Headaches you have started planning your week around
Tension headaches, headaches that start in the neck, and migraines.
What is headaches and migraines?
Headaches come in many types. Tension-type headaches and cervicogenic headaches (those that start in the neck) are closely tied to the joints and muscles of the upper neck, posture and stress. Migraines are a neurological condition with their own pattern of triggers, and some people find their migraines are connected to neck tension and nervous system load. It is one of the most common reasons people from Meridian and across the Treasure Valley come to see us.
Why does it keep coming back?
A neurologically based practice looks at headaches through the nervous system: how the upper neck is moving, what the nerve scan shows, and what stressors (physical, chemical, emotional, environmental) are stacking up.
How we look at it at Bonfire
The first visit is the same careful process whatever brought you in: a nerve scan with a chiropractic assistant, then your history, a thorough exam with the doctor, and X-rays the same day. Visit two is the report of findings, where you hear what was found and what care could look like, before your first adjustment.
What does care involve?
After the exam, care typically involves specific, gentle adjustments to the upper neck and the rest of the spine as findings indicate, with guidance on posture, screens, sleep and the other stressors that feed headaches. Patients describe different experiences, and your experience will be your own.
Two minutes from the doctors
In a patient's words
When I first came in, I was coming in with chronic migraines, neck pain, shoulder and back pain. … I'm able to hold those adjustments longer, just as the doctors told me would happen after consistent care. And so that's meaning fewer migraines, fewer neck strain days.
Crystal H., patientIndividual results vary. Care is based on your own exam.
Questions about headaches and migraines
Can chiropractic help migraines?
Some patients with migraines find that care aimed at the neck and nervous system may help with frequency or intensity. Care does not make migraines go away for everyone, and the doctors will tell you what your findings suggest.
When should I see a medical doctor instead?
A sudden, severe headache unlike any before, a headache with fever, confusion, weakness or vision loss, or a headache after a head injury needs urgent medical care, not a chiropractic visit.
Do I need X-rays for headaches?
Yes. X-rays are part of every first visit, so the doctors can see the structure of the upper neck before adjusting it.
This page is general education, not medical advice. Individual results vary. Talk with a qualified healthcare provider about your own situation, and never stop a prescribed medication without speaking to the doctor who prescribed it.