Headaches are incredibly common, but that doesn’t mean you should have to simply put up with them. If headaches keep coming back, especially alongside neck stiffness, muscle tension, or long hours spent at a desk, it may be worth looking at what’s contributing to them.
While there are many different causes of headaches, some can be connected to the muscles and joints of the neck. In these cases, chiropractic care may be one piece of the treatment plan.
What Could Be Causing Your Headaches?
Not all headaches are the same. Migraine, tension-type headaches, and cervicogenic headaches can have different causes and require different treatment approaches.
Cervicogenic headaches, for example, originate from an issue in the neck, even though the pain is felt in the head. They may be associated with limited neck mobility, and pain can sometimes worsen with neck movement.
Other factors that may contribute to or trigger headaches include:
- Muscle tension in the neck and shoulders
- Prolonged sitting or screen time
- Stress
- Changes in sleep
- DehydrationSkipping meals
- Certain movements or activities
Understanding the type of headache you’re experiencing is an important first step toward finding the right treatment.
How Can Chiropractic Care Help?
For headaches with a musculoskeletal component, chiropractic treatment may focus on improving neck mobility, addressing joint restrictions, and reducing surrounding muscle tension.
Depending on your symptoms, your treatment plan may include:
- Chiropractic adjustments
- Gentle joint mobilization
- Soft tissue techniques
- Mobility and strengthening exercises
- Ergonomic or postural recommendations
At Modern Chiropractic, treatment is always individualized. Not every headache requires an adjustment, and your provider can help determine which approach makes the most sense for you.
What About Massage and Acupuncture?
Sometimes headaches involve more than one contributing factor, which is why combining therapies may be helpful.
Massage therapy can address tight muscles throughout the neck, shoulders, and upper back, while acupuncture may be another option for certain types of headache and pain management.
Your provider can help determine whether one treatment or a combination of therapies is appropriate based on your symptoms and goals.
Find the Right Approach for Your Headaches
If you regularly reach for pain relievers or find that headaches are interfering with work, workouts, sleep, or everyday activities, it may be time to investigate what’s contributing to them.
At Modern Chiropractic, we take a whole-body approach to care and can help determine whether your neck, muscles, joints, or movement patterns may be playing a role in your symptoms.
Schedule an appointment today and let’s find a treatment plan that helps you feel and move your best.
Sources:
- Cleveland Clinic. Cervicogenic Headache: What It Is, Symptoms & Treatment.
- PubMed. Chiropractic Management of Adults with Cervicogenic or Tension-Type Headaches: Development of a Clinical Practice Guideline.
- PubMed. Spinal Manipulation for the Management of Cervicogenic Headache: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- American Headache Society. Red Flags in Headache—What if it isn’t Migraine?
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