Spine, jaw & nerve care
Find out what is actually causing it, then work to a plan that ends.
Signal Grove is a manual and rehabilitative chiropractic room. You get a full assessment before anyone touches your spine, a plain explanation of what we found, and a written plan with a visit count — not an open-ended schedule.
If your problem needs imaging, a GP, a dentist or a physiotherapist instead, we will tell you at the first visit and say why.
What comes through the door
Find your complaint, see how we’d approach it
Each of these follows a different assessment route, so the plan length differs too. The visit counts below are what we normally plan for before reassessing — they are an estimate we revise out loud, not a package.
Low back pain & sciatica
We separate joint-driven pain from disc or nerve-root involvement with movement testing, neural tension tests and reflex and strength checks before choosing a technique. Load management comes with it, because rest alone usually stalls.
Typical plan4–6 visits, reassessed at visit three
Neck, jaw & tension headache
Neck rotation, upper cervical joint play and jaw tracking get examined together, since one commonly drives the other. Grinding, mouthguard use and screen height all get asked about, and we coordinate with your dentist when the jaw leads.
Typical plan3–5 visits, plus a home routine
Mid-back & rib pain from desk work
Sharp pain on a deep breath or turning to reverse the car usually points at a rib joint rather than a muscle. We mobilise the segment, then rebuild rotation and overhead capacity so it stops recurring each quarter.
Typical plan2–4 visits, then self-managed
Shoulder & elbow overuse
Tendon problems respond to graded loading, not to adjustment alone. We test the tissue under load, treat the neck and mid-back if they are limiting the shoulder, and write you a progression you can actually keep up with.
Typical plan4–6 visits across 8 weeks
Pregnancy & postpartum pelvic pain
Side-lying and pregnancy-adapted table positions only, low-force techniques, and belt or support guidance where it helps. Postpartum work starts with breathing and pelvic floor coordination before any loading advice.
Typical planReviewed every 3 visits
Sport strains & return to training
We want to know your week: sessions, distances, loads and what changed before the pain started. Treatment restores the movement, then we plan the return in stages against your actual training calendar.
Typical plan3–5 visits, staged return
Your first hour
Nothing happens to you before it has been explained
The first appointment runs about an hour and follows the same four stages every time, so you always know what stage you are in and what comes next.
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01
Intake conversation
History, what makes it better or worse, sleep, work setup, previous treatment and what you want to get back to doing. No forms handed over in silence.
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02
Physical assessment
Movement screen, joint-by-joint testing, orthopaedic and neurological tests where relevant, and strength checks. We show you which test reproduced your pain.
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03
First treatment
Manipulation, low-force instrument work, soft-tissue release or mobilisation — chosen from the findings and described before it happens, including how it will feel.
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04
Written plan
Expected visit count, two or three home exercises, what to avoid this week, the date we reassess, and a referral letter if another clinician is the better option.
Before you come in
- Wear clothing you can move and bend in; shorts or leggings help for low back and hip assessment.
- Bring any recent scan reports and a list of medications you take regularly.
Good to know
- You can bring someone in with you, and you can decline any technique without it changing your plan.
- Follow-up visits are shorter — usually 25 minutes, with a reassessment built into every third one.
Request a visit
Tell us what is going on
Send the form and we will reply with two or three appointment times that fit the window you chose, plus a note on whether a first visit is the right next step for your problem.
- No referral needed to book an assessment.
- Nothing is charged or confirmed until you reply to the times we send.
- If it reads like something urgent, we will say so and point you to the right care.
Methods & equipment
What we use, and when we use it
Technique is chosen from the assessment and from what you are comfortable with. If you would rather not be manipulated, every complaint above has a low-force route.
- Diversified manipulation
- Specific, short-amplitude joint thrusts for spinal and rib segments that test as restricted. Described before it happens, and skipped on request.
- Low-force instrument adjusting
- A hand-held adjusting instrument for patients who prefer no manual thrust, for acute presentations, and for pregnancy and older-adult care.
- Soft-tissue & myofascial release
- Trigger-point pressure, pin-and-stretch and cupping for tissue that is limiting range around the treated joint.
- Mobilisation & traction
- Graded oscillatory joint work and manual decompression for nerve-root irritation or where thrust technique is not indicated.
- Rehabilitation prescription
- Two or three exercises at a time with sets, frequency and a progression date. Written down, never a verbal list you forget in the car.
- Taping & support guidance
- Rigid or elastic taping for short-term load relief, plus honest advice on belts and braces, including when they hold you back.
- Gait & workstation review
- Walking and running observation, and a look at your desk, chair and screen heights from photos you bring in.
- Pregnancy-adapted table
- Adjustable table and side-lying setups so treatment stays comfortable through every trimester.
Who you’ll see
One clinician, start to finish
Every appointment at Signal Grove is with Dr. Imogen Vale. You are not assessed by one person and treated by another, and you will not be handed between rooms mid-plan.
Imogen works from the assessment outwards: joints that test restricted get treated, tissue that limits them gets released, and the capacity that failed gets loaded again. She talks through her reasoning while she works, because patients who understand the mechanism tend to keep doing the exercises.
She also refers out readily. Suspected fracture, inflammatory or infective patterns, unexplained weight loss, progressive neurological signs, or jaw pain with a dental cause all belong elsewhere, and saying so on day one is part of the job.
- Plans are written with an end point
- No pre-paid visit blocks
- Low-force option for every complaint
- Referral letters written the same day
Clinic hours
- Monday
- 8:00 – 18:00
- Tuesday
- 7:30 – 19:30 · new-patient evening
- Wednesday
- 8:00 – 18:00
- Thursday
- 7:30 – 19:30 · new-patient evening
- Friday
- 8:00 – 14:00
- Saturday
- 8:30 – 12:30, alternating weeks
- Sunday
- Closed
Common questions
The things people ask before booking
If the answer you need is not here, put the question in the notes field of the request form and it will be answered before you are asked to commit to an appointment.
Does an adjustment hurt?
Most people describe the adjustment itself as a brief pressure and release rather than pain. Where the area is already irritated, we use lower-force technique instead. It is normal to feel mildly achy for a day afterwards, similar to the day after unfamiliar exercise; sharp or worsening pain is not normal and we want to hear about it.
Do I need a referral or a scan before I come?
No referral is needed to book an assessment. Scans are rarely necessary for common back and neck pain and can be misleading, since changes on imaging are often present in people with no symptoms at all. If your examination shows something that genuinely needs imaging, we will write to your GP rather than guess.
How many visits will I actually need?
The plan lengths listed by each complaint above are our honest starting estimates, usually between two and six visits before a reassessment. At that reassessment we either progress you, change approach, or finish. We do not sell visit blocks or maintenance schedules, and you will never be asked to commit to a number at the front desk.
Is the popping sound a problem?
The sound is gas releasing inside the joint as pressure changes, and it is not a measure of how well the treatment worked. Some effective adjustments are silent, and some noisy joints were not the source of the problem. We would rather you judge the visit on whether your movement and pain changed.
Can I be treated while pregnant?
Yes. Treatment uses side-lying and pregnancy-adapted table positions, low-force technique, and no aggressive abdominal or deep pelvic pressure. We focus on the pelvis, low back and ribs, and add support-belt or positioning guidance where it helps. If your obstetric team has asked for any restrictions, bring them with you and we will work inside them.
What if chiropractic is not the right fit for my problem?
Then you will be told at the first visit, and you will not be charged for a plan you do not need. Some problems belong with a GP, a dentist, a physiotherapist, a podiatrist or a specialist, and some need investigation before any hands-on care. We write the referral letter the same day and explain what to ask for.
What should I wear, and how long will I be there?
Wear something you can move in — shorts, leggings or loose trousers, and a top that allows shoulder movement. Gowns are available if you prefer. The first appointment runs about an hour end to end; follow-up visits are around 25 minutes, with a reassessment built into every third visit.