Your neck (or cervical spine) balances a head weighing 4–5 kg! It also houses delicate nerves and blood vessels.
Hours on your laptop or phone (“tech‑neck”), stress, old sports injuries, or even poor sleep posture can overload these tissues. Pain often travels down between the shoulder blades, into the arm (pinched nerves), or up into the head and ears (cervicogenic headaches).
Neck pain is among the top 10 causes of disability globally, with a point prevalence of 3551 cases per 100 000 people.
The cervical spine sits at the crossroads of many forces. It can take a direct hit—think whiplash in a road‑traffic collision or an awkward rugby tackle—but it is also shaped by more subtle influences.
How your upper and lower teeth meet (occlusion) affects jaw muscle tone, which can pull on the base of the skull and affect neck mechanics.
Desk work that rounds the shoulders or long hours of manual labour both change how the shoulder girdle supports—and sometimes strains—the neck.
Even your core matters: When the deep abdominal and pelvic muscles don’t share the “heavy lifting” of everyday movements, more offsetting tension travels up into the neck.
In short, trauma, bite alignment, occupational posture, shoulder function, and core stability all interact to decide whether your neck feels supported or overloaded.
Common Conditions We See
- Muscle strain & trigger points (upper traps, levator scapulae): tight, aching knots from overuse or stress.
- Facet joint irritation (“stiff joints”): local, sharp pain with turning or looking up.
- Cervical disc bulge/herniation (radiculopathy): neck pain with arm symptoms—numbness, tingling, or weakness.
- Cervicogenic headache: pain starting in the neck and referring to the head or behind the eyes/ears.
- Whiplash-associated disorder: post-collision or sports tackle; stiffness, headaches, concentration fatigue.
- Postural syndrome / “tech-neck”: forward-head posture from screens and long sitting.
- TMJ (jaw) dysfunction & occlusion issues: clenching/grinding changes muscle tone at the skull base and neck.
- Shoulder/scapular dysfunction: poor shoulder mechanics overload the neck during daily tasks and lifting.
- Upper-thoracic stiffness: tight mid-back joints refer pain between the shoulder blades.
- Cervicogenic dizziness (neck-related): sense of unsteadiness linked to neck movement/tension (after serious causes are ruled out).
- Cervical spondylosis/osteoarthritis: age-related wear that can feel stiff in the morning or after inactivity.
- Spinal stenosis / myelopathy (less common): cord or nerve-root crowding; needs proper assessment.
- Inflammatory conditions (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis): neck pain with morning stiffness and flares.
- Joint hypermobility: “too much motion” leads to muscle guarding and recurrent aches.
Everyday Reasons Your Neck Flares
- Long laptop/phone time: head-down angles multiply neck load.
- Workstation setup: low screens, unsupported forearms, or non-adjusted chairs.
- Stress & breathing patterns: shallow, mouth-open breathing overuses neck muscles.
- Sleep posture & pillows: stomach sleeping or a pillow that’s too high/low.
- Sports technique: repeated overhead work, swimming breath timing, cycling posture.
- Carrying kids, bags, or backpacks: one-sided loads strain the shoulder-neck complex.
- Jaw clenching/bruxism: day or night, often tied to stress and caffeine.
- Shoulder weakness or tight chest muscles: poor scapular control shifts work into the neck.
- Limited mid-back mobility: the neck compensates for a stiff thoracic spine.
- Core under-activation: when the trunk isn’t sharing the load, the neck “helps” and overworks.
- Old injuries: previous sprains/strains can leave sensitive tissues that need graded loading.
Pain Can Be Felt in Different Places
- Between the shoulder blades (referred from neck or upper-thoracic joints/muscles).
- Into the chest and collar bone area ( referred from nerves and muscles in the neck)
- Into the arm/hand (nerve irritation from the neck).
- Into the head/ears/behind the eyes (cervicogenic headaches, muscle referral).
When to Seek Urgent Medical Care (Rule-Outs)
- Sudden, severe neck pain/headache with neurological signs (face droop, slurred speech, vision changes, severe dizziness).
- Recent significant trauma (fall, crash) or progressive limb weakness/numbness.
- Fever, unwell, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, history of cancer, or infection.
- Bowel/bladder changes or unsteady gait. If any of the above appear, we’ll pause treatment and refer for appropriate medical evaluation.
How We Help
Technique
Specific Chiropractic Adjustments
Graded Mobilisation
Massage & Myofascial Release
Active Exercise & Posture Education
Stress‑Down Tools (breathing, micro‑breaks)
Exercise referral
Further investigation
Delivered By
Dr Marcin Dochnal
Physio
Licensed physio‑massage team
Chiro + Physio
Whole team
AdvanceTraining or
other
Medical professional or radiologist
What It Does
Restores joint function, calms irritated nerves
Loosens stiff segments
Reduces muscle guarding, improves blood flow
Builds resilience and prevents relapse
Tackles the “tension neck” driver
Improves posture and strength and mobility actively
Gathers more information to ensure unseen drivers and ensures safety
Technique: Specific Chiropractic Adjustments
Delivered By: Dr Marcin Dochnal
What It Does: Restores joint function, calms irritated nerves
Technique: Graded Mobilisation
Delivered By: Physio
What It Does: Loosens stiff segments
Technique: Massage & Myofascial Release
Delivered By: Licensed physio‑massage team
What It Does: Reduces muscle guarding, improves blood flow
Technique: Active Exercise & Posture Education
Delivered By: Chiro + Physio
What It Does: Builds resilience and prevents relapse
Technique: Stress‑Down Tools (breathing, micro‑breaks)
Delivered By: Whole team
What It Does: Tackles the “tension neck” driver
Technique: Exercise referral
Delivered By: AdvanceTraining or other
What It Does: Improves posture and strength and mobility actively
Technique:Further investigation
Delivered By:Medical professional or radiologist
What It Does: Gathers more information to ensure unseen drivers and ensures safety.
Our Approach to Safety, Expectations & Informed Consent
With over 60,000 treatments delivered, our first duty is your safety and wellbeing. That’s why we occasionally defer, modify or decline treatment. For example, if screening reveals red flags or if expectations don’t match what conservative care can realistically achieve. In those cases, we’ll guide you toward the right medical professional and investigations or a more suitable pathway and revisit care when it’s safe and sensible to do so.
We also recognise that social media can distort health information. You’ll find dramatic “before-and-after” clips and people performing techniques without proper training, sometimes with unjustified claims. At Roots, all care is delivered by qualified clinicians, kept within scope, and explained transparently so you can make an informed choice.
Before your first visit, you’ll receive an intake and screening form. This helps us understand your history, medications, goals, and any warning signs. It also outlines the potential benefits and risks of manual care in plain language. We’ll discuss options together, answer questions, and choose an approach that fits your needs. Remember: the body does the healing—our services are designed to support and facilitate that natural process, not to “cure” on their own.
Plain-language consent summary: by attending, you consent to history-taking, examination, and, only if appropriate treatment recommended by your clinician. You have the right and responsibility to ask questions so you understand your case, expected outcomes, and any potential risks. Outcomes depend on your general level of health, participation and attendance, and no practitioner can anticipate every possible reaction. You’re encouraged to ask questions, take the time you need before deciding, and you may withdraw consent at any time. Care may be provided by your clinician or another qualified clinician within our clinic.
If anything feels unclear, before, during, or after care, please contact us immediately. We’re here to answer questions, adjust the plan, or arrange a prompt re-evaluation.
Questions or bookings
Text or call at +420 733 304 524
Email us : [email protected]
Learning & resources
If you like to understand your body and take charge of your health, we’ve got you covered. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube for practical tips on lifestyle, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress—everything that supports a happier neck and a stronger spine. For deeper, self-paced education, explore The Good Health Society and its structured programs: a high-quality, independent learning resource designed to help you build lasting habits and maintain results between visits.
Neck Pain — FAQ
Often it’s a mix of long screen time, stress, poor sleep posture, past injuries, and how your shoulders/core share the load. The neck can also react to jaw clenching or a stiff mid-back.
Yes. It can refer between the shoulder blades, into the arm/hand (pins and needles, numbness, weakness), or up into the head/ears (cervicogenic headaches).
For most people, yes. We screen first, choose the least-force option that fits you, and explain what to expect. Mild, short-lived soreness can occur; if anything feels unusual, contact us right away.
History + screening, movement and neurological tests, a clear explanation, and—only if appropriate—your first treatment. You’ll leave with simple home strategies and a plan.
Simple issues often settle in 3–6 visits. Longer-standing or nerve-related problems need a tailored plan over a longer period of time. We’ll set expectations on Day 1.
Usually no. Imaging is arranged only when red-flag signs, trauma, or non-response to care suggest it’s useful. Many individuals already come with some investigative images or reports from MRI, CT scans or xrays.
Absolutely. We use mobilisation, soft-tissue work, instrument-assisted and low-force techniques. You’re in control and can decline any technique.
- Chiropractic: restores joint motion and calms irritated nerves.
- Physiotherapy: builds mobility, strength, and movement control.
- Massage/Myofascial: reduces muscle guarding and tension.
We often combine them for best results.
Yes, after ruling out serious issues, we use a graded plan (pain relief → mobility → strength → return to sport/work).
Try brief micro-breaks (Pain free range of motion neck movements), keep screens at eye level, walk daily, and prioritise sleep. We’ll personalise exercises after your assessment.
Many patients report improvement with arthritic symptoms and other chronic ailments often associated with the aging process. The adjusting technique used by the chiropractors at Roots Health Clinic will be modified for maximum comfort and results. Even patients with osteoporosis and other ailments can receive treatment with the right modifications.
Back or side sleeping with a pillow that keeps your neck level (not tilted up or down). If you wake stiff, your pillow is likely too high/low.
Sudden severe neck pain or headache with neurological symptoms (vision/speech changes, facial droop, severe dizziness), recent major trauma, fever/unwell, unexplained weight loss, or progressive arm/hand weakness. If these appear, we pause care and refer immediately.
With 60,000+ treatments delivered, safety comes first. Sometimes we defer/decline therapy and guide you to the right medical investigation or specialist. We’ll revisit care when it’s safe.
Yes. We can refer to trusted professionals (e.g., AdvanceTraining or similar) to progress posture, strength, and mobility once your symptoms are stable.
We provide itemised receipts accepted by many international insurers. Email us for details. The national health services and insurers in the Czech Republic do not cover our services.
Call or text +420 733 304 524 or email [email protected]. Same-day slots are often available.