Looking for a chiropractor in Palo Alto? Palo Alto Spine and Functional Health treats back pain, neck pain, headaches, sciatica, and sports and car accident injuries with hands-on care and rehabilitation. Here's what we do, who we see, and what the evidence says.
What the Research Says About Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care has moved well past the point of needing to justify itself on anecdote. In its 2017 guideline, the American College of Physicians told doctors to start acute and subacute back pain with non-drug care, and spinal manipulation, the core of chiropractic care, is named among the first-line treatments for back pain. A JAMA meta-analysis of 26 randomized trials backs that up, finding that spinal manipulation for low back pain improved pain and function with side effects that were minor and temporary.
The evidence extends well beyond the lower back. In a year-long trial of 272 adults, chiropractic care for neck pain beat medication at every follow-up point. For headaches that originate in the neck, a controlled trial of chiropractic treatment for headaches cut headache hours by 69%. And when manipulative therapy for shoulder pain was added to standard care, twice as many patients had recovered at 12 weeks, 43% compared with 21%.
None of this means manipulation is the answer to everything, and a good chiropractor will tell you when it isn't. What the research does show is that for a wide range of common musculoskeletal problems, skilled hands-on care combined with exercise is a well-supported first step, often before medication, injections, or surgery come into the conversation.
What a Chiropractor Actually Does
Chiropractors are licensed healthcare providers trained to diagnose and treat problems of the spine, joints, muscles, and nerves. The work starts with figuring out why something hurts, not just where. A sore shoulder might trace back to a stiff upper back; knee pain might have as much to do with the hip as the knee itself. Treatment follows from that assessment.
The core tools are spinal and joint adjustments to restore motion, soft-tissue work to release muscles that have tightened up to protect an injured area, and corrective exercise to rebuild strength and control so the problem doesn't keep coming back. Advice on how you sit, sleep, lift, and train fills in the rest. The goal is to get you moving well on your own, not to keep you coming in indefinitely.
Conditions We Treat
Most people come to us for one of a handful of problems: low back pain, neck pain, headaches that start in the neck, sciatica, and shoulder pain. We also see a lot of hip and knee pain, carpal tunnel and wrist complaints, pinched nerves, and frozen shoulder. Sports injuries make up a big share of our practice, as do injuries from car accidents, where early care can make a real difference in how fully someone recovers.
Our Services
Chiropractic adjustments. Precise, controlled techniques to restore motion to joints that have stiffened up, tailored to your body and comfort level.
Functional rehabilitation. Targeted exercise programs that rebuild strength, stability, and movement patterns, so the improvements you make in the clinic hold up in daily life.
Sports injury care. Treatment and return-to-play planning for runners, cyclists, tennis players, lifters, and anyone else whose training has been interrupted by pain.
Auto accident and complex injury care. Evaluation and treatment for whiplash and other injuries after a collision, along with coordination with other providers when an injury involves more than one system.
Weight loss and nutrition. Guidance on nutrition and weight management, which can ease the load on painful joints and support overall recovery.
Who We See in Palo Alto
- Tech professionals — Long days at a screen, back-to-back calls, and a laptop that follows them home. Neck pain, headaches, and low back stiffness are the usual result.
- Active adults and athletes — Runners on the Dish loop, cyclists on Old La Honda, tennis players, and gym regulars dealing with an injury that's keeping them from training.
- Parents — Lifting, carrying, and bending all day, usually in a rush, with back and shoulder pain as the price.
- People recovering from a car accident — Even a low-speed collision can leave neck and back problems that are easier to address early than months later.
Your First Visit: What to Expect
Your initial appointment is a comprehensive 3-step process designed to move you from pain to performance. It is a paid visit, separate from the free consultation.
Medical history review, orthopedic and neurological testing, and biomechanical analysis to understand not just where it hurts, but why it hurts.
We sit down with you to explain what is causing your pain, our recommended recovery plan, and how long we expect your recovery to take.
When it is possible and safe to do so, we begin your first phase of therapy during your first visit: gentle spinal adjustments, manual soft-tissue therapy, or initial corrective exercises.