Headaches

Headaches are among the most common health complaints, affecting millions of people. Understanding the type of headache you have can help determine the best treatment approach.

• Tension Headaches – The most common type, often caused by stress, muscle tightness, or poor posture. Symptoms include a dull, aching pain around the head and tightness in the neck and shoulders.
• Migraines – Severe headaches that may come with throbbing pain, nausea, light sensitivity, and visual disturbances. Migraines are often linked to neurological dysfunction, hormonal changes, or dietary triggers.
• Cervicogenic Headaches – These headaches originate from dysfunction in the neck (cervical spine) and can radiate pain into the head, face, and behind the eyes. Poor posture, spinal misalignment, and muscle tension are common causes.
• Cluster Headaches – Intense, stabbing pain around one eye or temple, often occurring in clusters over weeks or months. These headaches are less common but extremely painful.
• Sinus Headaches – Caused by sinus congestion and inflammation, leading to pressure in the forehead, cheeks, and around the eyes.

Chiropractic care is one of the most effective, drug-free treatments for many types of headaches, especially tension, cervicogenic, and migraine headaches. At Grieb Chiropractic Clinic, we use a variety of chiropractic techniques to help restore spinal alignment, reduce muscle tension, and improve nervous system function.

1. Chiropractic Adjustments

Spinal misalignments or fixations (subluxations), particularly in the cervical spine (neck), can irritate nerves and lead to chronic headaches. Chiropractic adjustments:

• Correct spinal misalignments that contribute to tension and cervicogenic headaches.
• Restore normal joint function, reducing nerve irritation and inflammation.
• Improve blood flow to the brain, decreasing headache frequency and severity.

2. Cox Flexion Distraction for Cervicogenic Headaches

For patients with headaches caused by neck dysfunction, disc problems, or nerve compression, Cox Flexion Distraction is an effective solution. This gentle spinal decompression technique:

• Reduces tension in the cervical spine, relieving pressure on nerves.
• Improves mobility and flexibility, reducing stiffness that contributes to headaches.
• Decreases inflammation that can trigger headache pain.

3. Soft Tissue Therapy & Trigger Point Release

Tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, and upper back often contribute to tension headaches. Chiropractic care includes:

• Manual muscle therapy to release trigger points.
• Stretching and posture correction to prevent chronic tightness.
• Moist heat therapy or high-volt electrical muscle stimulation to relax tense muscles.

4. Lifestyle & Ergonomic Advice

Many headaches are triggered by poor posture, stress, or workstation setup. We help patients by:

• Assessing posture to reduce strain on the neck and shoulders.
• Providing ergonomic recommendations to prevent work-related headaches.
• Offering nutrition and hydration guidance—dehydration and poor diet are common headache triggers.

Research strongly supports chiropractic care as a safe and effective treatment for headaches:

• A study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that chiropractic spinal adjustments reduced migraine frequency, duration, and intensity in patients who had suffered for years (Tuchin et al., 2000)
• A randomized controlled trial published in Spine demonstrated that chiropractic care was more effective than medication for tension-type and cervicogenic headaches (Boline et al., 1995)
• A review in the European Journal of Neurology concluded that spinal manipulation provides significant relief for tension headaches and reduces the need for pain medications (Seffinger et al., 2004)

Often caused by tension in the neck and upper back or due to a concussion.