Neck Pain Treatment Without Surgery – Scripps Ranch, CA

When Neck Pain Starts Affecting More Than Your Neck

Neck pain is one thing. Neck pain that keeps returning—or begins traveling into your shoulder, arm, hand or fingers—is something worth looking at more closely.

Many patients who come to our office have been dealing with their symptoms for months or even years. They've tried stretching, chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage, medications, injections or home exercises.

Sometimes they've gotten temporary relief, but the problem keeps coming back.

Other patients come in because their symptoms have changed. What started as an aching neck has progressed into pain around the shoulder blade, burning down the arm, numbness or tingling in the fingers, or weakness in the arm or hand.

Those are the cases where Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC wants to understand what's happening beneath the surface.

A cervical disc bulge or herniation, degenerative disc disease, foraminal narrowing or irritation of a cervical nerve can all contribute to these symptoms.

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

If you live in Scripps Ranch and want to know whether your neck problem may be appropriate for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression, call 619-298-0800 to schedule a No-Charge Consultation.

Bring your MRI if you have one.

Neck Pain Doesn't Always Stay in the Neck

This surprises a lot of patients.

The nerves that exit the cervical spine continue into your shoulders, arms, hands and fingers. When one of those nerves becomes irritated, you may feel symptoms somewhere other than the neck itself.

Depending on the nerve and structures involved, you might experience:

• Neck pain or stiffness

• Pain underneath or around a shoulder blade

• Shoulder pain

• Pain traveling down one arm

• Numbness or tingling in the arm or hand

• Tingling in particular fingers

• Burning or electrical sensations

• Weakness in the arm or hand

• Changes in grip strength

• Symptoms that interfere with sleep

• Increased pain while sitting, driving or working at a computer

Patients often tell us they've been diagnosed with a “pinched nerve.”

That description is useful, but Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC wants to take it one step further.

What is irritating the nerve?

And does that finding match the symptoms you're actually experiencing?

One Patient Had Already Been Told Surgery Might Be Next

Justine Lai came to Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC with severe cervical disc bulging, dizziness, neck pain, and numbness and tingling extending into her arms and hands.

She wasn't new to treatment.

She had already tried multiple chiropractors, traction machines and pain-management specialists. Eventually, she was told surgery was likely her next option.

After Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC evaluated her condition and developed a treatment plan specific to her case, 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

What Does a Cervical MRI Tell Us?

If you've already had an MRI, there's a good chance you've encountered some unfamiliar terminology.

Disc bulge.

Disc protrusion.

Disc herniation.

Degenerative disc disease.

Foraminal stenosis.

Nerve-root compression.

The terminology can sound frightening, particularly when you're already in pain.

An MRI can provide important information, but Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC doesn't make treatment recommendations based on a few words in a radiology report.

He personally reviews available imaging and compares those findings with your history, symptoms and examination.

That's important because abnormalities can appear on an MRI without necessarily being the primary cause of a patient's symptoms.

The pieces need to make sense together.

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

That's not unusual at all.

In fact, many patients who seek out Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC have already tried several approaches before they ever walk into our office.

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

Some of those treatments may have helped for a while.

The fact that symptoms returned doesn't necessarily mean the previous treatment was bad, and it doesn't automatically mean surgery is next.

It may simply be time to take another look at the problem and determine whether another approach makes sense.

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Is Different From Basic Traction

Patients sometimes tell us they have already tried traction and assume that means they've also tried spinal decompression.

They aren't necessarily the same thing.

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

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

The equipment is important, but Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC believes patient selection is even more important.

Knowing who is an appropriate candidate, which areas need to be addressed, how treatment should progress, and when someone should not receive decompression all matter.

Why Patients Seek Out Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and difficult disc-related conditions have 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 understands spinal injuries from the patient's side of the table.

He has spent thousands of hours working through the rehabilitation of his own significant neck and lower-back injuries while finding ways to remain active.

Today, patients seek out Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC from throughout San Diego County, across the United States and internationally for his experience with difficult spinal and disc-related conditions.

Not Everyone Should Receive Spinal Decompression

This is an important part of the way Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC practices.

A cervical disc bulge on an MRI does not automatically make someone a candidate for decompression.

Neither does chronic neck pain.

There are situations where Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC may want additional imaging before making a recommendation. There are other situations where a medical, neurological or surgical evaluation may be more appropriate.

If Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC doesn't believe you should receive spinal decompression, he'll tell you.

That's one of the main reasons we start with a consultation rather than assuming treatment before we've evaluated the problem.

Does a Herniated Disc in Your Neck Mean You Need Surgery?

Sometimes surgery is appropriate. Sometimes it isn't.

The words “herniated disc” on an MRI don't answer that question by themselves.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC looks at the entire case, including your symptoms, neurological findings, imaging, spinal stability, previous treatment and whether your condition appears appropriate for conservative care.

For some patients, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be an option worth exploring before moving toward something more invasive.

For others, another type of care may be more appropriate.

The purpose of the evaluation is to figure out which situation applies to you.

What Happens at the No-Charge Consultation?

The consultation is an opportunity to sit down with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC and discuss your condition before making any decisions about treatment.

Your consultation includes:

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

• Discussion of your neck pain and how it started

• Review of any shoulder, arm, hand or finger symptoms

• 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 further examination or imaging may be appropriate

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

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

There is no obligation to begin treatment.

If Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC doesn't think you're a candidate, he'll tell you. If he believes another specialist should be involved, he'll tell you that as well.

Neck Pain Treatment Near Scripps Ranch, CA

If you live in Scripps Ranch and are dealing with chronic neck pain, a cervical disc bulge or herniation, degenerative disc disease, foraminal narrowing, or pain and numbness traveling into your shoulder, arm or hand, our office is nearby in Kearny Mesa.

You don't need to know exactly what's causing the problem before you call.

That's what the evaluation is for.

Schedule a No-Charge Consultation

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. Hablamos Español.

Find Out What's Actually Causing Your Neck Pain

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

If you already have an MRI, bring it with you.

The first step isn't committing to treatment. It's finding out what's going on and whether you're actually a candidate for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression.