chronic neck pain:  how many visits?

• FIRSTLY (It takes one visit to know whether I can help you):  This does not imply that you will be ‘cured’ in one visit (BTW, the only thing that is “cured” is ham).  This simply means that you will either see improvement after your first visit or you will not. Bear in mind that I am not talking about the kind of improvement that leaves you are mulling it over in your mind ”did he help me, or didn’t he?“.  I am talking about the kind of improvement that will be clearly recognizable.  The kind of improvement you see on our VIDEO TESTIMONIALS.   Honestly; what more can you ask for?   It really can’t get simpler than that. 

• SECONDLY (The neck pain must be “Chronic“): According to the website of the Cleveland Clinic, the difference between acute and chronic pain is as follows:  “Acute pain might be mild and last just a moment, or it might be severe and last for weeks or months. In most cases, acute pain does not last longer than six months, and it disappears when the underlying cause of pain has been treated or has healed.  Chronic pain persists despite the fact that the injury has healed. Pain signals remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months, or years. Physical effects include tense muscles, limited mobility, a lack of energy, and changes in appetite. Emotional effects include depression, anger, anxiety, and fear of re-injury. Such a fear might hinder a person’s ability to return to normal work or leisure activities.”  It is certainly not that we do not help people who have “acute” neck pain —- we do.  But with acute neck pain —- the sort of pain a person is having after last week’s MVA, there is a specific healing process that you will have to go through.   If you watch many of our VIDEO TESTIMONIALS, the common thread that you will see in most is that these folks had their pain for a very long time prior to seeing us —- some of them for decades.    If you want to see a great example of a what I am talking about in this bullet point, take a look at this brief BEFORE AND AFTER VIDEO of a woman struggling with Chronic Neck Pain, whose problem started in a 5 roll-over WHIPLASH accident back in the mid 1980’s.

• THIRDLY (If I accept your case):   It’s not a big deal for my local patients, but before people make a long trip to come see me, I want a detailed history of your problem beforehand.  This way I can weed out the people who I know up front I cannot help.  I accept only those cases that I really believe I can help.  You can read more about this HERE.

• FOURTHLY (Although I did not explicitly state this, it is implied —- your office visit might be lengthy if you come from a distance to see me):  When it comes to treating patients with FASCIAL ADHESIONS from out of the area, I need plenty of time to figure out what is causing the pain and restriction (this is mentioned on our FAQ PAGE).  As many who have been through the process can attest, this is often comparable to solving a jigsaw puzzle.  After your initial examination, I will probably take you through a series of testing and treating repeated over and over and over again.  

My goal is that when you leave my office, you see an immediate and significant improvement that will last over the long haul —- not just as far as your pain is concerned, but more importantly, in your ROM (ROM must be the first thing to change — everything else follows).  I never reschedule my long-distance patients.  The truth is, you may have to come back, and you will definitely need to understand the difference between PHASE I and PHASE II of the process.  But you be the judge of that.  As you can see from our VIDEO TESTIMONIALS, many people are taken care of in one visit.  If you see nice changes but require more treatment, simply call Cheryl and schedule another appointment.  HERE is an example of this in action.  To read our recent Blog Series on Chronic Neck Pain, simply CLICK HERE.