Neck Pain
Neck Pain Care in Grand Junction, CO
Neck pain rarely stays in the neck. It shows up as restricted turning, tension into the shoulders, and headaches that arrive by mid-afternoon.
Understanding
What Is Neck Pain?
The cervical spine carries the weight of the head through a wide range of motion, which makes it sensitive to both sustained posture and sudden loading. Pain there can come from joints, muscles, ligaments, or the discs between vertebrae.
Because nerves from the neck travel into the shoulders and arms, symptoms are not always felt where the problem is.
Symptoms
Common Symptoms & Experiences
Difficulty checking a blind spot, stiffness after a night's sleep, aching between the shoulder blades, tension headaches, and occasionally tingling into an arm or hand.
One patient at this practice described neck pain severe enough that her forehead would spasm, a reminder that neck symptoms often extend beyond the neck itself.
Contributors
Potential Contributing Factors
Long hours at a desk or windshield, phone and screen posture, prior whiplash or sports injuries, sleeping position, stress-related muscle guarding, and degenerative changes with age.
Symptoms that developed after a motor vehicle collision deserve prompt evaluation.
When to be seen
When Additional Medical Evaluation May Be Appropriate
Get medical care promptly for neck pain with fever and stiffness, following significant trauma, or accompanied by progressive weakness, loss of coordination, or changes in speech or vision.
Our approach
How Peak Performance Approaches Evaluation & Care
Evaluation begins with a consultation, exam, and health history. Dr. Younker examines how the neck moves, where motion is limited, and how the surrounding tissue responds, then chooses an approach from those findings.
You will be told which technique is recommended and why, and alternatives can be discussed if you are uncomfortable with any part of it.
Next steps
What to Expect Next
Expect discussion of posture and daily loading alongside in-office care, the hours between visits usually matter more than the minutes during them.
Meet your chiropractor
Meet Dr. Dean Younker
Dr. Dean Younker took over Peak Performance in 1997 and has cared for patients in Grand Junction ever since. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Northern Colorado and his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Cleveland University in Kansas City. He is a member of the Colorado Chiropractic Association and the Grand Junction Chiropractor Association.
“Because no two patients are the same, here at Peak Performance, we take the time to listen to each patient. We then develop a personalized treatment plan. Our promise is to help you live your life better.”
FAQ
Common Questions
Can neck problems cause headaches?
Headaches sometimes accompany neck tension and restricted motion. Whether that is what is happening for you is something an evaluation can help clarify.
Is neck adjustment safe?
Serious complications are considered rare, but no procedure is risk-free. Your health history and exam come first for that reason, and alternatives to any technique can be discussed.
What if my symptoms started after a car accident?
Tell the office when you schedule. Injuries from a collision should be evaluated promptly, and documentation matters.
Can I do anything between visits?
Usually yes. Dr. Younker will make specific recommendations based on your findings rather than a generic exercise list.
Next step
You Don't Have to Keep Planning Your Life Around Pain.
If pain is affecting the way you sleep, work, exercise, travel, or spend time with the people you love, it is worth finding out what is going on. Let's start with a conversation.
Engage With Your Life Again.