Overview
Mike has been a patient at HealthWorks for about three and a half years, and he describes his care as the difference between suffering and getting his life back. After months of severe neck and shoulder pain that radiated down his left arm, he was told his only option was to fuse his neck. Instead, he found lasting relief through gentle upper cervical care and a precise atlas adjustment.
Video Testimonial
Watch Mike share his recovery story and his experience with upper cervical care at HealthWorks in his own words.
Why Mike First Visited HealthWorks
Mike’s trouble began in August of 2021, when he started experiencing severe pain in his neck. The pain radiated from his neck, down his shoulder, and all the way down his left arm, and it grew worse whenever he lifted his arms. For anyone living with a pinched nerve in neck symptoms like these, his description will sound familiar. It was the kind of pain that takes over your life. Something as simple as driving across the street to the grocery store became agony, and it affected everything from basic tasks around the house to his work and his sleep. He came to HealthWorks in October of 2021, and looking back, he is glad he made the call.
Trying Everything Else First
Before HealthWorks, Mike had done just about everything a person could do. He saw a couple of doctors and got the typical treatment, a steroid pack and instructions to ice it, none of which helped at all. He then went to a well-reviewed orthopedic surgeon, but the only solution offered was to fuse his neck. Mike did not know what the answer was, but he knew that was not it. Like many people searching for a chiropractor for pinched nerve in neck relief, he wanted to understand the real problem before agreeing to anything permanent.
Choosing an Alternative to Neck Fusion Surgery
Mike understood that a fusion could not be undone, and he worried it would leave him with a permanent head-forward posture and an atlas that stayed out of alignment for good. He already lived with a back fusion and did not want a neck fusion on top of it. Out of options and short on hope, he finally took the advice of someone he knew who was already a patient at HealthWorks. Making that call turned out to be the first step toward figuring out what was really going on and getting back on track.
Finding the Real Source of the Problem
Mike remembers his first consultation clearly, because lying on the table to be evaluated was the worst position his neck could be in. It was difficult, but it was necessary. That thorough evaluation is one of the things he values most about HealthWorks, because it is how the team pinpointed what was actually happening. Dr. Taylor found that his atlas, the topmost bone in the spine, was very much out of alignment, and that had to be corrected first.
His First Atlas Adjustment
After his first atlas adjustment, Mike’s pain actually got worse later that day, which was unsettling. As he came to understand, that reaction was simply his body adjusting to having his atlas back where it belonged for the first time in probably more than a decade. The next afternoon, around two o’clock, the pain eased to the point where he was no longer suffering. For the first time in months, he finally had relief.
Turning the Corner in His Recovery
Once things started to improve, Mike’s progress came quickly. That Thanksgiving, only weeks after his first visit, he drove four hours to Oklahoma City with very minimal arm pain, a milestone he celebrated with the team. Within about three to four months he was essentially pain free. The most dramatic shift, going from wanting the pain to end to no longer suffering, happened roughly forty-eight hours after his atlas was reset. As Mike is quick to note, healing does not always move that fast, and the problems that build up over years are not resolved overnight.
Understanding a Long-Standing Problem
Looking back with what he knows now, Mike is certain his atlas had been out of alignment for at least a decade. He had spent years with his head down at a desk, and the occasional neck pain he felt over the years would come and go, so he assumed it was normal. Eventually his body reached a breaking point and made the problem impossible to ignore. His story is a reminder that ongoing neck and shoulder pain often has a real, correctable source worth investigating.
Mike’s Advice for Anyone on the Fence
For anyone who is hesitant about coming in, Mike’s advice is direct: make the call. You could have something going wrong that you do not even know about, just as he did for years. Getting checked out could save you a great deal of grief and suffering, and in his view, the sooner the better. He is grateful to be part of the HealthWorks family.
Chiropractic Care in Plano
HealthWorks provides gentle, precise upper cervical care for the Plano community. Whether you are dealing with a pinched nerve in neck symptoms, neck and shoulder pain, pain radiating down your arm, or you are weighing an alternative to surgery, our team is here to help you find the source and move forward with a clear plan.
Schedule a Visit
To learn more about upper cervical care and the atlas adjustment, and what to expect at your first visit, contact HealthWorks or schedule an appointment through our website.