Headache

• Dysfunction in the spin
• Whiplash from a car accident or fall
• Poor posture (e.g. people who sit during work or school)
• “Text Neck” – too much time looking down at a device
• Referral pain from the teeth and jaw
• Dehydration
• Stress, particularly emotional stress
• Fatigue
• Side effects from medications or drugs (e.g. Alcohol or caffeine)

• Headaches that start anywhere from 11am to 3pm and will generally get worse as the day goes on.
• Pain is worse on busy or stressful days.
• Constant non-throbbing pain. Feels like a tight head band.
• Worse on busy or stressful days
• Relieved by rest or laying down
• Can involve the whole neck, but also concentrated in the shoulder muscles
• Stress and anxiety can trigger tension headaches. They are caused by a tightening of the muscles in the upper back, neck and head.
• Insomnia
• Can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 7 days.
• Poor work station set up, or computer use often affects Tension Headaches
• Poor vertebral alignment in the lower neck or upper thoracic spine is nearly always the cause of this kind of Headache

Migraines are intense throbbing pains that usually occur on one side of your head. They can last for days and are usually strongest in the morning.

Other symptoms may include:

• Nausea
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensitivity to noise
• Tension in your upper body
• Pain ranges from mild to excruciating
• Difficulty concentrating
• Jaw pain/ tightness

Mis-alignments in the mid thoracic spine (between the shoulder blades) are often associated with Migraines. Body toxicity is a related factor and can be due to dehydration, alcohol, medications and other chemicals.

Oversleeping can also play a role in bringing on a Migraine as the body toxicity increases between toilet breaks.

If migraines are ignored, they generally worsen over time and last for longer frequencies. You may even begin to feel pain in your shoulders and upper back.

The Sub-occipitals are a group of muscles on each side of the back of the neck just below the base of the skull. Sub-occipital headaches are a dull pain which can extend from the back of the neck up. They are common in headache patients with a lower neck misalignment

Symptoms include:

• Dull, constant headache that begins when you wake and continue until you go to bed.
• Feel like a dull pressure in the front of the head or under the back of your skull
• Problems with concentration
• Seem to be less noticeable when you are active or busy
• Otherwise nothing really relieves them and these may go on for days in a row
• May cause light-headedness or dizziness

Can be caused by mis-alignments in upper thoracic or neck vertebrae, incorrect height pillow, trauma (car accident or fall) and bad posture.