The Movement Doc of Texas
Neck Pain Treatment in New Braunfels, TX
Neck pain, stiffness and the headaches that come with it are usually a movement and load problem, not something you have to live with or crack back into place every week.
- 90-minute first visit
- No referral to start
- Plan the same day
Most neck pain is not dangerous, and most of it improves. What keeps it coming back is a neck that has lost motion, an upper back that has stiffened, and neck and shoulder muscles that are tired long before the day is over. All of those can be measured and trained.
What We See Most
The common patterns, and what each one behaves like.
Stiffness and pain turning your head to check a blind spot. An ache at the base of the skull that builds through a day at a desk and becomes a headache by the afternoon. Pain between the shoulder blades. Pain that spreads into the shoulder or down the arm. A sore neck after a lifting session, a long drive or a night in an awkward position.
Arm pain, numbness and tingling behave very differently from local neck stiffness, and testing tells us which one we are dealing with before any treatment starts.
Frequently involved
- Mechanical neck pain and stiffness
- Neck-related (cervicogenic) headaches
- Upper back and shoulder blade pain
- Pinched-nerve type arm pain (cervical radiculopathy)
- Whiplash and neck strain
- Desk and posture-related neck pain
The Assessment
What a 90-minute first visit actually covers
History that matters
How it started, what it does across a day, and whether there are arm symptoms, dizziness or headaches. Some of those answers change the plan, and a few mean we refer you on first.
Screening for safety
Nerve testing, strength and reflexes in the arms, and screening for the rare signs that need medical attention. Most people clear this quickly, and it matters that it is done.
Motion and the upper back
Neck rotation and extension, and the thoracic spine below it. A stiff upper back makes the neck do more of the work, and it is one of the most common reasons neck pain lingers.
Measured strength
Deep neck flexor endurance, plus shoulder and shoulder blade strength measured with VALD dynamometry and compared side to side.
A program you leave with
A short set of exercises you can do at a desk or in the gym, and specific changes to the positions and training that are aggravating it right now.
Treatment
Restore motion, then build a neck that can handle the day.
Hands-on joint mobilization for the neck and upper back often gives quick relief from stiffness, and dry needling through the upper trapezius and the muscles at the base of the skull can reduce the tension behind neck-related headaches. Those early changes make the exercise easier; they do not replace it.
What keeps the pain from coming back is endurance and strength through the neck, upper back and shoulders. That is trained progressively in our full facility, including on the Iron Neck, a resistance harness that loads the neck through rotation and in every direction rather than front-to-back only, alongside practical changes to how you set up your desk, drive and sleep, and how you train overhead and pulling work. Instrument-assisted soft tissue work is used where tissue sensitivity is limiting motion.
Getting started
A 90-minute evaluation is $185. You leave with a plan the same day, not a follow-up appointment to hear the results.
In-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, out-of-network with superbills for other plans, HSA and FSA accepted. Details on the pricing page.
FAQs
Common questions
Is it safe to have my neck treated?
Yes, when it is assessed first. We screen for the rare signs that need medical review before any hands-on treatment, and the approach is chosen to suit you. Many people do well with gentle mobilization and exercise alone, and no one is manipulated who is not comfortable with it.
Can physical therapy help with headaches?
It can help headaches that come from the neck, which typically start at the base of the skull, build with sustained postures and change with neck movement. Testing helps tell those apart from migraine and other headache types, and if yours do not fit, we tell you and point you to the right provider.
Should I get an MRI for my neck pain?
Usually not at the start. Age-related changes on neck imaging are very common in people with no pain at all. Imaging is useful when there is significant weakness, worsening nerve symptoms or a history of trauma, and we help arrange the right referral when that is the case.
Do you take my insurance?
We are in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield. For all other insurers we are out-of-network: you pay at the time of service and we provide a CMS-1500 superbill to submit for possible reimbursement. HSA and FSA cards are accepted.
Do I need a referral for physical therapy in Texas?
Not to get started. Texas Direct Access lets you begin physical therapy without a physician referral for the first month of care. After that month a referral is required to continue, and we coordinate with your provider to get one.
Ready to turn your head without thinking about it?
Start with a free 15-minute consultation, or book the evaluation and get an answer the same day.
“Cannot recommend Alisha enough! I couldn’t move my neck last week after sleeping wrong, and she helped get my range of motion back so I could train in jiujitsu again. She’s the best!!”
— Christopher R., Google review
- Doctors of Physical Therapy
- Board-certified orthopedic specialists
- Fellowship-trained in manual therapy
- $185 evaluation · every price published