Neck Pain Treatment Without Surgery – Mira Mesa, CA

When Neck Pain Doesn't Go Away—or Keeps Coming Back

Most people don't start looking for a neck pain specialist the first time their neck hurts.

Usually, they've been dealing with it for a while.

They've tried stretching, massage, chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, medications or maybe an injection. Sometimes these things help, but the relief doesn't last. Other times the problem gradually gets worse.

This is especially concerning when neck pain starts traveling into the shoulder or arm, or when numbness and tingling begin showing up in the hand or fingers.

At that point, I want to know what's actually causing the symptoms.

A bulging or herniated cervical disc, degenerative disc disease, foraminal narrowing or irritation of a cervical nerve can all cause symptoms that extend well beyond the neck.

At The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego, Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC has spent more than 20 years working with patients suffering from difficult neck, back and disc-related conditions.

For patients coming from Mira Mesa, the first step is simple. Schedule a No-Charge Consultation, bring your MRI if you have one, and let's determine whether you may be a candidate for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression.

Call 619-298-0800 to schedule.

One of Our Patients Had Already Been Told Surgery Might Be Next

Justine Lai came to our office after being diagnosed with severe cervical disc bulging. She was also experiencing dizziness, neck pain, and numbness and tingling into her arms and hands.

By the time she found Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC, she had already tried multiple chiropractors, traction machines and pain-management specialists. She had been told that surgery was likely her next option.

After beginning a treatment plan specific to her condition, Justine reported that her pain decreased from a 7 to a 3 after several intensive sessions and eventually improved to a 1–2 with maintenance care.

She later wrote:

“I've been seeing Dr. Boelk for almost four years, and it has been one of the best healthcare decisions I've ever made.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Justine Lai

Why Can a Neck Problem Cause Pain in Your Arm or Hand?

This is something we explain to patients all the time.

Where you feel the symptoms isn't necessarily where the problem originates.

The nerves that exit the cervical spine travel through the shoulders and arms and into the hands and fingers. If a cervical disc becomes injured, bulges or herniates, or degenerative changes reduce the space around a nerve, the symptoms can follow that nerve away from the neck.

Patients may experience:

• Neck pain or stiffness

• Pain around the shoulder blade

• Shoulder or upper-arm pain

• Pain traveling down the arm

• Numbness or tingling in the hand

• Burning or electrical sensations

• Tingling into particular fingers

• Weakness in the arm or hand

• Changes in grip strength

• Difficulty sleeping because of neck or arm pain

People often refer to this as a “pinched nerve.”

But that still leaves an important question unanswered: what is irritating the nerve?

That's what Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC wants to determine before recommending treatment.

What Does Your Cervical MRI Actually Mean?

A lot of our patients arrive with an MRI report containing terms they've never heard before.

C4-C5 disc bulge.

C5-C6 disc herniation.

C6-C7 foraminal stenosis.

Degenerative disc disease.

Nerve-root compression.

It's understandable to be concerned when you read something like that on an MRI report, particularly if someone has already started talking to you about injections or surgery.

But an MRI report is only part of the picture.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC personally reviews available imaging and compares what he sees with the patient's symptoms, history and examination findings.

You can have several abnormalities on an MRI without every one of them being responsible for your pain.

The goal is to determine which findings actually make sense based on what you're experiencing.

What If You've Already Tried Chiropractic or Physical Therapy?

That's extremely common in our office.

Many patients who come to see Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC aren't looking for their first treatment. They're looking for another option because what they've already tried hasn't given them the result they were hoping for.

They may have already tried chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, massage, stretching, medications, injections or traditional cervical traction.

That doesn't necessarily mean those treatments were wrong.

It also doesn't necessarily mean you've exhausted every non-surgical option.

Sometimes we simply need to look at the problem differently.

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Is Not the Same as Basic Traction

This comes up frequently because patients will tell us, “I've already tried traction.”

The treatment performed in our office isn't simply about pulling or stretching the neck.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego exclusively uses DRX9000 Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression technology.

Our office has seven DRX9000 systems, including four lumbar and three cervical systems.

Having the equipment, however, is only one piece of the equation.

In Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC's experience, knowing which patients should be treated, which spinal levels should be addressed, how treatment should progress, and when someone should not receive decompression are just as important.

Why Patients Seek Out Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression has been a major focus of Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC's practice for more than two decades.

Credentials & Experience

• Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

• Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist

• Founder, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

• Founding Member, American Spinal Decompression Society

• Member, International Disc Education Association

• California X-Ray Radiography Licensed Doctor

• 20+ Years of Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Experience

• 100,000+ Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Treatments Performed & Supervised

• Instructor of Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Protocols & Techniques to Other Doctors

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC also has personal experience with significant spinal injuries and has spent thousands of hours working on the rehabilitation of his own neck and lower back.

That experience has influenced the way he treats patients today.

Patients have sought out Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC from throughout San Diego County, other parts of California, across the United States and internationally for his experience with difficult spinal and disc-related conditions.

Not Everyone With Neck Pain Is a Candidate for Spinal Decompression

This is important.

Just because someone has a disc bulge, herniation or chronic neck pain doesn't mean Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC is going to recommend decompression.

There are situations where additional imaging is needed. There are patients who should be evaluated by another medical specialist. There are also conditions where Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression simply isn't appropriate.

That's why we evaluate patients before recommending treatment.

If Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC doesn't think you're a candidate, he'll tell you.

The goal isn't to get everyone onto a decompression table. It's to determine whether the treatment makes sense for your particular condition.

Does a Herniated Disc in Your Neck Automatically Mean Surgery?

No.

There are certainly cervical spine conditions that require surgical evaluation, and Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC will refer patients when he believes that's the appropriate next step.

But finding a bulging or herniated cervical disc on an MRI does not automatically tell us that surgery is necessary.

Your symptoms, neurological findings, imaging, spinal stability, previous treatment and overall condition all matter.

For an appropriately selected patient, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be an option worth considering before moving toward something more invasive.

The first step is determining whether you're that patient.

What Happens During Your No-Charge Consultation?

We try to keep this straightforward.

The consultation gives you an opportunity to sit down with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC and talk about what's actually happening.

Your consultation includes:

• One-on-one consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC

• Discussion of your neck pain and other symptoms

• Review of any arm, hand or finger numbness and tingling

• Discussion of treatments you've already tried

• Review of your available MRI or X-rays

• Discussion of how your imaging may relate to your symptoms

• Determination of whether additional examination or imaging may be necessary

• Discussion of whether you may be a candidate for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

• Time to ask questions before deciding what you want to do next

There is no obligation to begin treatment because you scheduled a consultation.

If Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC doesn't believe you're a candidate, he'll tell you. If he thinks another type of evaluation is more appropriate, he'll tell you that as well.

Neck Pain Treatment Near Mira Mesa, CA

If you live or work in Mira Mesa and you're dealing with persistent neck pain, a cervical disc bulge or herniation, degenerative disc disease, foraminal stenosis, or pain and numbness traveling into your arm or hand, consider having your condition evaluated before assuming you simply have to live with it.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego is located a short drive from Mira Mesa in Kearny Mesa.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC
Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor
Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist
Founder, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123

619-298-0800
SanDiegoBackCare.com

24/7 Answering Service

Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 619-298-0800 anytime to request your No-Charge Consultation.

Hablamos Español

Spanish-speaking patients are welcome.

Find Out If You're a Candidate

If your neck pain keeps returning, or you're experiencing pain, numbness or tingling traveling into your shoulder, arm or hand, call 619-298-0800 to schedule a No-Charge Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

Bring your MRI if you have one.

The goal of that first conversation is simple: figure out what's going on and determine whether Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression makes sense for you.