Stapleton Chiropractic - trusted by Adelaide families for over 50 years
528 Marion Road · Plympton Park · Adelaide
That stiff or tight neck after screens, desk work, or a long drive can make turning your head and sleeping harder than they should be. If you want to feel better and get a clearer picture of what may be going on, book a first visit: 7am to 7pm weekdays, Saturday mornings, and free on-site parking on Marion Road.
Neck pain is aching, stiffness, or restricted movement in the cervical spine. It may stay local, or it may travel into the shoulder, arm, or the base of the skull. A chiropractic assessment with Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor) may help map what may be contributing and discuss suitable options. Individual presentations vary.
Everyone starts somewhere different.
Tap the one that sounds like you.
Clear steps. You stay in control of what happens next.
Your story, work demands, and what is getting in the way of normal days.
Movement, relevant orthopaedic tests, and a careful look at the area that bothers you.
Where possible, treatment may be provided on the first visit.*
*Only where clinically appropriate, based on clinical need and suitability. Individual responses vary.
What we found, what it may mean for you, and sensible options from here.
If care may help, we outline options. You choose whether and how to proceed.
Assessment findings and any care offered are individual. Treatment is only provided where clinically appropriate. Individual responses vary.
Clear numbers. No surprises.
SA average: $122*
SA average: $71*
After your assessment, you choose how you'd like to proceed. You choose what happens next.
*Australian Chiropractors Association Consultation Fee Survey 2025 (SA data). All care is provided subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability. Individual responses to treatment vary.
The five things people usually want cleared first.
Yes. Neck pain and stiffness are among the most common reasons people book here. Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor) examines you, explains what he finds in clear language, and maps a next step. Individual responses vary. If this is not the right path, we say so and help refer and point you in the right direction.
Initial consultation $69. Standard visit $60. Over 40% below the SA average of $122 (ACA Fee Survey 2025). All major health funds accepted.
All major private health funds accepted where your cover applies.
No. Book directly. Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor) is happy to correspond with your GP when that is useful.
Your first visit is a real examination. Findings are explained in clear language. If it is not the right fit here, we say so and help refer and point you in the right direction. You choose what happens next.
More questions further down the page. All care is provided subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability. Individual responses vary.
Choose a time that suits. No referral needed.
Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor)
B.Sc.(Chiro), M.Chiro.(Macq) · Marion Road, Adelaide
$69
Initial consultation
Open the live diary and pick a time that suits
Prefer to call? (08) 8297 5277
All care is provided subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability. Individual responses to treatment vary.
Deeper answers if you want them. The booking path is still above.
Not always. Screens, desk posture, and long drives are common, but they are not the full story by itself.
Your visit is where we work out what may be contributing to your symptoms and what is sensible next. That may include care here, a short watch-and-review plan, imaging, or referral if that is the wiser path.
528 Marion Road, Plympton Park SA 5038. Free on-site parking at the clinic. Easy access via the main road if you are already driving past. Open in Maps.
There is no fixed number for everyone. Progress is reviewed regularly. Individual responses vary.
Not always. Imaging when clinically indicated. X-rays only with your agreement. Some pathways may be bulk billed where eligible.
You do not need a GP referral to see a chiropractor in Australia. If sudden severe neck pain with neurological signs, rapidly progressing weakness, or trauma with severe pain is present, start with your GP or emergency care. For a more typical mechanical presentation, starting here is a common path. We will coordinate with your GP when imaging or further review is indicated.
Many people with neck pain are managed conservatively. Hands-on care is not right for every presentation. A careful assessment helps decide whether manual therapy is suitable, which techniques fit, and whether a gentler low-force option is wiser. Temporary soreness can occur after treatment. Serious adverse events are uncommon. Red flags go to medical services first.
Yes. The upper neck shares pathways with the head and face. A restricted or tight neck may sit with pain at the base of the skull, temples, or behind the eyes. That is one possible pattern, not a diagnosis from a webpage. See our headaches page if the head story is louder, or book so we can assess both together.
Forcefully twisting your own neck is different from a controlled chiropractic adjustment. Repeated self-cracking is not recommended. It often targets joints that already move too much. If you feel the urge to crack your neck often, an assessment may help identify what may be contributing.
Your pillow can play a role, especially if you wake stiff and then ease as the day goes on. Side sleepers often need more height. Back sleepers often need less. What helps you is individual. We can talk this through after assessment rather than selling a one-size pillow rule.
Clicking or popping is common and often not a concern on its own. If the sound comes with pain, locking, or numbness or tingling in the arms or hands, that is worth an assessment.
Both are qualified to assess neck pain. Here the first visit is an honest check of joint, muscle, and nerve-root clues. If physio or something else may fit better, Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor) will say so and help refer and point you in the right direction.
Yes. Stress may contribute to sustained tension through the neck, shoulders, and jaw. We cannot remove the stress from your week. We can assess the mechanical pattern that sits with it. Individual presentations vary.
There is no public timeline that fits everyone. Some episodes settle with time and sensible activity. Waiting is not always the best option if pain is severe or function is affected. Progress is reviewed regularly. Individual responses vary. We do not publish recovery timeframes.
Many people continue to drive if they can do so safely. If pain, weakness, or restricted turning affects mirror checks or concentration, do not drive and seek medical advice. We can discuss sitting comfort after assessment. This is not a driving clearance.
Looking down to feed, carrying on one hip, long night shifts, and patient-handling postures may all load the neck. Saturday mornings and 7am to 7pm weekdays are there so a first visit can sit around family or shift work. Assessment still decides what is sensible next.
Several patterns may look similar. Tap a card. Assessment decides. Nothing here is a diagnosis.
General information only. This is not a diagnosis and does not replace a proper clinical assessment. Individual presentations vary. All care is provided subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability.
Neck pain often sits next to these presentations. Tap a card for more detail. This list is not exhaustive.
Pain at the base of the skull, temples, or behind the eyes that sits with a stiff neck.
Tap for more
Arm, hand, or finger symptoms that may start in the neck.
Tap for more Disc-related irritation may stay local or travel into the arm. Assessment decides.
Tap for more
Neck and lower-back stories sometimes sit in the same week. They are assessed as their own patterns.
Tap for moreThis list is not exhaustive. If care is not the right fit here, we can help refer and point you in the right direction.
Tap for moreGeneral information only. This is not a diagnosis and does not replace a proper clinical assessment. Individual presentations vary.
Many neck presentations are mechanical. Call 000 or attend ED if you develop any of the following.
Sudden severe neck pain or headache with dizziness, visual change, difficulty speaking, facial droop, or unsteadiness.
Unsteady walking, hand clumsiness, numbness or weakness in both arms, or new bladder or bowel change.
Weakness, numbness, or tingling in the arms, hands, or legs that is getting worse rather than better.
Neck pain after a major fall or crash, or new neck pain with fever, night pain that wakes you, or a history of cancer.
General information only, not medical advice. This is not an exhaustive list. If you are unsure, contact your GP, healthdirect on 1800 022 222, or emergency services.
A short orientation only. Tap a card. Assessment decides. Nothing here is a diagnosis.
General information only. This is not a diagnosis and does not replace a proper clinical assessment. Individual presentations vary. All care is provided subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability.
Sometimes. Not always. The starting point is a careful assessment, not a label.
The cervical discs sit between the vertebrae of the neck. Load, sitting, and looking down at a screen may contribute to local ache. If a nearby nerve root is also irritated, pain may travel into the shoulder, arm, or hand.
A cervical disc bulge or herniation is one possible contributor. It is not the only one. Pain that stays local after screens or a night of poor sleep may relate to joints, discs, or soft tissue. Pain that travels into the arm and flares with a cough or sneeze may relate to a nerve root. Those clues help. They do not diagnose you from a webpage.
Guideline-level care for neck pain usually starts conservative, with red-flag screening, then review. Read more on our slipped disc page or pinched nerve page if that story sounds closer, or book so we can assess your pattern.
General information only. This is not a diagnosis and does not replace a proper clinical assessment. Individual presentations vary. All care is provided subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability. Individual responses to treatment vary.
Guideline and review-level context for conversation. Individual responses vary. This is not a personal prognosis.
A Cochrane review of 27 randomised trials reported moderate-quality evidence that cervical manipulation and mobilisation produced similar effects on pain, function, and satisfaction. The review also reported that multimodal care combining manual therapy with exercise was beneficial for subacute and chronic mechanical neck disorders. Study context, not a prediction for you.
Gross et al., 2010 · PMID 20510644
A randomised trial of 272 people published in the Annals of Internal Medicine compared spinal manipulative therapy with medication for neck pain. In that trial, manipulative therapy was associated with greater pain reduction for some participants. Individual responses vary.
Bronfort et al., 2012 · PMID 22213489
The JOSPT neck-pain guideline recommends thoracic manipulation, cervical manipulation or mobilisation, range-of-motion exercise, and strengthening across acute, subacute, and chronic neck pain when suitable. That is guideline context, not a personal plan.
Blanpied et al., 2017 · JOSPT neck pain CPG
The Bone and Joint Decade Task Force reviewed a large evidence set and favoured approaches that emphasise activity and return to function over purely passive care for neck pain. Assessment still decides what is sensible for you.
Haldeman et al., 2008 · PMID 18204386
A dual-centre randomised trial studied spinal manipulation for cervicogenic headache. That is study context for a headache-linked neck pattern, not a promise that your headaches will change.
Haas et al., 2018 · PMID 29481979
The UK evidence report summarises where manual therapies may help musculoskeletal presentations, including neck pain. Suitability depends on assessment. Adverse events in reviews are generally described as minor and transient.
Bronfort et al., 2010 · PMID 20184717
Research in Australian office workers found new neck-pain episodes are common across a work year. Desk and device load is a clue, not a diagnosis. Hush and colleagues reported this pattern in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders in 2009.
Hush et al., 2009 · BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Serious pathology is uncommon. Screening still matters. Sudden severe neck pain with neurological signs, progressive weakness, or trauma with severe pain means urgent medical care first.
Conversation context, not a personal prognosis
Care is discussed after assessment. Progress is reviewed regularly. If imaging, your GP, or another path is wiser, we say so. In-house cold laser may be discussed if a soft-tissue picture fits. Ask at your visit. Individual responses vary.
Conversation context, not a personal prognosis
Citations support a conversation. They do not promise your outcome. Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor) will explain what he finds and what is sensible next. You choose.
Book a first visit to apply this to you
| Question | Chiropractic here | Physiotherapy |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Cervical and upper-back mechanics, screening, and hands-on care including adjustments where suitable | Often more exercise-focused or soft-tissue-centric |
| Exercise | Exercises and stretches may be prescribed where appropriate, alongside hands-on care | Exercise rehabilitation is often a main focus |
| Soft tissue | In-house cold laser may be discussed if a soft-tissue picture fits. Ask at your visit | Soft-tissue work varies by clinic |
| Referral needed? | No. Book directly | No |
| Plan or contract? | You choose the next step | Varies by clinic |
| If this is not the right fit | We refer and point you in the right direction | Your physio may refer on |
Citations support conversation, not a guarantee. Not a diagnosis. Individual responses vary. All care is provided subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability.
Three common situations. Tap a card. This is orientation, not a diagnosis.
General information only. This is not a diagnosis and does not replace a proper clinical assessment. Individual presentations vary.
What you need for a smooth first visit.
528 Marion Road, Plympton Park SA 5038 Free on-site parking at the clinic.
Get directionsAll major health funds accepted where your cover applies.
Comfortable clothing. Recent imaging or reports if you have them. No referral needed.
on Marion Road
Est. 1972
