Neck Pain & Headaches

Neck pain and headaches are often the same problem wearing different masks. The muscles, joints, and nerves of the cervical spine are tightly connected to the structures that generate head pain — and chiropractic care that addresses the cervical spine can provide relief that medication only masks.

The Neck-Headache Connection

Cervicogenic headaches — headaches that originate in the neck — are among the most common and most underdiagnosed headache types. They typically start at the base of the skull, travel up one or both sides of the head, and are often accompanied by neck stiffness and shoulder tension. They're frequently misdiagnosed as tension headaches or migraines.

The upper cervical spine (C1–C3) has direct neurological connections to the trigeminal nerve — the primary pain pathway for headaches. When joints in that region are restricted or irritated, they can generate referred pain into the head that feels exactly like a "regular" headache but won't respond to headache medications the way true tension or migraine headaches do.

How We Evaluate and Treat Neck Pain

Dr. Britt's SFMA-based assessment evaluates cervical rotation, flexion, and extension patterns to identify exactly which segments are restricted and how that restriction is affecting the broader movement system. She's also trained in upper cervical techniques that are particularly effective for headache patients who haven't responded to standard chiropractic care.

Treatment typically combines cervical adjustments, soft-tissue work to the suboccipital muscles and scalenes, and postural correction for the forward-head positioning that drives most modern neck pain.

Conditions We See

• Cervicogenic headaches
• Tension headaches
• Migraines (chiropractic as adjunctive care)
• Neck stiffness and reduced rotation
• Whiplash — from auto accidents or sports
• Tech neck / forward head posture
• Cervical disc herniation with arm symptoms
• Thoracic outlet syndrome

What Patients Notice

Most neck pain and headache patients notice improvement within the first few visits — often within the first one. Headache frequency and intensity both tend to decrease with consistent care, and many patients who've been on daily headache medications for years are able to reduce or eliminate them over the course of a care plan.