A full hour, one-on-one
Every visit is an hour with a Doctor of Physical Therapy. No aides, no rushed table time, no bouncing between machines.
Sound familiar?
You’ve tried some things but it still hurts.
Maybe you’ve stretched it, had a massage, gotten it cracked, or tried a new pillow. Some of it may have helped for a while.
Then you went back to a full day at the desk, the drive home, or a night on your phone, and it was right back by the next afternoon. Now you’re somewhere between managing it and slowly doing less, without a clear sense of what actually needs to change.
That’s the part we care about.
Who we help
If any of this sounds like you
These are some of the patterns we see most often.
Pain with desk work Your neck and shoulders tighten as the workday goes on +
Screens may trigger the pain without being the whole cause. We look at mobility, strength, endurance, work setup, and how often your body gets a chance to change position.
Morning neck stiffness You wake up tight or struggle to turn your head +
Sleep position may contribute, but persistent morning stiffness can also reflect limited motion or an area that is not tolerating sustained positions well.
Headaches from the neck Tightness starts near the neck and builds toward your head +
Some headache patterns can be influenced by the neck and upper back. We assess motion, symptom behavior, and whether the presentation belongs in physical therapy.
Shoulder-blade or upper-trap pain The same knot keeps returning no matter how much you stretch it +
A repeatedly tight area may be doing more work than it can sustain. We look at the neck, shoulder blade, upper back, and the demands that keep loading it.
Symptoms into the arm Pain, tingling, or numbness travels below the shoulder +
Symptoms into the arm or hand deserve a careful assessment. We look at nerve sensitivity, strength, motion, and which positions change what you feel.
Pain after an accident The injury healed, but your neck still feels guarded or limited +
After whiplash or another injury, the neck may need help restoring motion, strength, tolerance, and confidence rather than simply waiting for tightness to disappear.
Where you feel the pain does not always explain what is keeping it there. We assess the neck, shoulder girdle, and the demands of your day before building the plan.
What’s different
The process only works if the care supports it
A plan is only as good as the care running it. These three things are how we deliver it.
Benchmarks before progressions
You move forward by clearing the standards tied to your goals, not simply because another week passed on the calendar.
Always in your pocket
Your plan, your progressions, and a line to your clinician live in the EVO app, so you are never guessing between sessions.
First, we understand
We measure before we build
Where it hurts matters. It just does not tell us enough. Before we build your plan, we look at how your neck, shoulder blades, and upper back move, how much load they can handle, how well you control them, and what you need it to do in real life.
Neck & upper-back mobility
Strength & capacity
Balance & control
Daily demands
Your goals
These measures give us a starting point. We return to them throughout rehab to decide what needs work, when to progress, and whether your neck is ready for the demands you want back.
How our approach is supported by current guidelines +
Neck pain can involve the neck, shoulder blade, upper back, and arm, and the way those areas handle sustained positions or repeated work. Current guidelines support the same core principles we work from: match the plan to the pattern, build the missing capacity, and carry it into real life.
Match the plan to the pattern
Mobility limits, headaches, arm symptoms, and persistent muscle fatigue do not all need the same approach.
Build strength and control
The neck and shoulder-girdle muscles usually need progressive work, not only stretching.
Carry it into real life
The plan should improve tolerance for screens, driving, lifting, training, and sleep, not just the exam table.
That is the logic behind EVO’s 10-step process: establish the starting point, build the qualities that are missing, and earn the next level through measurable progress.
- Neck Pain Clinical Practice Guideline, 2017 · Blanpied et al., JOSPT
- Exercise for Mechanical Neck Disorders, 2015 · Gross et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- Resistance and Motor-Control Exercise for Chronic Neck Pain, 2023 · Mueller et al., JOSPT
Then comes the plan
We build for the demands of your life
Your assessment shows where you start. The demands of your life show where you finish, whether that is sleeping through the night, getting through a full day at a desk, or getting back to pressing weight overhead. The ten steps are the path between, each one building the fitness needed to get you there.
01
Regulate
Calm pain and irritation so the neck can move.
02
Restore
Get the neck and upper-back motion you need back.
03
Activate
Rebuild the deep neck and shoulder-blade muscle.
04
Coordinate
Use that strength in real movement.
05
Endure
Repeat good movement without breaking down.
06
Strengthen
Build meaningful upper-body and full-body strength.
07
Absorb
Control landing, impact, and deceleration.
08
Produce
Build force, speed, and power.
09
Integrate
Handle fatigue, change, and the unexpected.
10
Perform
Return to life or sport—and stay there.
The people in your corner
A Doctor of Physical Therapy, every session
Dr. TJ Martino, PT, DPT, CSCS
Founder · Physical Therapist
TJ started as a strength coach before earning his doctorate in physical therapy. For more than 15 years, he has worked with active adults, runners, lifters, and professional and Olympic athletes.
That background shapes how we approach neck and shoulder pain at EVO. We look beyond where it hurts to understand what you need to move, train, and get back to the things that matter to you.
In their words
What progress can look like
★★★★★
“He has helped me through injuries that I had been battling with other PTs for years. His approach is about fixing the root of the problem for a sustainable long-term solution. I love that I’m no longer in pain.”
Lindsay D.
Years of recurring injuries
★★★★★
“I went to several traditional PT places, but EVO’s route was the best for me. They found the root cause of my injury cycle. A few months later, I’m finally back to living life pain-free.”
Grace M.
Recurring injuries
★★★★★
“His treatment lets me keep a vigorous work schedule and still train safely. He coordinates with my trainer so my program is right for me and I can hit my goals.”
Joanne Z.
Patient & member
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google
Read more reviews on Google →
From our team
More on neck and shoulder pain
Straight answers
The questions people ask first
Do I need a referral to start physical therapy for neck pain? +
In most cases, no. New Jersey allows direct access to physical therapy, which means you can usually begin without seeing another provider first. Some insurance plans have their own requirements, and we will help you understand those before you start.
How long does neck rehabilitation usually take? +
It depends on what is contributing to the symptoms, how long it has been going on, and what you are trying to return to. We do not put everyone on the same timeline. Your evaluation establishes the starting point, and measured checkpoints show when you are ready to progress.
My neck feels better after a massage or an adjustment. Why does it come back? +
Because relief and capacity are two different things. Hands-on work can settle symptoms, but if the neck and upper back still cannot hold up to a full day of load, the tension rebuilds. We use the calmer window to build strength and endurance that lasts.
Do you treat necks after an injury like whiplash? +
Yes. We settle symptoms first, then progressively rebuild the mobility, strength, and control the neck needs to handle everyday load with confidence again.
I have tingling running down my arm. Is that something you treat? +
Often, yes. Symptoms traveling down the arm can come from an irritated nerve in the neck. We calm the irritation first, then restore the mobility and strength that keep it from returning. If your presentation needs another provider, we will tell you.
What to expect
Getting started with us is simple
1
A conversation
A complimentary discovery call to hear what is going on, what you have tried, and whether we are the right fit.
2
An evaluation
A full 60-to-90-minute assessment to establish your starting point and what needs attention first.
3
Your plan, in motion
One-on-one treatment and a progressive plan built around the demands of your life.
On the house
The free six-week Neck Reset
A six-week program inside the EVO Health App, with guided sessions and a real clinician to message when you get stuck. Start on your own, at your own pace. Tell us where to send it.
- ✓A clear place to start without another generic PDF
- ✓Day-by-day guidance inside the EVO Health App
- ✓A real EVO clinician available when you need help
