Headaches & migraines.
Common. Often debilitating. And rarely just a head problem.
Not all headaches are the same.
Headaches vary significantly. Tension-type, cervicogenic (originating from the neck), cluster, and migraine all present differently and have different contributing factors. Migraine in particular often involves neurological symptoms including visual disturbances, nausea, and heightened sensitivity to light and sound. Getting an accurate picture of what type you're dealing with matters.
Often driven by the neck.
Many recurring headaches are associated with the cervical spine, the muscles of the neck and upper back, and the way the nervous system is functioning under sustained load. Cervicogenic headaches, those driven by structures in the neck, are frequently misidentified as tension headaches or even migraines. They often relate to restricted movement in the upper cervical joints, sustained postural load from desk work or device use, and accumulated muscle tension around the neck and base of the skull.
Migraines involve more complex neurological mechanisms, and their triggers are highly individual. Common contributing factors include hormonal fluctuations, sleep disruption, dehydration, dietary triggers, and stress. But cervical spine dysfunction may also be a contributing factor for some people, particularly where headaches are accompanied by neck stiffness or are worse after sustained sitting.
Managing episodes is not changing the pattern.
Pain relief manages the episode. It does nothing for the frequency of the next one. For people with recurring headaches, the question isn't just how to stop the current one, it's what's driving the pattern.
Addressing cervical function, nervous system load, postural habits, and lifestyle factors may contribute to reducing frequency for some people. Ignoring those factors means relying on the same reactive strategy every time.
Spinal function and the bigger picture.
We take a detailed history to understand headache type, frequency, duration, and pattern. We assess the cervical spine, postural alignment, and upper thoracic movement, along with any neurological findings where relevant. Surface EMG may be used to assess nervous system function where clinically appropriate.
Our approach looks at both spinal function and broader contributing factors, including sleep, stress, and workload, that may be influencing headache frequency. We work with what we find. If the pattern is not shifting, we reassess.