l Written by Dr. Kim Ju-min at The Wells Clinic
l Edited by Sia, The Pylon Square
As a board-certified neurologist and the director of The Wells Clinic in Seoul, I treat chronic neck pain through a combination of neurological diagnosis and manual therapy. That approach grew out of my own experience: a herniated cervical disc that first appeared during my residency and kept recurring no matter what I tried.
I tried a range of treatments — injections, medication, acupuncture, and herbal medicine. Each of them eased the pain for a while, but none of them actually kept it from returning.
That's when I found chiropractic manual therapy — a non-surgical, hands-on approach. It's what I've built my practice around ever since.
Finding the Cause, Restoring Nerve Function
Manual therapy is a treatment in which, under an accurate diagnosis from a specialist, a doctor or physical therapist uses their hands to realign a patient's spine or joints to treat pain and correct posture. In Korea, it's most often used in orthopedics, pain management, and neurosurgery clinics, typically as a way to relax the body after an injection.
By combining stretching, exercise, and manual therapy myself, I was able to resolve my own chronic neck pain. That experience made me want to learn the treatment properly, so I traveled beyond Korea to the United States, Canada, Italy, Japan, and Singapore to train with manual therapy specialists, and I've continued studying treatment methods ever since.
Where It Started: Neurology and Manual Therapy in the U.S.
American manual therapy associations have long fostered collaboration between neurologists and chiropractors.
At the Parker Performance Institute in Dallas, for example, a board-certified neurologist examines the patient first. Based on those results, a licensed chiropractor consults with the neurologist to determine exactly which areas need correction. Together, they carry out spinal manual therapy, physical therapy to restore nerve function, and exercises and stretches suited to the patient.
In the End, Pain Is Felt by the Brain
It isn't the muscle. It isn't the spine. In the end, pain is something the brain feels — and that's where a neurologist can make a real difference.
The more I practiced manual therapy, the more I came to see that it isn't simply about relieving pain. It's about finding the root cause, correcting a misaligned spine, and restoring function to the nerves that spine had been compressing.
That means running an accurate neurological exam, locating the source of the problem, releasing muscles that have tightened, strengthening muscles that have weakened, and carrying that treatment through to completion.
Why Treating the Neck Alone Isn't Enough
"I felt fine for a while after treatment, but now my neck hurts again."
I hear this again and again from patients with a herniated disc or chronic pain. That pain isn't shaped by the muscles, joints, and nerves around the neck alone — posture, movement, and daily habits play a part too. So there's one more question worth asking:
"Alongside treating the neck pain itself, are we also looking at why the neck keeps being put under strain?"
The Cause May Not Be the Neck at All
The neck connects the head to the torso. Because it has to support the weight of the head while moving in every direction, the muscles and joints around it are constantly working and tensing throughout the day.
Habits like spending long hours on a computer or phone, chewing mostly on one side, or clenching the jaw under stress can all shift how the head and neck sit and move over time.
So when assessing recurring pain, it helps to look at all of the following together:
- The current state of the cervical disc and nerves
- Any restrictions or imbalances in movement
- How the upper cervical spine and surrounding muscles are moving
- The characteristics of jaw joint and jaw movement
- Everyday posture
- Any habits that repeatedly trigger or worsen the pain
How a Neurologist Looks at Neck Pain
The spinal cord and a number of nerve structures run through the neck. So when evaluating neck pain, it isn't enough to check the muscles or joints alone — looking closely at the pattern and distribution of pain, changes in sensation, and changes in muscle strength together helps determine which structures are actually involved.
From Treating Where It Hurts to Finding Why It Hurts
What matters most is looking at where the pain is really coming from, and which movements and postures in daily life are repeatedly putting strain on the body.
I focus on treating not just where it hurts, but why that area keeps hurting in the first place.
What matters isn't relieving pain temporarily — it's looking at the whole body so patients can return to the daily life that pain had limited.
Going one step further than reducing today's pain, to think about tomorrow's movement and daily life as well — that's how I, as a neurologist, believe pain should be seen.
⇒ Book an appointment with The Wells Clinic through The Pylon Square
[FAQ]
Q. What makes The Wells Clinic's manual therapy different from typical chiropractic care?
The correction is guided by a neurological diagnosis first, not the other way around. A neurologist runs a full neurological exam to identify what's actually affecting the nerve, then determines exactly which structures need to be corrected. Treatment doesn't stop at pain relief; it's aimed at restoring the nerve function the misalignment had been affecting.
Q. Can international patients book treatment at The Wells Clinic in Seoul?
Yes. English-language consultations are available, and international patients can book directly through The Pylon Square concierge. For interpretation in another language, let the concierge know at least a week in advance when booking.
Q. Why does neck pain keep coming back even after treatment?
Recurring neck pain is often tied to more than the neck itself — posture, jaw clenching, and habits like long hours at a screen can keep putting strain on the same area. Treating the pain without addressing what's causing it to return is one reason it tends to come back.
