CONDITION
Dealing with constant neck pain & shoulder tightness that built up during work & prevented her from working out with confidence
34
Female
2 mth
| CHALLENGES | ROOT CAUSES |
|---|---|
| Sitting for long periods | Reduced thoracic mobility |
| Upper body workouts in the morning | Weak scapular stabilizers |
| Mental strain | Atrophied rear delts |
| Workout avoidance | Pain with neck flexion |
| Progress plateau | Extension and rotation |
PREVIOUS TREATMENTS
Monthly massages fiocused on shoulder ‘knots’, chiropractic adjustments and muscle relaxers as needed.
GOALS
Be able to work without having to think about her neck pain as well as get back into the gym because it was her stress reliever due to the high stress of being a freelancer.
TREATMENT PHASES
1
Pain Relief & Early Management
- Soft tissue therapy to desensitize any aggravated tissues and improve circulation for quicker recovery
- Activity modification based on her capacity
- Nerve mobilization techniques
- Joint Mobilization techniques
- Home exercise program for upper body mobility and shoulder blade strength
2
Restore Movement & Function
- Strengthened her scapular stabilizers
- Thoracic mobility work
- Deep neck flexor strengthening
- Postural retraining
- Retrained upper body movement patterns
3
Load, Performance & Strength
- Progressively loaded new patterns
- Return to lifting strategies
- Sport specific training to get her back into running (noted in the middle of the program that she wanted to get back into it)
Treatment Obstacles & Adjustments
- Sitting for long periods and having to be in prolonged postures was something we couldn’t take away since her job required her to be using a computer for long periods of the day and it would disrupt her focus if she moved around too much.
- Had to find ways for her to do exercises given all the equipment she can bring with her that she can do sitting down.
Measurable wins
- Pain 8/10 to 2/10
- Having her first week of 0 pain in her neck despite all the work she had to be doing.
Outcome
- Had her first week of no pain during work after her first 2 weeks of treatment
- She was able to get through all her upper body workouts without her neck flaring up after or during after phase 2
Neck (Cervical) Results
Client Feedback
“Dr. Alex’s method literally gave me a new life. I am able to bend at the waist, have fun with my son doing activities running around, even sleeping through the night. I can work a lot more comfortably and even sit longer periods of time with much less pain.”
Dr. Alex Mak, DC, CCSP, CSCS, QME
Your FREE First Visit
60minYour first step is a low-pressure visit to understand your body mechanics, what will resolve it, and explain our approach.
- Quick intake: what’s hurting, what triggers it, training goals
- Movement: mobility, strength, control, and sport-specific patterns
- Clear plan: observations, why it’s happening, best path forward
What You’ll Receive
- A clear clinical direction and root-cause hypothesis
- Recommended next steps, including a plan and projected timeline
- Practical guidance on what to do, and what to avoid, in training right now
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