Headache and Migraine Relief in Stockton, CA
Headaches Have a Cause
Headaches are common, but recurring headaches are not normal. If you reach for pain relievers more than once a week, or if headaches are affecting your sleep, work, or relationships, it is worth finding out what is driving them. The neck and upper back are involved in the majority of recurring headaches, and that is exactly where chiropractic care can help.
Types of Headaches We Treat
The three most common headache types we see respond well to chiropractic care:
Tension Headaches
The most common type. Usually feels like a band of pressure around the head, often worse at the end of the workday, frequently linked to neck and shoulder tension from posture, stress, and screen time. We address the muscular and joint dysfunction in the neck and upper back that is fueling the pattern.
Cervicogenic Headaches
Headaches that start in the neck and refer up into the back of the head, behind the eyes, or into the temples. The hallmark is that neck movement triggers or worsens the headache. These are the headaches chiropractic helps fastest, often within the first few visits, because the cause is mechanical.
Migraines
True migraines are a neurological condition with triggers, prodromal symptoms, and a specific pattern. Chiropractic does not “cure” migraines, but research has shown that for many migraine sufferers, regular chiropractic care reduces frequency, intensity, and duration. When migraines have a cervicogenic component (cervical spine triggers), the improvement can be dramatic.
What If My Headaches Started After an Accident?
Post-traumatic headaches are a different category. If your headaches began after a car accident or other injury, please see our headaches after car accident page for treatment specifics related to post-injury headache patterns.
Our Evaluation
The first visit focuses on identifying the type of headache and the contributing factors. We ask about your headache history, frequency, triggers, and what makes them better or worse. We examine your cervical spine, neurological function, posture, and the muscular patterns in your neck and upper back. We screen for any red flags that would require medical workup before we proceed.
What Treatment Looks Like
Treatment typically combines cervical and upper thoracic adjustments to restore joint motion, soft tissue work on the muscles that refer pain to the head, postural and ergonomic correction, often involving your workstation setup, hydration and sleep guidance because both are massive headache triggers, and trigger point therapy where appropriate. We may also recommend specific exercises and stretches you can do at home between visits.
How Many Visits?
Most headache patients notice meaningful change in the first 2 to 4 visits. For chronic, longstanding headaches, a typical treatment course runs 8 to 12 visits, after which many patients shift to occasional maintenance visits. We re-evaluate every few weeks so you know exactly where you are.
When to See a Medical Doctor First
Some headaches require medical workup, not chiropractic. Seek immediate medical attention for sudden severe headache unlike any before, headache with fever and stiff neck, headache with neurological symptoms such as vision loss or weakness on one side, or new daily headache after age 50. If anything in your exam suggests these patterns, we refer immediately.
Schedule a Headache Evaluation
Most new patients are seen the same day they call. Reach us at (209) 477-7777 or use our contact page. We are at 4560 N. Pershing Ave, Ste. A, Stockton, CA 95207. Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-7pm, Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 9am-11am.