If you’ve typed “can chiropractic help with headaches” into Google, you’re not alone. Headaches and migraine are one of the top reasons people walk into a chiropractic clinic.

Why? Because a lot of headache pain is linked to your neck and upper spine. If your neck isn’t moving well, your head often feels it.

At Southside Chiropractic in Edmonton, headaches come up almost every day. Here’s what the research says, and what to expect at a first visit.

Not All Headaches Are the Same

When we say “headache,” we’re not talking about one thing. There are different types. The most common are:

• Tension headaches. These feel like a tight band around your head. They’re often linked to tight neck and shoulder muscles.
• Cervicogenic headaches. “Cervicogenic” just means “starting in the neck.” These headaches start at the base of the skull. The pain often spreads up over the head.
• Migraines. These are more complex. Many things can trigger them. For many people, neck issues play a role too.

Why Your Neck Matters

Your upper neck is a busy place. It has many joints, tiny muscles, and nerves. Many of those nerves share connections with the parts of the brain that process head pain.

When your upper neck isn’t moving well, a few things can happen:

• The deep neck muscles tighten and get sore
• Signals from your spine to your brain get fuzzy
• Joints and muscles in the upper neck can get irritated
• Forward head posture adds extra strain

Studies have shown a clear link between neck problems and headaches (Watson & Trott, 1993; Jull et al., 1999). If your headaches come from your neck, helping the neck is often a big piece of the answer.

What the Research Says

A big study published in Spine looked at people with cervicogenic headaches. The researchers compared three groups:

1. Exercise only
2. Spinal manipulation only
3. Both exercise and spinal manipulation

Both spinal manipulation and exercise helped reduce headaches. The combination worked best (Jull et al., 2002).

Other things we know from research:

• People with cervicogenic headaches often have specific muscle problems in the neck (Jull et al., 1999).
• People with these headaches often have forward head posture (Watson & Trott, 1993).
• Chiropractic adjustments change how the brain processes signals from the spine (Lelic et al., 2016). This may help with pain and muscle tightness.

The bottom line: If your neck is part of your headache, chiropractic care has research support.

What Chiropractic for Headaches Looks Like

A good chiropractic visit for headaches starts with a full check-up. At our south Edmonton clinic, here’s what we do:

1. Discuss your health history. When did they start? What do they feel like? What makes them worse or better? Are there any red flags?
2. Check your spine and nervous system. We look at how your neck is moving. We feel for tight spots. We run tests to see if your neck might be part of the problem.
3. Teach you what helps. Posture, screen habits, sleep position, and stress all play a role. We don’t just adjust and send you home.

Signs Your Headaches Might Be Neck-Related

Here are some clues that your neck might be part of the picture:

• Your headache starts at the base of your skull
• It feels worse after long drives or hours at a desk
• You’ve had a whiplash injury, fall, or sports impact
• Your neck and upper back feel tight and tender
• You spend a lot of time on your phone (hello, text neck)

If any of those sound like you, it’s worth a conversation.

Chiropractic Care for Headaches in South Edmonton

At Southside Chiropractic, we work with patients across Edmonton who deal with all kinds of headaches. From the occasional tension headache, migraines, to ones that keep coming back.

If you’ve been looking for answers, the easiest next step is a consultation.

Book your appointment at Southside Chiropractic in Edmonton →

References

• Jull, G., Trott, P., Potter, H., Zito, G., Niere, K., Shirley, D., Emberson, J., Marschner, I., & Richardson, C. (2002). A randomized controlled trial of exercise and manipulative therapy for cervicogenic headache. Spine, 27(17), 1835-1843.
• Jull, G., Barrett, C., Magee, R., & Ho, P. (1999). Further clinical clarification of the muscle dysfunction in cervical headache. Cephalalgia, 19(3), 179-185.
• Lelic, D., Niazi, I. K., Holt, K., Jochumsen, M., Dremstrup, K., Yielder, P., Murphy, B., Drewes, A. M., & Haavik, H. (2016). Manipulation of dysfunctional spinal joints affects sensorimotor integration in the prefrontal cortex: A brain source localization study. Neural Plasticity, 2016, 3704964.

Watson, D. H., & Trott, P. H. (1993). Cervical headache: An investigation of natural head posture and upper cervical flexor muscle performance. Cephalalgia, 13(4), 272-284.