Neck Pain & Headaches

From tension type headaches to migraine headaches, joint mobilization and soft tissue treatments can be an effective tool to have in your toolbox for this type of pain management.

Neck pain can come from many sources, with some of the most common being joint dysfunction, postural stress, and repetitive overuse.

Treatment and management with chiropractic care can have a positive effect in regards to these causes, resulting in excellent patient outcomes. Neck pain alone can be uncomfortable, but having that pain paired with headaches can be even more troublesome.

Headaches affect a large majority of the population, and the presentation of symptoms can be different for everyone. A common headache diagnosis is referred to as a tension-type headache. This type of headache oftentimes presents along with neck pain. They are described as muscle tension and pain that starts in the back of the head and is felt reaching up across both sides of the head, ending at the forehead.

Another common headache presentation is a migraine headache. These can present with or without neck pain and are often combined with other symptoms such as sensitivity to light or sound, nausea/vomiting, or visual changes sometimes known as ‘auras’. Even though these headache symptoms are numerous and widespread throughout the population, chiropractic care can be a crucial tool to help manage these symptoms.

Chiropractic treatment for headaches can land on a wide scale from gentle – low force mobilization to traditional manipulation. Unlike what you see on social media, treatments do not have to be aggressive or extreme in order to have a positive effect. Gentle mobilization of the joints of the neck can have a positive effect on not only the range of motion resulting in releasing tension, but also relieving the muscular tension in the region. The outcome being re-establishing pain free active range of motion and a reduction in tension felt across the head and neck. Patients over the years have reported outcomes such as a resolution of symptoms or a decrease in severity, frequency or longevity of head and neck symptoms. Patients have also reported the decreased need to utilize medications as well to manage their pain.

In addition to chiropractic treatments, soft tissue treatments can help manage the sometimes overwhelming stiffness or muscular spasm that frequently accompany neck pain and headaches. This is done meticulously and efficiently to help reduce that tension and help maintain the joint motion I encourage. 

I always like to include postural and rehabilitation exercises in my treatments as well, thus prolonging the positive effects of treatment and maintaining positive outcomes for patients. These are designed to help make lasting alterations in behavior thus resulting in prolonged outcomes.