Axis Spine & Disc

Neck pain · Olathe, Kansas

Nonsurgical Treatment for Neck Pain

Neck pain and arm symptoms can be treated without surgery.

Persistent neck pain usually involves a cervical disc or the joints beside it. The evaluation finds the source and tells you whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.

  • For neck pain, headaches or arm symptoms that have not settled
  • Nonsurgical, seated cervical treatment
  • Candidacy answered at the first visit
  • Refunded in full if you are not a candidate
  • 25 years in practice
  • 65,000+ treatment visits supervised
  • 5.0 on Google · 60 reviews
A patient reclined in the treatment chair with treatment directed at the neck
Evaluation + 3 treatment visits$149 · Olathe, KS

Sound familiar?

Does this sound like your neck pain?

Desk work, driving and phone use are the usual aggravators. Sleep is disrupted by the search for a pillow that works. Checking a blind spot, reading, and lifting overhead become things you notice.

  • Stiffness turning your head or checking a blind spot
  • Headaches that start at the base of the skull
  • Pain or tingling into a shoulder, arm or hand
  • Desk work, driving and your phone make it worse
  • No pillow seems to work

Common symptoms of neck pain

  • Neck pain or stiffness that limits turning or looking up
  • Pain that spreads to the shoulder, shoulder blade or upper back
  • Headaches that start at the base of the skull
  • Pain, numbness or tingling into an arm or hand
  • Weakness in the arm or a weak grip

If two or more of these are true, an evaluation is the logical next step. It is the only way to know what is contributing to your symptoms and whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.

What neck pain is

What neck pain is, and why it keeps coming back

The cervical spine carries the head through a wide range of motion on small discs and joints. Discs can bulge or herniate here just as they do in the low back, and the nerves that leave the neck supply the shoulders, arms and hands. A neck problem can therefore show up as neck pain, as headaches, as pain between the shoulder blades, or as arm and hand symptoms with very little neck pain at all.

Between each pair of vertebrae sits a disc. When it's healthy, it's tall and full of fluid, and it holds open the space where a nerve leaves your spine.

Years of sitting, lifting and gravity compress it. It loses water and height, that space narrows, and the nerve gets crowded. That's what sends pain, numbness and tingling down a leg or an arm.

It doesn't fix itself, because discs have no blood supply. They depend on pressure changing as you move — and a compressed disc isn't getting that.

How we treat it

Our treatment gently separates the vertebrae, taking pressure off the disc and giving the nerve room. Repeated over a course of care, that's what gives symptoms a chance to settle.

Seated and reclined. The space around the nerve opens as the vertebrae separate.

Neck Pain treatment options

Most of the usual approaches manage the symptom. Fewer address the load on the disc.

None of these are wrong, and some of them may be part of your care. The question the evaluation answers is whether something is still loading the disc or the nerve — and whether that is something we can change.

Nonsurgical treatment options for neck pain

  • Posture and workstation changes that reduce sustained load
  • Physical therapy for the neck and upper back
  • Medication or injections, prescribed by a physician
  • Our nonsurgical treatment for disc-related neck and arm symptoms, directed at the neck
  • Surgical consultation for progressive weakness, cord symptoms or symptoms that have not responded to nonsurgical care
Usual approachWhat it does
Rest and iceReduces inflammation for a while. Does not change what is loading the disc.
Pain medicationBlocks the pain signal. Useful; does not address the source.
InjectionsReduces inflammation around the nerve, often temporarily.
Physical therapyStrengthens the muscles that support the spine — valuable, and sometimes not enough on its own when a disc is the driver.
SurgeryRemoves or fuses tissue. Sometimes necessary. A large step to take before nonsurgical options have been properly evaluated.

Our approach

Evaluate first. Then treat, measure and adjust.

We focus on nonsurgical treatment for appropriate spine, disc and nerve conditions. Treatment begins with an evaluation so we can determine whether our approach is appropriate for your condition.

  1. 01

    Evaluate

    Determine what may be contributing to your symptoms.

  2. 02

    Treat

    Begin appropriate nonsurgical treatment if you are a candidate.

  3. 03

    Measure

    Track your response to treatment.

  4. 04

    Adjust

    Modify the approach based on how you respond.

Why evaluation matters for neck pain

Neck pain from a disc, from a joint, from muscle guarding and from a nerve root each behave differently and respond to different treatment. Arm symptoms in particular need a careful examination to confirm the neck is the source. The evaluation sorts that out before any treatment is recommended.

How we evaluate neck pain

We examine neck motion, the joints, and the nerves that supply the arms — strength, reflexes and sensation — and review imaging if you have it. When the findings point to a cervical disc or nerve problem our approach suits, we explain the treatment and how we will measure it. When they do not, we tell you.

When additional medical evaluation is necessary. Neck pain after a significant injury, neck pain with fever or unexplained weight loss, or symptoms such as clumsy hands, trouble walking or changes in balance need prompt medical evaluation before anything else.

What a treatment visit is like

Nonsurgical — no injections, no incisions. You are seated and reclined, not face-down and not in a harness. Treatment can be directed at the low back or the neck, the settings are set for you, and a visit is short. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at the evaluation.

Honest about who it's for

It is not for everyone, and no one can promise you an outcome before examining you. For the right patient it takes the load off a painful disc without surgery, and we measure your response rather than assume it. The evaluation is how we find out whether you are that patient.

The first step

Start with an evaluation.

Evaluation + 3 treatment visits

$149

We evaluate your condition, determine whether you are an appropriate candidate, and begin treatment if appropriate. No package. No long-term commitment.

Schedule Your Evaluation

If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.

What's included

  • A one-on-one consultation about your symptoms, history and what you have already tried
  • A focused spine and nerve examination
  • Review of any imaging you already have (MRI, CT or X-ray)
  • A clear answer on whether our nonsurgical approach is appropriate for you
  • Three treatment visits, if you are a candidate
  • A written summary of what we found and what we recommend

Plan on about 45 minutes for the first visit. Treatment visits after that are short.

What you'll learn

What you walk out knowing

1What is actually contributing to your symptoms

Not a guess from a report — findings from an examination read alongside your imaging.

2Whether you are a candidate

A straight answer at the first visit. If you are not, you are refunded and pointed to the right care.

3How your body responds to treatment

If you are a candidate, you begin treatment at the first visit and we record your response.

4What we recommend, and why

In writing, after three treatment visits, with no obligation.

Patient reviews

From patients who came in with the same thing.

Every review is a verified Google review of this clinic, quoted as written.

“Turning my head is so much easier now, and I'm sleeping better too. … the difference shows up most at work, where I'm just not fighting through the day anymore.”

Christopher E.Verified Google review

“Not popping Advil every day anymore, and my headaches have practically disappeared. Went in for neck pain … I'm sleeping way better and just feel like myself again.”

Meliss M.Verified Google review

“Sleeping through the night again and walking around without that mid and upper back pain nagging me … Pain's resolved and I'm not thinking twice about it anymore.”

Ashley R.Verified Google review

Read all 60 reviews on Google

FAQ

Questions about neck pain

What happens during my first visit?
Three things. We talk about your symptoms, your history and what you have already tried. We examine your spine and the nerves that leave it, and review any imaging you bring. Then, if you are a candidate, you begin treatment the same day. Plan on about 45 minutes.
How much does the initial visit cost?
$149. That covers the evaluation and three treatment visits. If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full. Anything beyond those visits is discussed with you in person, in writing, after we know how you respond.
How does the treatment work?
It is nonsurgical, and you are seated and reclined for it — not face-down and not in a harness. The system gently separates the vertebrae to take pressure off a disc and the nerve beside it, then releases, in a controlled cycle. Treatment can be directed at the low back or the neck, and the settings are set for you. Whether it is appropriate for you depends on your evaluation. How we treat, in plain English.
Do I need an MRI?
Not to be evaluated. The examination comes first, and many patients are treated on the basis of the examination alone. If your findings warrant imaging, we will say so and help you arrange it.
Can I bring my MRI?
Please do. Bring the report and, if you have it, the disc or a link to the images. We read your imaging alongside the examination rather than instead of it.
Do you accept insurance?
The evaluation and treatment visits are self-pay at the price listed on this site, and we can provide an itemized receipt for a health savings or flexible spending account. Call (913) 355-5998 with questions about your situation.
How long does treatment take?
The first visit is about 45 minutes. A treatment visit after that is short — most people are in and out in well under half an hour. How long a course of care lasts depends on your condition and your response, which is exactly what the evaluation and first treatment visits are for.

All questions

Evaluation + 3 treatment visits · $149

Schedule a neck pain evaluation

Tell us how to reach you and we'll call to find a time. Prefer to talk now? Call (913) 355-5998 or text us.

  • Mon – Wed9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
  • Thu9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
  • Fri – SunClosed

If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.

Find out whether we can help with your neck pain.

Axis Spine & Disc · 1011 E 151st St, Suite A, Olathe, KS

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