I've had a chronic neck problem for several years. I went to see an orthopedic surgeon. After reviewing my MRI, he told me surgery wasn't indicated and prescribed physical therapy. it wasn't a particularly touchy-feely experience, but I felt that he understood the issue and treated me appropriately. The PT took care of the acute pain, but I was left with some minor chronic pain that never really went away - I assumed I'd always have it.

Recently, I had a recurrence of the problem - acute pain for days. I went to my GP and she checked my range of motion and felt that there was no need to go back to the orthopedist. Instead, she prescribed another round of PT and referred me to a chiropractor. I've been doing both and feel like I'm making progress for first time in over 5 years - I have virtually no pain in some ranges of movement and am making progress on the rest.

Good luck!