it never gets a genuine rest period.
How we help
Our approach
We find the segment before we work on it
Your first visit follows the Gonstead six-step assessment: history, visualisation, instrumentation with the nervoscope, palpation, X-ray analysis where indicated, and only then an adjustment. Visualisation matters particularly here, because the level of your head, ears and shoulders tells us a great deal about how you are loading your neck before we have touched you.
Adjustment, delivered by hand
Once your chiropractor has identified which segment is restricted, the adjustment is specific to it and delivered by hand. They will explain what they found and what they intend to do before anything happens. If your chiropractor feels another healthcare provider would better help you, you will be referred appropriately.
Changing what caused it
Adjustments restore movement to a stiff neck. That gets undone fairly quickly if you spend another eight hours a day in the position that stiffened it. Alongside chiropractic we cover practical desk and screen height changes and movement breaks. Where the surrounding muscle is a factor, our physiotherapy side adds manual therapy or dry needling and a programme to build endurance in the deep neck and upper back muscles.
When to seek urgent care
See a doctor first if you have any of these
These need a medical assessment before you begin chiropractic care. If any apply to you, contact a doctor or go to the nearest emergency department.
- Neck pain following a fall, car accident, or any blow to the head or neck
- Numbness, weakness, or loss of grip strength in an arm or hand
- A sudden, severe headache unlike any you have had before
- Dizziness, visual disturbance, difficulty speaking or swallowing, or unsteadiness on your feet
- Fever, unexplained weight loss, or night pain that wakes you
- Loss of bladder or bowel control, or clumsiness and unsteadiness affecting both hands or legs
Frequently asked questions
What patients ask us
What is "tech neck"?
It is an informal term, not a medical diagnosis. It describes the neck and upper back pain that tends to accompany long hours looking down at a phone or a screen set too low. What we assess is the same as for any neck pain: which segments are moving poorly, and what in your day is keeping them that way.
Can chiropractic fix my posture?
No single approach changes posture on its own, because posture is largely a set of habits. Adjustments can restore movement to segments that have become restricted, which often makes a better position more comfortable to hold. The lasting change comes from your desk setup and from building endurance in the muscles that hold you upright. Your chiropractor will tell you honestly what is likely to change and what is not.
Is it safe to have my neck adjusted?
Neck adjustments are done by hand and only after the full assessment has established what is appropriate for you. Some presentations are not suitable for adjustment, and the assessment is there to catch that. Certain symptoms need medical review before any hands-on care. Tell us about any recent trauma, dizziness, arm numbness or severe headache when you book so we can screen for it.
How should I set up my desk?
The short version: top of the screen roughly at eye level, forearms supported, feet flat, and a laptop raised onto a stand with a separate keyboard. No setup is good enough to sit in for eight unbroken hours, though. Stand and move every 30 to 45 minutes. We will go through your own setup with you during your visit.
