Neck and headache
Neck and headache
Hands-on physical therapy for a stiff or sore neck and for headaches that start at the base of the skull.
Long days at a desk or a steering wheel, an old injury, a pillow that has stopped working: the neck carries a lot. Lien checks how your neck, upper back and shoulders move, works on the muscles and joints that are stuck, and shows you how to keep them moving between visits.
Is this for you
This care is for you if…
Turning your head is a chore
Checking a blind spot, looking up at a shelf or sleeping on one side has become something you plan around.
Headaches seem to start in your neck
They begin at the base of your skull or behind an eye, and your neck feels tight when they do.
Your desk or your drive is part of it
Hours at a screen, a tractor cab or a truck seat leave your neck and shoulders locked.
You want a plan, not a pill
You want to understand what is going on and what you can do about it yourself, alongside whatever your doctor advises.
A visit
What a visit looks like
- 01
Step 1: About an hour, with Lien
The first visit is about an hour. Later visits are shorter. Lien treats every one herself.
- 02
Step 2: An exam of the whole chain
She looks at your neck, upper back, shoulders and jaw, because they work together.
- 03
Step 3: Care, then something to take home
Hands-on work, a few movements to repeat at home, and a talk about what decides your next step.
Our part
What we do
Manual therapy
Hands-on work on the joints and muscles of the neck and upper back, at a pressure you set.
Soft tissue work
Gentle joint mobilization
Pressure you control
Movement
A short set of movements for your neck and shoulder blades, adjusted as you change.
Two or three at a time
Built around your day
Dry needling, where state law allows
For some people, and only if you agree after Lien explains it. It is never a first step.
Offered where state law allows
Explained, with its risks, first
The practical part
Visits, who treats you, and paying
What decides how many visits
It depends on what we find, how long it has been going on, what your days ask of your neck and how you respond. Lien tells you what decides it and checks in as you go. We do not promise a number of visits.
Who treats you
Lien Doan, a physical therapist licensed in South Dakota, treats every visit herself. She does not hand you to an assistant.
About LienHow it is paid for
We bill many kinds of plans, or you can pay on the day. You get a written estimate before your first visit if you pay without insurance.
How fees work
When to see a doctor first
Call 911 for a sudden, severe headache or neck pain, trouble speaking or seeing, new weakness or numbness, or after a fall or crash with a head or neck injury. See a physician first for headaches that are new or getting worse, fever with a stiff neck, or numbness that spreads down an arm. Lien will tell you if she thinks you should be seen by a doctor before you start.
- Chest pain, trouble breathing, a sudden severe headache or pain, new weakness or numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or a fall with a head injury needs emergency care now. Call 911.
Questions about this care
Do you treat headaches?
We treat the neck, and for some people the neck is part of their headaches. Lien checks whether yours fit that pattern, and tells you if they do not or if you should see a physician.
Do you crack my neck?
Lien uses gentle hands-on work, and she explains what she plans to do before she does it. You can say no to any technique.
Should I stop seeing my doctor?
No. Physical therapy works alongside your doctor's advice. Lien writes to your doctor if you want her to.
Ready to book a first visit?
Choose a time online, or call and talk to Sherry first.