Not all headaches are created equal

There are many types of headaches, and not all of them belong in a chiropractic office. But a significant percentage — cervicogenic headaches, tension-type headaches, and many migraines — have a mechanical component rooted in the cervical spine, suboccipital muscles, or jaw.

When the upper cervical segments lose mobility, when suboccipital muscles are overloaded from poor posture or breathing patterns, or when the TMJ is dysfunctional, referred pain into the head is a predictable result. These are the headaches we're equipped to help with.

How we figure out what's driving yours

We start by ruling out red flags and determining whether your headache has a mechanical driver. If it does, we assess the full chain — not just your neck.

  • Upper cervical segmental mobility and provocation testing
  • Suboccipital and cervical musculature palpation
  • TMJ screening — jaw opening, deviation, clicking
  • Thoracic spine and rib mobility
  • Breathing pattern assessment (PRI principles)
  • Deep cervical flexor motor control testing

How we treat mechanical headaches

Treatment targets the specific findings from your assessment. Upper cervical adjustments restore segmental motion at C0-C2, where most cervicogenic headaches originate. Dry needling the suboccipitals, upper traps, SCM, and pterygoids can produce significant relief — often within the same visit.

But relief isn't the goal — resolution is. We pair hands-on treatment with motor control work for the deep cervical flexors, breathing retraining, and thoracic mobility exercises to address the root causes keeping your headaches coming back.

Important: We're honest about scope. If your headache pattern doesn't fit a mechanical profile, or if red flags are present, we'll refer you to the appropriate provider. Not every headache belongs in our office — and knowing the difference matters.

What to expect

Cervicogenic headaches often respond quickly — many patients report significant reduction in frequency and intensity within the first 3–4 visits. Tension-type headaches with a strong postural component may take longer to fully resolve, as the habits driving them need to change alongside the manual therapy.

We track headache frequency, intensity, and duration over time. If you're not improving at the rate we'd expect, we reassess our approach or refer out. No guessing, no dragging things out.