Headaches: Could Your Neck Be Part of the Problem?
Headaches can be exhausting, particularly when they keep coming back.
Perhaps yours starts as tension at the base of your skull. Maybe it creeps up from your neck, sits behind your eyes, or feels like pressure across your forehead.
And sometimes, you simply get used to reaching for painkillers and carrying on.
But headaches are not all the same, and there is rarely one simple cause.
At MERN Chiropractic, one of the things we look at is whether your neck, joints, muscles, posture and movement could be contributing to the headaches you are experiencing.
Why do I keep getting headaches?
There are many different types of headache and just as many potential contributing factors, from stress and sleep to dehydration, hormones, jaw tension and problems associated with the neck. Understanding the type and pattern of your headaches is an important first step.
Tension Headaches
These are among the most common headaches. They can feel like a dull ache, pressure or a tight band around the head and may be accompanied by tension through the neck and shoulders. Stress, prolonged positions, muscle tension and other lifestyle factors may all play a part.
Migraines
A migraine is more than simply a bad headache. Migraine attacks can involve throbbing or pulsating head pain, often alongside nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Some people also experience an aura before or during a migraine. Migraine is a complex neurological condition and triggers vary considerably from person to person.
Cervicogenic Headaches
This is where the neck can be particularly relevant. A cervicogenic headache is associated with a problem in the cervical spine, your neck. The discomfort may begin around the neck or base of the skull before travelling upwards, sometimes towards the forehead or behind an eye. Restricted neck movement, previous injury and problems affecting the joints and surrounding tissues may all be relevant.
Could Your Jaw Be Involved?
Your jaw may be another piece of the puzzle. Problems involving the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and surrounding muscles can be associated with headaches, particularly when accompanied by jaw tension, clicking, clenching or discomfort when opening and closing your mouth.
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches are much less common and can cause extremely severe pain, typically around one eye. They require appropriate medical assessment and are different from the types of headaches usually associated with musculoskeletal problems.
So Where Does Chiropractic Come In?
We do not assume every headache is coming from your neck.
Instead, your chiropractor will listen to what has been happening, ask about the pattern of your headaches and examine areas that may be relevant, including your neck, movement, posture, muscles and, where appropriate, your jaw.
If we identify musculoskeletal factors that could be contributing, your care may include:
Chiropractic treatment and joint mobilisation
Soft-tissue techniques
Advice on movement and posture
Exercises and stretches specific to you
Strategies to help reduce recurring neck and muscle tension
Importantly, if your headache presentation suggests that chiropractic care is not appropriate, we will tell you and recommend the appropriate next step.
What Can You Do at Home?
Move regularly. If you spend long periods at a desk, driving or looking down at a screen, change position regularly rather than waiting until your neck feels stiff.
Drink enough water. Dehydration can trigger headaches in some people.
Watch the jaw. Notice whether you clench your teeth when concentrating or stressed.
Keep moving. Regular physical activity can support general health and may help reduce neck and muscle tension.
Prioritise sleep. Both the amount and consistency of your sleep can be relevant to headaches.
Still Getting Headaches… But Never Really Looked at Why?
If headaches have become something you simply put up with, manage or work around, it may be worth taking a closer look.
At MERN Chiropractic, we can assess whether your neck, movement or other musculoskeletal factors could be contributing to your headaches, and explain clearly what we find.
