Headaches & Migraines

About half of the United States population deals with headaches or migraines on a consistent basis. Headaches and migraines can seriously decrease quality of life, creating pain, causing social and family disruptions, and reducing overall enjoyment of life.

We’re highlighting four of the most common types of headaches and migraines that we see in our office.

There are more conditions than those listed here, but this is a great primer on headaches and migraines and how chiropractic care can help.

  • woman touching neck

    Cervicogenic Headache

  • woman leaning holding head

    Migraine Headache

  • man yelling and squeezing head

    Tension-Type Headache

  • man in blue hoodie holding face in hands

    Sinus Headache

woman touching right side of neck

Cervicogenic Headache

Cervicogenic headaches account for up to 25% of all headaches, caused by structural issues in the neck.

Cervicogenic headaches can be caused by a number of structures in your neck, including your joints, muscles, ligaments, and nerves. If any of these tissues are tight or damaged, they can create pain in the neck that travels to the head.

Many of the nerves that innervate your scalp and head come out between the vertebrae at the top of your neck, so if the joints or muscles near that area aren’t working well, they can put pressure on those nerves, creating pain.

The main causes of cervicogenic headache are:

  • Trauma to the neck, like a car accident or head injury

  • Poor posture

  • Deskwork and sedentary lifestyle

  • Neck problems, like osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease

The main risk factors for cervicogenic headaches include:

  • Certain jobs, including office work, hair styling, and carpentry

  • Driving for long periods of time

  • Slouching and looking down at phones, tablets, or books (Tech Neck)

  • Weak or imbalanced neck muscles

Symptoms of cervicogenic headaches can show up suddenly after an injury, or the symptoms can worsen gradually over time without any specific cause or event. Symptoms can include:

  • Dull, achy, one-sided headache

  • Pain in the neck, shoulders, or arms

  • Pain that is worse with certain positions or movements

  • Stiffness, tension, or limited movement in the neck

Cervicogenic headaches respond well to conservative treatment options.

Most patients see significant improvement within 6-8 sessions of chiropractic care.

Treatment plans for cervicogenic headaches address the specific cause of the headaches, using chiropractic adjusting, soft tissue mobilization, corrective exercise, and lifestyle modifications. This will restore proper motion in the neck, reducing the tightness or injury causing your headaches.

woman leaning head forward migraine

Migraine Headache

Migraine headaches are a neurovascular problem, meaning that both your brain and your blood vessels create the symptoms you experience when you’re having a migraine.

The current theory is that when a migraine begins, you get a wave of neurological activity that spreads across your brain. This creates some of the prodrome and aura symptoms (the warning signs) of an impending migraine, like fatigue, flashing lights, ringing in the ears, and tingling on one side of the face or body. As this wave of activity spreads across your brain, it causes certain pain-sensing areas to become more active and sensitive to pain.

This wave of activity also tells the blood vessels in your brain to dilate or swell, which may be related to the pulsating or throbbing aspect of migraine headaches.

Common triggers for migraines include:

  • Excess stress

  • Sleep problems

  • Hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle or menopause

  • Excess caffeine or alcohol consumption

  • Certain foods including chocolate, MSG, and aged cheeses

  • Dehydration

  • Strong smells like perfumes or gasoline

Symptoms of migraines vary a lot from person to person, but they often include:

  • Pulsating or throbbing pain on one side of the head

  • Nausea and/or vomiting

  • Sensitivity to light and/or sound

  • Pain is worse with physical activity

  • Aura symptoms about 1 hour before the headache, including flashing lights, ringing in the ears, or weakness and numbness on one side of the face or body

  • Prodrome symptoms 24-48 hours before the headache, including excessive yawning, fatigue, mood changes, and changes in thirst or appetite

  • Postdrome symptoms for 24-48+ hours after the headache, including exhaustion, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating

Migraines can be managed conservatively, without the use of medication.

The major goals when addressing migraines are to identify your triggers and to address any structural issues.

Treatment plans can include chiropractic adjusting & soft tissue mobilization to address structural issues, lifestyle modifications to address and avoid triggers, and nutritional interventions to manage inflammation.

Tension-Type Headache

Tension-type headaches are the most common type of headache. About 80% of people will experience this type of headache at some point in their life.

They’re related to a combination of muscular and neurological dysfunction, which basically means that tight muscles and extra sensitive pain receptors both contribute to these headaches.

Trigger points or “knots” in the neck and shoulder muscles are often related to tension-type headaches. These trigger points reduce the mobility of the muscles, while also reducing blood flow and increasing the release of substances that increase pain sensations. Additionally, some of the small muscles in the top of the neck connect directly to the dura, a protective sleeve that covers the brain and spinal cord; if a trigger point forms in these muscles, it can create tension on the dura and the rest of the nervous system, making it more sensitive to incoming pain signals.

Risk factors and causes of tension-type headaches include:

  • Poor posture and slouching, “Tech Neck”

  • Excess mental stress

  • Nutritional factors, including low Vitamin B12 and low Magnesium

  • Poor sleep

  • Eye strain, and excess screen time

Symptoms of tension-type headaches include:

  • Steady, dull, aching pain with tightening or pressure-like sensation, like your head is getting squeezed

  • Pain located in your forehead, the sides of your head, and/or the back of your head

  • Tender scalp, shoulder, and neck muscles

  • Pain doesn't get worse with physical activity

Tension-type headaches are manageable.

A multifaceted treatment is essential for managing headache pain.

  • Chiropractic Adjusting -If your neck isn’t moving well, it can create pain and tension. Chiropractic adjusting encourages these joints to move normally.

  • Soft Tissue Mobilization - Assisted stretching techniques, manual therapy, and trigger point work can also help loosen up tight and spasming muscles. These techniques increase blood flow into the muscles to ensure adequate nutrition, while also calming the muscles down neurologically.

  • Corrective Exercise - Specific stretches and exercises are used to loosen the muscles, while also strengthening them to prevent the issue from recurring.

  • Lifestyle Changes - Depending on your occupation and daily routine, certain changes may be necessary. These could include altering your sleep schedule, changing your workstation setup, and addressing diet and nutritional deficiencies.

man in blue hoodie holding face

Sinus Headache

Sinus headaches are caused by congestion and pressure in your nose and sinuses, related to allergies, sinus infections, and chronic congestion.

Your sinuses are cavities or open areas in your skull. Normally they’re mostly empty and help to warm and humidify the air you breathe in. When you’re sick or dealing with allergies, they often fill up with mucus, creating pressure and a feeling of fullness in your face and head.

Mucus is a key aspect of your body’s initial line of defense against illness. It coats the walls of your respiratory tract, catching dirt, pollen, and germs before they can reach your lungs. When you do get sick or have a flareup of allergies, your immune system boots up and starts trying to battle whatever is invading your body. Your mucus gets thicker as bacteria and your immune cells go to war, leaving behind waste products and cellular debris. Thicker mucus doesn’t flow as well as normal mucus and will contribute to many symptoms of a sinus or respiratory infection, like congestion and coughing.

Risk factors and causes of sinus headaches include:

  • Seasonal allergies

  • Current or recent sinus infection or cold

  • Mold and fungus exposure

  • Cranial bone dysfunctions, including deviated septum

  • Food sensitivities, especially to dairy

Symptoms of sinus headaches include:

  • Pain, pressure, and fullness in the cheeks, face, or forehead

  • Worsening pain if you bend forward or lie down

  • Stuffy nose, congestion, and thick mucus

  • Fatigue

  • Achy feeling in the upper teeth

Sinus headaches can be managed.

Like with many headaches, sinus headaches must be managed by addressing the root cause of the issue.

A holistic treatment plan is needed to manage sinus headaches. Chiropractic adjusting is used to address cranial dysfunctions and structural issues in the neck, allowing for better sinus drainage. Nutritional interventions and lifestyle changes are included to address food sensitivities and mold/fungus exposure, reducing the production of mucus and thinning mucus to allow for better drainage.

At Northbound Chiropractic, we work with you to find the cause of your headaches and create an individualized treatment plan targeting your specific problems.

We’ll make a plan with you to get lasting results, so you can continue doing the things you love.