Saltmeadow Family Chiropractic Call

Back and neck pain care in Sarasota

Most new back and neck pain gets better within a few weeks. We help you stay active while it does, teach you exercises that may lower the chance it comes back, and look further if it does not.

A practitioner rests her hands on the upper back of a woman lying face down on a treatment table

What we check first

A man in a gray t-shirt lies face up on a treatment table while a clinician in navy scrubs stands at a desk.

We start with your story: when it began, what helps, what hurts. Then we watch you move and test strength and reflexes.

We also check for signs that need a physician instead of us. If we find one, we tell you that day and help you get seen.

What a visit looks like

A man in a gray t-shirt lies on a yoga mat in a sunny living room with knees bent and feet flat

Most visits combine an adjustment, soft tissue work and one or two exercises. If you prefer less force, we use an instrument or a drop table.

  • First visit: about an hour
  • Follow-up visits: about thirty minutes
  • Home plan: two or three exercises, written down

If you are not clearly better after a few visits, we change the plan or refer you.

Questions about back and neck pain

Should I use ice or heat?

For a fresh strain, ice often feels better for the first day or two. For stiffness that has lasted weeks, heat often helps. Use whichever helps you move, about 15 minutes at a time.

When is back pain an emergency?

Go to the emergency room for back pain with numbness in the groin or inner thighs, new loss of bladder or bowel control, new weakness in a leg, fever, or after a fall or car accident.

Do I need an MRI first?

Usually not. We refer for imaging when the exam points to something it would change, such as a suspected fracture or a nerve problem that is getting worse.

Reviewed by Dr. Simone Ekwueme, DC, October 7, 2026