Neck pain limits your life—you can’t check blind spots while driving, look down at your phone, or find a comfortable sleeping position. Everyday activities like reading, working, or watching TV become uncomfortable. Many assume neck pain is unavoidable, but most cases stem from specific, correctable issues.
At StretchClub® in Yorkville, Dr. Alyssa Holum and Dr. Michael Scardina provide professional neck pain treatment that goes beyond temporary relief. Their approach combines thorough assessment, dynamic partner-assisted stretching, and PNF techniques to pinpoint and correct the exact dysfunction causing your pain—addressing the root problem so it doesn’t return.
Neck Pain Origins: Understanding Your Specific Problem
Neck pain usually arises from multiple factors. The cervical spine depends on dozens of muscles working together for smooth movement, and dysfunction in any area—tight muscles, weak stabilizers, poor posture, or faulty movement patterns—can create a chain reaction impacting your neck and upper body. Pinpointing the exact cause is the first step toward lasting relief.
Pain may stem from tight upper trapezius or levator scapulae muscles, weak deep neck flexors, restricted thoracic mobility, forward head posture, or nerve irritation. Most cases involve a combination of factors.
Why Your Specific Problem Matters
Generic treatments—standard stretches, exercises, or manual therapy—often fail because they don’t address your unique dysfunction. Professional treatment starts by pinpointing what’s actually driving your pain. Our assessment examines cervical mobility, deep neck stabilizers, shoulder and thoracic movement, posture, and movement patterns to create a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
The Movement Dysfunction Behind Chronic Neck Pain
Chronic neck pain often stems from movement dysfunction—your nervous system maintains restricted, protective patterns even after the original injury has healed. These patterns create constant tension and strain on your cervical structures.
Movement dysfunction also leads to compensations throughout your upper body. Limited neck mobility can cause the shoulders to overwork, while a tight thoracic spine forces the neck to move beyond its safe range. Over time, these patterns become ingrained, reducing efficiency and increasing strain.
Professional Assessment and Diagnosis
Effective treatment starts with a thorough evaluation. We assess neck, shoulder, and thoracic mobility, postural alignment, muscle activation, and movement quality during functional tasks. This reveals not only where restrictions exist, but why.
Many patients are surprised to find their actual problem differs from their assumption—what feels like a herniated disk may actually be restricted thoracic mobility and forward head posture, or perceived nerve pinching could stem from weak deep neck flexors and tight upper trapezius. Accurate diagnosis allows for targeted, effective treatment.
Dynamic Stretching for Cervical Mobility Restoration
Chronic neck tightness limits mobility and causes ongoing tension and pain. Static stretching often provides minimal relief because it doesn’t address the nervous system’s protective patterns. Dynamic partner-assisted stretching, guided by trained professionals, restores genuine mobility by safely moving your neck through its full range.
When Dr. Holum or Dr. Scardina apply dynamic stretching to tight upper trapezius or posterior neck muscles, your nervous system learns that full motion is safe. Protective guarding releases, mobility improves, and many patients feel immediate pain reduction.
Addressing Referred Pain and Nerve Irritation
Neck dysfunction can cause referred pain into the shoulders, arms, or hands due to muscle tension or nerve compression. Professional dynamic stretching releases this tension and restores alignment, often eliminating referred pain that patients assumed was a separate issue.
PNF for Nervous System Retraining
Your neck pain often involves nervous system dysfunction—protective patterns your nervous system learned to protect you from perceived threat. These patterns persist long after actual danger passes. PNF techniques specifically address this nervous system dysfunction by stimulating proprioceptors through precise movement patterns that reset how your nervous system controls your cervical spine.
When PNF is applied to your neck, your nervous system literally retrains its protective reflexes. The automatic muscle guarding that’s been creating your pain can be interrupted and reset. This neurological retraining produces rapid pain relief and lasting results because you’re not just treating symptoms—you’re retraining how your nervous system controls your neck.
Clinical Evidence: PNF and Cranio-Cervical Flexor Training for Chronic Neck Pain
The effectiveness of PNF for neck pain isn’t theoretical—it’s backed by clinical research. A randomized clinical trial examining the effect of PNF combined with cranio-cervical flexor training on chronic mechanical neck pain found that over 4 weeks, PNF significantly reduced pain and improved function, as measured by both the Neck Pain Rating Scale and Neck Disability Index, while also improving active cervical range of motion.
This research reflects what we do at StretchClub: PNF doesn’t just offer temporary relief—it retrains your neck muscles and proprioceptors for more efficient, pain-free movement. By targeting both physical factors (muscle activation and cervical mobility) and neurological components (proprioceptor retraining), PNF delivers lasting improvements in pain, function, and mobility. That’s why professional PNF treatment outperforms generic stretches or exercises—it addresses the root causes of your neck pain.
Posture and Daily Movement Pattern Correction
Your posture and movement patterns can either protect your neck or create constant strain. Forward head posture from desk work, poor sleeping positions, and inefficient daily movements all add stress to your cervical spine. Professional treatment identifies these patterns and teaches better alternatives.
Our team evaluates your workspace, sleeping habits, and daily movements, then guides you in proper positioning and mechanics. Correcting these patterns reduces the daily stress that perpetuates neck pain. Combined with professional stretching and strengthening, postural correction supports lasting relief.
Stress, Tension, and Emotional Neck Pain
Stress and anxiety directly increase neck tension. Shoulders rise, posterior neck muscles tighten, and protective guarding sets in, often leading to chronic neck pain. Professional treatment addresses both these emotional factors and the physical tension.
As your neck releases through professional stretching and PNF, your nervous system shifts from “fight or flight” to “rest and recover.” This not only reduces neck tension but also lowers overall stress and anxiety, providing both physical and emotional relief.
Neck Pain from Injury and Whiplash Recovery
Neck pain after an injury—especially whiplash—often stems from protective muscle guarding and nervous system sensitization. Post-injury pain can involve acute inflammation and heightened tension. Professional treatment uses injury-specific protocols to reduce inflammation and retrain protective patterns.
We coordinate directly with insurance, and most plans (including Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO) cover accident-related neck care. Treatment starts with gentle mobility restoration and tension release, then progresses to strengthening and functional retraining as healing allows.
Neck Strengthening and Stabilizer Retraining
Once mobility improves, deep cervical stabilizers are reactivated and strengthened. This isn’t a generic exercise—it’s hands-on guidance to properly engage stabilizers and build functional strength. By the end of treatment, your neck is stronger, more stable, and resilient, with improved movement patterns and long-term protection against recurring pain.
Your Path to Professional Neck Pain Relief
Neck pain doesn’t have to be permanent or managed for life. When treated professionally by practitioners who understand both the physical and neurological components of neck dysfunction, lasting relief is achievable. At StretchClub in Yorkville, we help you move from pain and restriction toward mobility, strength, and genuine relief.
Begin with a free consultation, where we’ll assess your neck mobility, pinpoint your specific restrictions, evaluate your posture and movement patterns, and explain how professional treatment can systematically relieve your pain. We’ll review your history, discuss your goals, and create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. Schedule your free assessment today by calling (630) 882-9695 or emailing info@stretchclub.com, and take the first step toward lasting neck pain relief.
FAQs
How do I know if my neck pain is from a disk versus muscle dysfunction?
Disk-related neck pain typically causes sharp, radiating pain into your arm or hand, or specific localized sharp pain. Muscle-related neck pain usually creates diffuse stiffness, restricted movement, and soreness that changes with activity and position. Our assessment can distinguish between the two. Most neck pain is actually muscle or movement-based rather than structural.
Why hasn’t stretching at home helped my neck pain?
Home stretching is passive and often doesn’t engage your nervous system’s protective patterns. Professional dynamic stretching actively retrains how your nervous system controls your neck, creating lasting changes that self-directed stretching cannot achieve. Many people are also stretching the wrong muscles or using improper technique, which sometimes makes problems worse.
Can neck pain from poor desk posture actually be resolved, or will I always have it?
Absolutely resolvable. Poor posture creates muscle imbalance and movement dysfunction that drives pain. Professional treatment addresses both the muscular tension and the movement dysfunction, then retrains your nervous system to maintain better posture. Combined with postural awareness and ergonomic improvements, lasting relief is achievable.
What if my neck pain has been chronic for years—can professional treatment still help?
Yes. Even long-standing neck pain often responds well to professional treatment because the underlying dysfunction—tight muscles, poor movement patterns, nervous system guarding—can be corrected regardless of duration. Longer-standing pain typically requires more consistent treatment, but improvement is very possible.
Will professional treatment help if my neck pain involves radiating symptoms down my arm?
Often, yes. Referred pain down your arm frequently stems from tight neck muscles irritating nerves, or poor cervical alignment creating nerve compression. Professional treatment releases the muscle tension and restores alignment, often eliminating radiating symptoms. However, severe or progressive neurological symptoms may require additional medical evaluation.
How long does professional neck treatment typically take to show results?
Many patients notice improved mobility and reduced pain within 1-2 sessions as protective tension releases. More substantial pain relief and functional improvement typically develop over 4-8 weeks of consistent treatment. Dr. Holum or Dr. Scardina will provide a specific timeline after your assessment based on your situation.
Can I do neck treatment while continuing to work, or must I take time off?
Professional neck treatment is designed to be compatible with work. We adjust intensity and demands based on your work requirements. In fact, returning to normal activity with proper movement patterns is part of recovery. We teach you work ergonomics and proper movement to prevent re-injury while you heal.
What’s the difference between your approach and standard physical therapy for neck pain?
Standard PT often uses generic protocols applied to all neck pain patients. Our approach begins with a comprehensive assessment of your specific problem, then designs a completely personalized treatment addressing your exact dysfunction. We also emphasize nervous system retraining through PNF and dynamic stretching, not just exercise and strengthening.
