Evidence-Informed Care
Chiropractic
Care
Shift Spinal Health · Adelaide
Back pain, neck pain, headaches, sports injuries — chiropractic care that goes beyond adjustments. We combine manual therapy with active rehabilitation to address why you're in pain, not just where.
Our Approach
More than an adjustment. A plan for lasting change.
Most chiropractic clinics focus on symptom relief. We do that — but we don't stop there. At Shift, chiropractic care is the starting point, not the entire solution.
Every patient receives a thorough assessment at their initial consultation, a clear diagnosis, and a treatment plan with a defined endpoint. We're not interested in keeping you coming back indefinitely.
Find the cause. We assess posture, movement, joint function, and neurological status to understand the full picture — not just the painful area.
Treat it properly. Manual adjustments, soft tissue work, and targeted exercise prescription — matched to your diagnosis, not a protocol.
Build resilience. Rehabilitation exercises to address the underlying deficits that contributed to the problem developing in the first place.
What We Treat
Conditions we manage every day.
From acute injuries to long-standing chronic pain, our team works with complex presentations alongside everyday aches. Here's where we focus.
Musculoskeletal
Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most common — and most mismanaged — conditions in primary care. Whether it's an acute episode, a chronic niggle, or a disc-related presentation, the underlying cause matters enormously for how it's treated. We assess, diagnose, and treat accordingly rather than applying a one-size approach to everyone who walks in with lower back pain.
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Neurological / Cervicogenic
Headaches & Migraines
Many chronic headaches have a component originating in the cervical spine — irritated joints and tight suboccipital muscles referring pain into the head. Cervicogenic and tension-type headaches can respond to chiropractic care when there's a structural component, which is why we assess cervical joint function and muscle patterns first — to determine whether your headaches are likely to respond to this kind of care.
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Cervical Spine
Neck Pain
Prolonged screen use, forward head posture, and sedentary work create persistent loading patterns that can gradually affect cervical joint health. Left unaddressed, these patterns can contribute to stiffness, disc irritation, or nerve symptoms. We address neck pain at the joint level while working on the postural and movement drivers behind it — with the aim of reducing how often it returns.
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Sports & Performance
Sports Injuries
Athletes don't just want pain relief — they want to understand why the injury happened and how to reduce the chance of it recurring. Our team has experience across sport, including AFL, soccer, basketball, and strength training. We combine chiropractic care with targeted rehabilitation with the goal of returning you to full capacity — not just back to training.
Learn more →How We Treat
The tools we use — and why.
Our clinicians draw from a broad range of techniques, selected based on your diagnosis and presentation — not habit or preference.
Chiropractic Adjustment
High-velocity, low-amplitude manipulation of spinal and peripheral joints, used to restore range of motion and reduce pain at the affected level.
Soft Tissue Therapy
Targeted myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and instrument-assisted soft tissue work to address muscle tension and fascial restrictions contributing to your pain.
Joint Mobilisation
Low-force, repetitive joint movement techniques — suitable for patients who prefer a gentler approach, or where manipulation isn't indicated.
Exercise Rehabilitation
Prescribed exercise programs informed by the Shift Score framework — targeting the specific muscular deficits and movement patterns associated with your condition.
Dry Needling
Intramuscular stimulation using fine needles to address hyperirritable muscle trigger points and support normal muscle function. Available with select clinicians.
Low-Force Techniques
Activator and SOT methods offering instrument-assisted, lower-force adjustment — appropriate for patients who need a gentler approach to care.
Questions
Frequently asked.
No referral is required. You can book directly online or by phone. If you have existing imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT) or reports from other practitioners, bring these to your first appointment — they help us get a clearer picture faster.
Your initial consultation is a full clinical assessment — health history, physical examination, postural and movement evaluation, and neurological testing where indicated. At the end, we'll give you a clear diagnosis, explain what's driving your symptoms, and outline a specific treatment plan with a realistic timeline. Expect around 45–60 minutes.
Follow-up chiropractic appointments typically run 20–30 minutes. If your session includes rehabilitation exercise or decompression, allow additional time. We don't rush appointments — if something needs more time, it gets more time.
Yes — chiropractic is claimable under most extras health insurance policies. We process HICAPS claims on the spot, so you only pay the gap at the time of your appointment. Rebate amounts vary by fund and policy level.
This depends on your diagnosis, how long the problem has been present, and your goals. Acute injuries often respond within a handful of sessions; chronic conditions or disc-related presentations typically need a longer structured program. We'll give you a realistic estimate at your first appointment — not a vague open-ended treatment plan.
Yes — chiropractic care is appropriate across all age groups. Techniques are modified based on the patient's age, size, and clinical presentation. Low-force and instrument-assisted methods are available for those who need a gentler approach, including children, older patients, and post-surgical patients.
Ready to Start
Get a clear picture of what's going on.
Book an initial consultation and leave with a diagnosis, a plan, and a realistic timeline — not just a receipt for a treatment you don't fully understand yet.