Chiropractor for headaches and migraines in Baltimore

Headaches get treated as one condition when they are several. Tension headaches build as a band of pressure across the day. Cervicogenic headaches start at the base of the skull, usually on one side, and travel up and forward. Migraine is a neurological condition with its own signature of light sensitivity, nausea and sometimes aura. Plenty of people are running two types at once without realising it.

The type that responds most consistently to manual care is the cervicogenic one, because its source is upper neck joint dysfunction and referred muscle tension, and both of those are directly treatable.

Headache patterns worth examining

• Pain starting at the base of the skull and travelling upward
• Consistently on the same side of the head
• Triggered or worsened by neck movement or held posture
• Reduced neck rotation on the painful side
• Onset after a car accident or a fall
• Daily late-afternoon headaches that build with screen work

What care looks like

First the type gets sorted, because that decides whether this is the right care at all. History pattern, neck examination, trigger point mapping, and a screen for the warning signs that mean a headache belongs in a medical workup rather than on a treatment table.

For cervicogenic and tension patterns, care combines upper neck and thoracic adjustment, targeted soft tissue work through the suboccipital muscles and shoulder girdle, and postural retraining. Most people keep a simple frequency and intensity log so change is visible rather than remembered.

For migraine specifically, the honest position is that manual care sometimes reduces frequency where a neck component is aggravating attacks, and it is not a substitute for neurological care. A new or worsening headache pattern, a sudden severe headache, or any headache with neurological change gets referred out the same day.