Have a question about chiropractic care, back or neck pain, sport injuries, pregnancy or headaches? We've answered the ones we hear most often below. These answers are general information. Everyone's different, and it's important to see a registered health professional about your own situation.
Book online or contact us. You can also call Applecross on (08) 6311 7646 or Osborne Park on 0435 668 595.
The crack or pop some people hear during a neck adjustment is a gas bubble being released in the joint, similar to cracking a knuckle. Not every technique makes that sound, and not every visit involves a neck adjustment.
Chiropractors may use hands-on adjustments, gentler mobilisations, or instrument-assisted methods, depending on your symptoms and what you're comfortable with. Nothing should be done without an explanation and your consent. If you'd rather a technique that doesn't involve a thrust or a click, say so and we can usually adapt.
There isn't one technique that's right for everyone. The better question is which approach suits your symptoms, your comfort and the findings of the examination.
That might include spinal or joint mobilisation, a manual adjustment, soft-tissue work, exercise, or a mix. We'll explain what we're suggesting and why, and you can say no to any technique. The aim is a plan that makes sense for you, not a favourite method applied to every person.
For many people, a back-pain flare settles with gentle movement, short walks, and avoiding heavy lifting for a few days. Heat or a cold pack, used for 15 to 20 minutes, may ease discomfort. Long periods of bed rest usually aren't helpful.
It's also worth looking at how you sit at work, how you lift, and whether you've jumped back into training too quickly. If the pain isn't settling, keeps returning, or is stopping you working or sleeping, an assessment can help you work out the next step. If you have red-flag symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, fever, trauma, or bladder or bowel changes, see a GP or emergency care first.
Neck pain can come from joints, muscles, discs or nerve irritation, and the useful options depend on the cause. They may include movement and strengthening, changes to your desk or pillow, hands-on treatment such as mobilisation or soft-tissue work, and, where it's appropriate, dry needling or massage.
There's no single option that suits everyone, and we won't promise long-term relief. After an assessment we'll talk through what may help and what you can try at home. If neck pain comes with headaches, arm symptoms or dizziness, mention that when you book.
A sore neck and shoulder often travel together, especially after desk work, driving or training. An assessment looks at how the neck, shoulder blade and shoulder joint are moving, not just the spot that hurts.
Treatment, if it's suitable, may include manual therapy, exercise and simple changes to your day. We'll also tell you if the shoulder looks like something a GP or scan should review first, such as a suspected tear or an acute injury that isn't settling.
In the short term, many people find it useful to keep gently moving, use heat or a cold pack for 15 to 20 minutes, and check their screen height and pillow. Over-the-counter pain relief is a question for your pharmacist or GP, not something we can prescribe or recommend in a general article.
If the stiffness keeps coming back, or you get headaches or arm symptoms with it, it's worth being assessed. A chiropractor or physiotherapist can look at the joints and muscles involved and suggest a plan. Our guide to neck pain from desk work has practical starting points.
A herniated, or bulging, disc is a common finding, especially as we get older, and it doesn't always explain the pain you're feeling. Many people manage well with conservative care, which may include chiropractic or physiotherapy, movement and time.
We can assess your symptoms, explain what your scans (if you have them) may mean, and discuss a cautious plan. We don't manipulate through acute neurological warning signs, and a disc finding is not a promise that treatment will put it back or fix the pain. If you have progressive weakness or bladder or bowel changes, seek medical or emergency care. Our article on disc bulges and MRI goes into this in more detail.
Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine. Chiropractic care does not straighten or cure scoliosis, and we won't claim that regular visits will do that. Some people with scoliosis find that manual therapy and exercise help them with associated stiffness or discomfort, but that is about symptoms, not changing the curve.
If you have scoliosis, especially if it is new, progressing, or in a young person still growing, a GP and the appropriate specialist or physiotherapy pathway should guide care. We can work alongside that plan if symptom relief is the goal, and we'll be honest about what we can and can't do.
Squatting puts a fair load through the knee, hips and ankles, so pain can come from a few places. Common contributors include irritation of the tissues around the kneecap, a recent increase in training, limited ankle or hip movement, or a past injury that still affects how you load the joint.
A chiropractor or physiotherapist can look at how you squat and what's around the knee, then suggest whether technique changes, strength work, or a short period of modified training may help. It isn't always a misalignment, and it doesn't always need hands-on treatment.
Running knee pain is common and often related to a sudden jump in distance or hills, weakness or tightness in the hip or calf, or how the knee is loading over time. It can also be a specific injury, such as patellar tendon irritation.
It's worth getting it assessed if it's changing how you run, lasting more than a short niggle, or coming back each time you train. We can look at this at Applecross or Osborne Park, and our article on running knee pain is a useful starting point. If the knee is swollen, locked, or followed a twist or fall, see a GP or get assessed promptly.
Walking downhill or downstairs loads the front of the knee more than walking on the flat, so it's a common aggravator. People often describe this with patellofemoral pain, which is discomfort around the kneecap, or with irritation of the patellar tendon.
It isn't always a kneecap out of place. An assessment can look at strength, load and how the hip, knee and ankle share the work, and may include exercise, temporary activity changes, or taping if it helps you move more comfortably. If the knee swells, locks or gives way, get it checked promptly.
Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is when the shoulder becomes progressively stiff and painful, and everyday movements such as reaching behind your back or overhead become difficult. It often develops gradually and can last many months.
Care usually focuses on keeping as much comfortable movement as you can, easing pain, and building use of the arm over time. Hands-on treatment, exercise and, in some cases, dry needling may be part of that, but recovery is often slow and we won't promise a short timeline. A GP should also be involved if the diagnosis is unclear or pain is severe, as other options can be appropriate.
It depends on which ligament, how badly it's injured, and how the joint is loaded while it heals. Mild sprains often settle over a few weeks. More significant injuries can take several months, and some need a GP or specialist opinion, including about whether surgery is being considered.
We can help with assessment, early advice on what to protect and what to keep moving, and a strengthening plan as things settle. We can't speed healing beyond what the tissue will allow, and we won't suggest you skip a medical review when it's needed.
Injuries happen for a mix of reasons: a sudden incident, a spike in training load, tired technique, previous injury, or simply not enough recovery. Posture, footwear and the work you do during the day can also add up.
You can't remove every risk. Sensible steps include building load gradually, warming up in a way that matches what you're about to do, and paying attention when pain is changing your movement. If you're coming back from an injury, an assessment can help you plan that return more carefully.
Getting an injury assessed, and having a clear plan, can reduce the chance of you compensating in a way that stirs up something else, or returning to sport or work too quickly. It also helps you tell a normal niggle from something that needs a GP or scan.
Management isn't always hands-on treatment. Sometimes it's a short period of modified activity, a few targeted exercises, and a realistic timeline. If we think you don't need us, we'll say so.
Prevention is really about managing load, strength and recovery, especially if you've had a problem before, you play sport, or you're increasing training. It can include looking at how you move, building strength where you need it, and planning the week so spikes in load are smaller.
It doesn't mean you won't get injured, and it isn't only for athletes. If you'd like a plan around a particular sport or a return from injury, we can talk that through at an assessment.
Back pain is common in pregnancy. As the baby grows, your centre of gravity changes, ligaments can become more lax under the influence of pregnancy hormones, and the muscles of the back and pelvis work differently. Existing back or pelvic issues can also flare.
Gentle movement such as walking or swimming, attention to how you sit and sleep, and a supportive pillow may help some people. If you're considering hands-on care, it should be adapted for pregnancy and agreed with you. We don't claim to treat or improve the pregnancy itself, and you should also talk with your midwife or GP, especially if the pain is severe, one-sided with swelling, or doesn't feel like ordinary musculoskeletal pain.
Some pregnant people see a chiropractor for back or pelvic discomfort. If we see you, the assessment and any treatment are adapted, and nothing is done without your consent. Techniques can be gentler, and some positions or methods won't be used.
Chiropractic care is not a treatment for pregnancy, labour or the baby, and we won't claim it is safe or effective for every expectant parent. If you're considering a visit, mention that you're pregnant when you book, and keep your midwife or GP in the loop, particularly if you have any complications.
Lower back pain after having a baby is common. Ligaments and abdominal muscles have been stretched, you're often lifting, feeding and carrying in awkward positions, and sleep is usually short. Pelvic girdle pain can also continue after birth.
Rest where you can, be careful with heavy lifting, and gentle movement to rebuild strength often helps. If the pain is lingering, an assessment can look at the back, pelvis and how you're carrying or feeding, and suggest a cautious plan. If you have severe pain, fever, calf swelling, or anything that doesn't feel right, contact your GP or maternity care first.
Period pain is usually managed with advice from your GP or a women's health professional, and that should be the first point of call if pain is severe, new, or changing. Some people also look at heat, gentle movement and over-the-counter options recommended by a pharmacist or doctor.
The evidence that chiropractic care treats period pain or changes hormones is limited, and we don't claim to restore hormone balance or treat menstrual conditions. If you also have back or pelvic pain around that time of the month, we can assess the musculoskeletal side and talk about what, if anything, may be reasonable to try.
Migraine is a medical condition, and a GP should be involved in diagnosis and medical management. Some people with migraine also have neck pain or muscle tension, and a chiropractor or physiotherapist may help with that part of the picture. That is not the same as treating or preventing migraine itself.
We won't claim we can find the root cause of your migraines or promise fewer episodes. If you'd like us to look at the neck and musculoskeletal side, we can do that alongside your medical care, and we'll refer you back to your GP if anything is outside our scope.
If you'd rather talk it through, book a visit or start with a free screening. That's a short chat and a few simple movement checks to see whether chiro or physio may suit you. It isn't treatment, and there's no obligation. You can also contact us, call Applecross on (08) 6311 7646, or call Osborne Park on 0435 668 595.
Information on this page is general in nature. Everyone's different, and individual results vary. Please see a registered health professional for advice about your situation.