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Every therapy
under one roof

One team plans your care across chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture and occupational therapy.

Physical TherapyRebuild strength and move without pain ChiropracticHands-on relief for back and neck pain AcupunctureEase pain and inflammation naturally Occupational TherapyGet back to everyday tasks

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Find care for
what hurts

Not sure what is causing your pain? We find the source and build a plan around it.

All conditions treated

Neck PainRestore full range of motion Stiff NeckTurn your head freely again Neck ArthritisEase stiffness without surgery Headaches & MigrainesFind what is triggering the pain VertigoVestibular therapy to restore balance Lower Back PainTargeted therapy for lasting relief Herniated DiscRecover without unnecessary surgery SciaticaRelief for nerve pain down the leg Hip PainWalk and climb stairs without pain Shoulder, Knee & Joint PainComprehensive joint care Sports InjuriesGet back in the game Motor Vehicle AccidentsComplete care after a car accident Post-Surgical RehabRebuild strength after surgery

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Thrive

Meet the team, read our latest articles or visit the clinic closest to you.

About UsMeet the team behind Thrive BlogArticles on pain, treatment and recovery CareersWork with our clinicians New Patient FormFill it out before your first visit Belmar616 Fifth Avenue, Belmar, NJ Freehold20 Thoreau Drive, Freehold, NJ

Aerial view of a bridge, a marina and a shore town at dusk, with the ocean beyond

Chiropractor in Belmar, NJ

Back Pain, Neck Pain and Headaches

Chiropractic care for pain that keeps coming back

Thrive Spine and Sports Rehab has two chiropractors in Belmar, NJ: Dr. Steve Bruno, DC, and Dr. Vinny Zappola, DC. They treat lower back pain, neck pain, headaches, sciatica and sports injuries at 616 Fifth Avenue suite 105, using adjustments and hands-on work on the muscles around the joint. To book, use the button below or call (732) 359-7440. The clinic opens Monday through Saturday.

A chiropractor treats pain that comes from how the spine and the other joints move. When a joint stops moving the way it should, the muscles and tissue around it have to compensate, and that extra load is often what you feel as an ache or a pull. Dr. Bruno and Dr. Vinny examine you first. Then they restore movement at the joint and ease the muscles that have been making up for it.

Patients have rated the Belmar clinic 5.0 on Google, across more than 400 reviews. They include athletes who want to keep training, people who spend the week at a desk or behind the wheel, and people whose neck has been sore since a car accident.

Chiropractor in a navy Thrive pullover pressing on the lower back of a patient lying on a treatment table

Conditions We Treat

What brings people to a chiropractor

Dr. Bruno and Dr. Vinny treat pain in the spine and in the joints and muscles connected to it. In practice that means:

Lower back pain, from a strain picked up lifting or playing sport to low back pain that builds over hours of sitting
Neck pain after a collision on the field, a muscle strain or a night in a bad sleeping position
Headaches that originate in the neck, and tension headaches
Sciatica: pain, tingling or numbness that runs from the lower back down one leg
Disc injuries, including herniated and bulging discs that press on a nerve
Posture problems from long days at a computer, on a phone or in the car, and the stiff neck that tends to follow
Sports injuries caused by twisting, overuse or impact
Car accident injuries, whiplash among them

An adjustment is not the first step for everything. After surgery or a fracture, or when weakness is the main complaint and pain is not, physical therapy in Belmar usually comes first. Say what is going on when you call, and the front desk will book you with the right provider.

Chiropractor in a Thrive polo treating the hip and lower back of a patient lying face down

Rest or an Appointment

When to see a chiropractor for back pain

Mild back pain can clear up with rest and light movement. When it does not, the cause is usually still there. Our post on when to see a chiropractor for back pain covers this at length. Here is the short version.

Signs it needs more than rest

It has lasted more than a few days and is not improving
It fades, then returns after activity
Bending, turning or getting out of a chair feels stiff or restricted
It shows up in ordinary parts of the day: sitting, standing for a while, sleeping
It has started to spread from where it began

Any one of these is a reason to be examined. Waiting tends to make things harder, because the body adapts to the pain and puts more strain on other areas.

A few symptoms are not for a chiropractor at all. Loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin, or a leg that keeps getting weaker means the emergency room. The sciatica page has the full list.

When an adjustment is only part of the answer

A muscle imbalance, where one group does more than its share
Weakness or instability around the joint
Repetitive stress from your job or your sport

An adjustment restores motion at a joint. Strength and control have to be trained. When the exam turns up one of the three above, your chiropractor adds targeted exercise to the plan, and a physical therapist can take that part on. In Belmar they work in the same clinic.

You are unlikely to be told to stop moving. Staying active is usually encouraged, with some changes. Your chiropractor explains which movements to avoid for now, which to adjust and which will help.

Meet Dr. Bruno and Dr. Vinny

Who you will see in Belmar

Dr. Steve Bruno, DC

Before he was a chiropractor, Dr. Bruno worked in the hospital system. He kept noticing the same thing there: people with neck and back pain whose relief never lasted. That is why he changed careers. He graduated from Colts Neck High School, earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Anatomy at the University at Albany, and completed his Doctorate in Chiropractic at New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, NY. His care is evidence-based. He uses diversified adjustments, Active Release Technique (ART) and the NIMMO technique, and he is a certified ScoliBalance provider for patients with scoliosis. Dr. Bruno treats in Belmar only.

Dr. Vinny Zappola, DC

Dr. Vinny sees patients in Belmar and in Freehold. He was raised in Manalapan and played sports through high school. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Stockton University (2015) and a Doctor of Chiropractic from the University of Bridgeport (2019). Alongside diversified adjustments he uses pin and stretch, instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization (IASTM) and Kinesiotaping, and he advises on nutritional supplementation. He wants patients to have the tools to help themselves, so expect to be shown what to do between visits.

See their full bios on the team page

Dr. Steve Bruno, chiropractor at Thrive Belmar

Dr. Vinny Zappola, chiropractor at Thrive, who treats in Belmar and Freehold

Your First Appointment

What to expect the first time you come in

The exam comes before any treatment. This is the order things happen in.

1. Questions first

Your chiropractor asks when the pain began, what eases it, what sets it off and what you have had to give up because of it.

2. A movement and posture check

You bend, turn and walk while they watch how you move and how you hold yourself. Then they test joints and muscles by hand to find what is restricted or out of balance.

3. The first treatment

If the exam points to something chiropractic can treat, care usually starts in the same appointment: an adjustment, soft-tissue work or both. If it points elsewhere, you are told so.

4. What happens next

You hear what was found, how many visits it is likely to take and what to do at home in the meantime. The estimate changes as you improve.

Danny wrestles, and for a while every takedown attempt set off his neck. The muscles running from his neck to his shoulder blade had tightened up. Over a few visits he had soft-tissue work on those muscles along with chiropractic adjustments. He went back to wrestling without the neck pain.

Danny Benbrook

Wrestler

Physical Therapy, Acupuncture and OT

When your chiropractor brings in someone else

Dr. Bruno and Dr. Vinny share the Belmar clinic with physical therapists, acupuncturists and occupational therapists. If the exam shows weakness that an adjustment will not change, physical therapy in Belmar handles the strengthening. A muscle that stays sore from one visit to the next may be referred for acupuncture in Belmar. Tingling in the fingers that traces to the wrist and not the neck belongs with occupational therapy in Belmar. The referral is a conversation between colleagues, and the appointments can share a day.

Dr. Vinny is also the chiropractor in Freehold, which is closer for patients in western Monmouth County. For chiropractic at Thrive in general, see the chiropractic care page. Directions and opening hours are on the Belmar location page.

Chiropractor adjusting the neck of a patient lying face up on a treatment table

Common questions about seeing a chiropractor

Is a chiropractic adjustment painful, and what will I feel afterwards?

The adjustment is rarely the painful part. What people notice is the day after: muscle soreness is a normal side effect, much like the soreness that follows a workout. It should never be worse than the pain you came in with, so say so if it is. A few people feel dizzy or faint straight after an adjustment. Get up slowly, sit for a minute and drink some water.

Can I see a chiropractor in Belmar without a referral?

Yes. You can book a chiropractor at Thrive directly, with no referral from a doctor. Insurance is the one exception to check: some plans will not pay for visits unless a referral is on file. The front desk looks into that when it verifies your coverage.

Does Thrive take insurance for chiropractic care?

Yes, for most major plans. Medicare, United Healthcare, Anthem and Cigna are accepted, and Thrive works with many other plans as an out-of-network provider. What a plan pays toward chiropractic visits varies, so call (732) 359-7440 before your first appointment and the front desk will check with your insurer. The insurance page lists the plans.

How quickly can a chiropractor help back pain?

Sometimes after one visit, more often over a series of them. Some patients notice a difference after the first session, mostly when stiffness is the main complaint. Most need several visits to get full movement back and to stop the pain from returning. The number depends on how severe the problem is, how long you have had it and how active you are. You get an estimate at the first visit.

Can I keep working out while I am seeing a chiropractor?

In most cases, yes, with changes. Your chiropractor tells you which movements to leave out for now, which to modify, and which will help the recovery along. The aim is to keep you moving safely while the problem heals, not to stop you training.

Can a chiropractor help with posture?

Yes, where poor posture has left you stiff or in pain. Long hours at a computer, looking down at a phone or driving put steady stress on the neck and the lower back. A chiropractor finds the joints that have stiffened, gets them moving and works on the tight muscles around them. Holding a better position all day also takes strength, so the plan includes exercises, and sometimes a physical therapist.

Does Thrive treat scoliosis?

Yes, with Dr. Steve Bruno in Belmar. He is a certified ScoliBalance provider and is proficient in scoliosis management. What the care involves is decided after an exam, and no one at Thrive will promise to straighten a curve. To ask whether an appointment makes sense for you, call (732) 359-7440.

Where can I find a chiropractor in Belmar, NJ?

Thrive Spine and Sports Rehab is at 616 Fifth Avenue suite 105, Belmar, NJ 07719. Dr. Steve Bruno, DC, and Dr. Vinny Zappola, DC, are the chiropractors. The clinic opens on weekdays and on Saturdays from 8AM to 1PM. Each day's hours and a map are lower on this page.

Belmar, New Jersey

It's Where Healing Meets Heart

Ready to feel your best and soak up Belmar's beachy vibes? Thrive Spine and Sports Rehab's Belmar clinic is your go-to spot for top-notch care, just steps from the boardwalk.