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Headaches (Tension and Cervicogenic)
Frequent headaches often begin in the neck, posture, jaw, and nervous system load. We map the upper neck, eyes, sleep, and blood sugar to find the source.
What you may be noticing
A band of pressure around your head, or pain that starts at the base of your skull and spreads to your temples or behind an eye. Headaches that build through the workday, worsen with screens, and ease with rest. Your neck, jaw, and shoulders feel tight, and pain relievers have become a daily habit.
Why it is rarely one thing
Not every headache is a migraine. Tension-type headaches and cervicogenic headaches, which arise from the neck, are extremely common, and they respond well when their sources are addressed.
The upper three nerves of the neck feed into the same brainstem nucleus as the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from the face and head. That convergence, at the trigeminocervical nucleus, is why a problem in the upper neck can be felt as pain in the head.
I view a headache as a point of convergence. Neck and upper back mechanics, the jaw, eye strain, autonomic balance, blood sugar, hydration, sleep, hormones, inflammation, and environmental exposures can all feed the same pain pathway. Usually several are contributing at once, and the brain becomes more sensitive the longer the pattern continues.
Frequent use of pain relievers can also create a cycle called medication overuse headache, in which the brain becomes more sensitive. Changes to medication use should be made with your physician.
Patterns we look for
- Upper cervical joint function and muscle tension.
- Thoracic mobility and posture, especially forward head posture with long screen time.
- Jaw clenching and TMJ dysfunction.
- Eye strain, convergence problems, and visual processing demands.
- Sleep quality and sleep apnea, which can cause morning headaches.
- Blood sugar dips and dehydration.
- Caffeine patterns and withdrawal.
- Stress and autonomic balance.
- Hormonal timing across the cycle.
- Sinus pressure, weather changes, and new exposures such as fragrance or mold.
- Medication overuse and magnesium status.
- Central sensitization when headaches are chronic.
How I evaluate it
Your first tool is a headache journal. For each headache, note the onset, duration, location, intensity, quality, and any sensitivity to light, sound, or smell, along with neck, jaw, eye, or sinus pressure. Add sleep, stress, food in the prior day, hydration, exercise, hormonal timing, travel, weather, and new exposures. Within a few weeks, patterns emerge that guide the plan.
A comprehensive functional neurological exam includes a detailed cervical and thoracic examination, jaw assessment, eye movement and convergence testing, and evaluation of pain processing. These reveal which inputs are driving your headaches.
Functional labs may include magnesium, ferritin, B vitamins, fasting glucose, and a thyroid panel. A sleep study is recommended when headaches are worse on waking.
Seek emergency care for a sudden, severe headache, the worst of your life, or headache with fever and stiff neck, weakness, confusion, vision loss, or after a head injury. New headaches after age 50, or headaches that steadily worsen, need medical evaluation.
How we address it
A comprehensive headache plan can begin without any supplements at all. The foundations come first.
- Hydration, regular meals for steady blood sugar, and a consistent sleep and wake time, including weekends.
- Restore upper neck and upper back function with precise chiropractic care, mobility, and stabilizing exercises.
- Correct posture and workstation setup, and address jaw clenching.
- Train eye movements and convergence to reduce visual strain.
- Calm the stress response with breath and vagal regulation, and gentle lymphatic drainage of the neck.
- Reduce exposures that trigger headaches at home, such as fragrance and mold.
- Reduce central sensitization with brain-based rehabilitation, short and frequent sessions that stay below your symptom threshold.
Headaches are a message from a system under load. Lighten the load, and the message can quiet.
Book your Comprehensive Functional Medicine Eval/Neurological Exam today to discover what the contributing root causes are that are underlying your health concerns.