Nerve
Headaches & Migraines
Recurring tension headaches or migraines that hijack your day — and your plans.
If this sounds like you
You're not imagining it. You're not making too much of it.
If you're here, you already know the exact spot the pain starts — the base of the skull, behind one eye, across the forehead — and you already know how the rest of the day is going to go the second you feel it coming on. You've tried Excedrin, ibuprofen, caffeine, dark rooms, cold packs, elimination diets, and probably a prescription or two. You're not looking for another pill. You want to know why this keeps happening.
The pattern you've memorized
What headaches and migraines actually cost you when they keep coming back.
- Tension band across the forehead or behind the eyes
- Pain that starts at the base of the skull and climbs up
- Throbbing on one side of the head with light or sound sensitivity
- Nausea, visual auras, or brain fog before or during an episode
- Neck and upper-shoulder tightness that seems to trigger the headache
- Waking up with a headache already in progress
The part nobody says out loud
You've stopped making firm plans on weekends because you never know which day will be a headache day. You worry about missing your kid's game, the ski trip you finally scheduled, or a full workday you can't afford to lose. You're tired of apologizing, tired of canceling, and tired of feeling like your head is running your calendar.
You're not exaggerating. You're not being dramatic.
If any of the above made you nod, exhale, or feel a little seen — that's the point. Dr. Smith's exam starts from the assumption that what you're feeling is real, measurable, and worth taking seriously.
What your family has noticed
The people who love you have been watching this longer than you realize.
You think you've been hiding it. You haven't — not really. Here's what the people closest to you have quietly noticed, even if they've never said a word:
- You disappear into a dark room when everyone else is at dinner
- You keep sunglasses in every bag, jacket, and vehicle
- You rub your neck or temples without realizing it
- You've started declining evening plans 'just in case'
- You keep medication within arm's reach at all times
What waiting actually costs
Why now matters more than most people think.
Recurring headaches and migraines rarely resolve on their own. Untreated cervical dysfunction, muscle guarding, and nervous-system sensitization tend to increase in frequency and intensity over time — pulling more days off the calendar and pushing medication use higher without addressing the underlying driver.
Causes & traditional approaches
Why headaches & migraines happens — and why the usual fixes fall short.
Common underlying causes
- Upper-cervical joint dysfunction referring pain into the head
- Chronic muscle tension in the neck, jaw, and upper shoulders
- Postural strain from screens, driving, and desk work
- Nervous-system sensitization amplifying pain signals
- Old whiplash or head injuries that never fully resolved
What's usually offered — and where it falls short
OTC and prescription pain relievers
Limit: Blunt the episode but don't address the mechanical or nerve driver — and long-term use can lead to rebound headaches.
Migraine-specific prescriptions and injections
Limit: Helpful for some, but often expensive, side-effect heavy, and still leave the underlying pattern in place.
'Just manage the triggers'
Limit: Avoiding wine, screens, weather, and stress isn't a treatment plan — it's a shrinking life.
How Dr. Smith treats this differently
Our Headaches & Migraines approach for Headaches & Migraines.
Targeted upper-cervical chiropractic care and soft-tissue work aimed at reducing the frequency and intensity of tension headaches and migraines by addressing the neck-and-nerve pattern behind them.
Explore the Headaches & Migraines ProgramCommon Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Stop living around headaches & migraines.
Start with a $47 new patient evaluation and we'll tell you honestly whether we can help.