When neck pain makes sleep, work or exercise difficult, we’re here to help. Work toward turning your head, resting and moving more comfortably.
Your first visit: 60 minutes, one-on-one with Dr. Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT. McKenzie certified · No referral needed.
Tell us what you have tried and what you want to get back to. Ask how we can help and what your first visit involves. We’ll reply by phone or text to arrange your conversation.
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“I am pain free through most of the day”
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Google review: Cameron B.
“Did a great job of helping me solve my issue with neck and shoulder. Would definitely go back to her again.”
Massage helps for a while, but the pain keeps coming back?
Tell us how long relief lasts and bring the exercises you have tried. We look at what still limits sleep, work or checking traffic, including neck movement, any arm symptoms, strength and endurance.
Dr. Emily may compare turning over your shoulder before and after selected movements. We then practice the helpful option, explain what to notice at home and build strength for the demands that remain difficult. Explore what a fresh look at recurring neck pain can involve.
What brings people to assessment?
- Neck pain or stiffness that keeps returning.
- Difficulty looking over a shoulder, working at a screen or finding a comfortable position.
- Symptoms after an injury that have been medically assessed where needed.
- Neck symptoms with arm pain, tingling, numbness or weakness.
- Questions about a cervical disc or degenerative finding on imaging. Our cervical disc bulge and recovery guide explains how a neck MRI fits with symptoms and next steps.
Headaches and arm symptoms can have several causes. The assessment should determine whether PT is appropriate and whether other medical input is needed.
Dr. Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT
Your experience helps shape the plan.
Tell Emily the story behind your neck pain: what brings it on, what settles it and which movements you have started avoiding. You know how it affects your day, and that experience helps shape the plan alongside neck movement, strength and relevant nerve findings. We choose a starting step together, practice it and check whether it makes sleep, work or exercise more manageable.
Emily began in neurological rehabilitation, where her interest in movement and the pain system took shape. She moved into spine-focused orthopedics in 2020.
How we work together on your neck pain
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1. Hear the story and examine
We discuss when symptoms began, what changes them and what you have tried, including arm pain, tingling, strength changes or headaches. We examine neck movement, strength and relevant nerve findings. McKenzie assessment helps us compare selected movements and choose around your response.
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2. Practice your starting plan
Learn the movements, starting amount and changes to watch for. We work through them together so you understand what to try between visits and can tell us when it is not fitting your day.
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3. Make progress useful
Choose an everyday task to track, such as turning, sleep or work. We review the response and build movement, strength and endurance for the demands that remain difficult. As you progress, we discuss what you can manage independently.
Bring relevant reports or your current exercise program if you have them. You do not need a referral or a new MRI just to arrange a visit.
Appointments, location and payment
In person: New appointments are at our Holladay clinic, 4890 Highland Dr, serving Greater Salt Lake City. We can complete examination and hands-on treatment that cannot be provided fully over video.
Virtual options: Virtual coaching from anywhere supports movement education and wellness goals. For clinical assessment or treatment over video, we will confirm what is available for your needs and location. Some examination needs require an in-person or medical assessment.
Payment: We are a cash-pay, out-of-network practice and provide a superbill for possible insurance reimbursement. Learn about out-of-network care and HSA/FSA payment, or bring your payment questions to our Free Case Review.
Which neck-pain situation sounds like yours?
| Your situation | A practical starting point | Progress and the next decision |
|---|---|---|
| A new stiff or painful neck, without warning signs | Keep comfortable movement and ordinary activity in your day. A PT assessment can help when turning, sleep or work remains difficult, or you are unsure which movements to try. Hands-on treatment may support an active home plan. | Many new neck problems or flare-ups begin settling in the first few weeks and improve within about 8 weeks. Look for easier turning and a more comfortable day. Arrange assessment earlier if pain is hard to manage or keeps limiting activity. |
| Pain keeps returning, or relief from massage or adjustments fades | Review what has helped and how long it lasts. Combine selected movement with neck and shoulder strength, endurance and practice for the tasks that still hurt. Hands-on care can be included when it helps you participate. | Track longer-lasting relief, fewer interruptions to sleep or work, and greater exercise tolerance. If activity-limiting pain persists despite 4–6 weeks of appropriate care, review the plan and whether medical assessment or imaging is indicated. |
| Neck pain with arm pain, tingling or a diagnosed pinched nerve | Have strength, sensation and relevant nerve findings assessed. Many people with cervical radiculopathy improve with nonsurgical care, which can include selected exercises, activity changes and medication discussed with a medical clinician. | Symptoms often start improving within 12 weeks, with a variable course. We look for less arm discomfort, easier sleep and improving function while monitoring strength. Persistent disabling pain may warrant a specialist discussion about injections or surgery; worsening weakness needs earlier medical review. |
| Headaches that seem connected to neck movement | First clarify the headache pattern. For a headache arising from the neck, selected neck exercises and manual therapy may help. Migraine and other headache types may need a separate medical treatment plan. | Track headache days, intensity and duration alongside neck movement. A change in headache pattern deserves review. A sudden severe headache, especially with new neurological symptoms, needs emergency assessment. |
| New or worsening weakness, clumsy hands, or changes in walking or balance | Seek prompt medical evaluation. New bladder or bowel changes also need urgent attention. These symptoms can indicate a problem involving the spinal cord or another condition requiring medical care. | The priority is identifying the cause and protecting function. A specialist may recommend surgery for cervical spinal-cord compression, particularly when neurological function is deteriorating. |
How do PT, chiropractic care, injections and surgery compare?
PT and chiropractic care: exercise and hands-on treatment can both help some uncomplicated neck pain. Ask how the clinician screens your symptoms, chooses treatment, teaches you what to do at home and checks progress. At MMPT, we connect any short-term relief with movement, strength and the activities you want to regain.
Injections: a medical clinician may consider an injection for persistent nerve-related pain. It may reduce inflammation and pain, but it does not remove structural pressure on a nerve. The decision depends on the diagnosis, symptoms and expected benefits and risks.
Surgery: it can be appropriate for selected people with a compressed nerve and persistent disabling symptoms, or for spinal-cord involvement. The likely benefit depends on the condition; a disc herniation, age-related narrowing and spinal-cord compression call for different discussions. PT can be part of care before or after surgery.
Get to know how we approach neck pain
Hear Dr. Emily explain persistent pain, then see a neck-movement example we may consider after assessment.
What Dr. Emily wants you to know about persistent back or neck pain
Dr. Emily explains why pain and tissue healing do not always follow the same timeline. Your pain is real. We look at the whole picture—including movement, recovery, sleep and sensitivity—to find practical ways forward.
Key points from the video
- Pain and tissue healing do not always follow the same timeline.
- Dr. Emily encourages looking beyond a scan or painful structure to other contributors to sensitivity.
- Understanding persistent pain can open up more ways to approach recovery.
See what neck retraction looks like
Dr. Emily demonstrates a neck-retraction variation using a strap. This is one example of a movement we may explore in an assessment; we choose the direction, support and amount of movement around your response.
Key points from the video
- Dr. Emily demonstrates drawing the head back while using a strap for support.
- The strap is placed at the base of the neck and pulled gently down and forward.
- The demonstration shows repeated neck retraction with strap assistance.
If this movement increases pain, sends symptoms farther into an arm or leg, or causes dizziness, stop and ask us about a better option. After surgery or a fracture, follow your treating clinician’s movement guidance.
What improvement can look like
Early progress might mean turning farther, settling more comfortably at night or having less arm pain. We then build the strength and endurance your day needs, checking whether those gains carry between visits.
There is reason for hope with longstanding neck pain. In a randomized trial of 180 female office workers aged 25–53, 73% in a year-long strength-focused rehabilitation program reported considerable or complete pain relief, compared with 21% of controls; an endurance group achieved 59%. The program included other rehabilitation support. These are selected study results, not MMPT’s success rate or results for every cause of arm pain.
For your plan, Emily checks the movement and load you can manage, practices the starting exercise with you and progresses toward your chosen task. Tell us what happens later that day and the next morning, so the plan stays connected to sleep, work or exercise.
What has McKenzie research measured for neck pain?
A 2026 review of eight studies involving 389 adults found small short-term improvements in chronic nonspecific neck pain and disability with McKenzie-based exercise. Evidence was low certainty, and the review did not establish medium- or long-term results.
For your plan, we compare something you want to make easier: checking traffic, working at a screen or settling into bed. Dr. Emily checks your movement response, practices the starting exercise with you and reviews whether it helps that task between visits. If it does not, we reconsider the movement, amount and other examination findings.
How much improvement did the research measure?
The review reported standardized differences of −0.57 for pain and −0.43 for disability. These combine different measurement scales; they are not points on a 0–10 pain scale or percentages of people who became pain-free. The findings concern chronic nonspecific neck pain, not recovery after surgery or every cause of arm symptoms.
Choose your next step
Start with a Free Case Review to discuss neck-pain care at our Holladay clinic or virtual health and wellness visits for movement education and wellness support.
When medical evaluation comes first
The care-choice table above explains neurological changes that need medical evaluation first. Symptoms after significant trauma also need prompt medical assessment. Sudden severe symptoms or other signs of a medical emergency need emergency care.
Common questions about neck-pain care
Does neck degeneration mean my pain will only get worse?
A report cannot predict that on its own. Structural changes and your ability to sleep, turn or build strength do not have to follow the same course. Our neck-arthritis guide explains what a long-term MRI study found and how we assess your own situation. New hand clumsiness, worsening balance or arm weakness needs prompt medical assessment.
Can you help with a pinched nerve or cervical radiculopathy?
Yes. We assess neck pain with symptoms in the shoulder, shoulder blade, arm or hand, including diagnosed cervical radiculopathy. You do not need to identify the source before contacting us. A sore shoulder blade does not establish a pinched nerve; we consider neck and shoulder movement, strength and relevant nerve findings together.
Tell us about tingling, changes in grip or symptoms that travel farther down your arm. Our pinched-nerve guide explains nerve-related symptoms, and our upper-back guide addresses the area around the shoulder blades. New or worsening weakness or changes in walking or balance deserve prompt medical assessment.
What if my scan says neck arthritis or cervical spondylosis?
Those words do not close the door on feeling better. Cervical spondylosis describes age-related changes in the neck, and many people do well with nonsurgical care. We connect the report with your symptoms, movement and goals, then work on useful mobility, strength and a more comfortable day. Our neck arthritis guide walks through practical first steps and what an assessment can clarify.
Do I need an MRI before starting neck-pain PT?
You do not need to arrange a scan just to contact us. We begin with your history and examination, and explain when a medical opinion or imaging may be useful. Bring any report you already have.
If a scan has not explained your pain, we still take the symptoms seriously. We look at the movements and everyday tasks that are difficult, check relevant nerve findings and use that information to choose a practical next step. Pain education should help you understand and work with your symptoms, never make you feel dismissed.
Are chin tucks right for every sore neck?
No. Retraction is one movement we may assess, not an automatic prescription. We check its effect on your neck and any arm symptoms, choose an appropriate version and dose, and practice it together. Our neck-exercise guide explains the options.
What if the exercise feels okay, but my neck or arm hurts more later?
We want to hear about that response. Note whether symptoms stay in your neck or travel farther into your arm, how long they last and whether sleep or a familiar task becomes harder. Brief relief followed by a difficult evening is useful information for reviewing the movement and amount of exercise.
Do not keep forcing a movement that leaves you persistently worse or causes spreading symptoms. Stop that movement and ask your clinician to review it. New or worsening weakness, changes in walking or balance, or other warning signs need prompt medical assessment.
What can I change when sleep, screen work or driving hurts?
Choose one situation you want to improve: waking with neck pain, a block of computer work or checking traffic. Note what brings symptoms on and what changes them. We can use that pattern to choose a practical adjustment alongside your movement plan. If you cannot look around safely when driving, arrange other transport while seeking assessment. Our persistent-neck-pain guide explores sleep and work examples.
How much will I need to do at home?
We start with a few movements you can understand and practice confidently. Tell us what is realistic around work, family and the activities you already do. We explain why each movement is in the plan, how much to try and what response should prompt a review.
As you improve, the plan should change with you. We discuss what still helps and how to build toward ordinary exercise and activity, so home practice does not become an ever-growing list you feel obliged to complete forever.
How will we know treatment is helping—and when can I manage on my own?
Choose one task you want back and compare it with the same starting point. For a desk task, note how long you work before needing a break, where the symptoms are, and how they settle afterward. For turning, compare a comfortable head turn while stationary; do not test an exercise while driving. Emily reviews that pattern alongside neck movement and any relevant strength or sensation changes. Easier activity that carries into your day is more useful than a brief change on the treatment table.
We want you to leave understanding what helps and how to build on it. As your movement and activity tolerance improve, we discuss what you can continue independently and what changes would make another review worthwhile. The goal is a plan you can use in your own life.
Physical therapy after neck surgery: ACDF, fusion and disc replacement
Recovery after ACDF, posterior cervical fusion, cervical disc replacement or cervical foraminotomy needs the details of your operation. Bring the surgical instructions, any collar guidance and current lifting or movement limits. We can discuss how rehabilitation may help with permitted daily activity, shoulder and arm function, and a gradual return to the tasks that matter to you.
Read our neck-surgery rehabilitation section before a Free Case Review. The general neck-exercise demonstrations on this page are not an automatic exercise prescription after surgery.
Related guides
Find guidance for the neck symptoms affecting your day
Explore our patient guides · Appointment locations and formats
Recommending care to someone? See our clinician referral information and printable guide.