Taking painkillers several times a week for headaches? Many chronic headaches do not start “in the head” at all — they start in the neck and in accumulated muscle tension. Those can be treated, not just numbed.
Which headaches do we treat?
The forms with a musculoskeletal component: tension-type headache (a band of bilateral pressure sustained by stress and posture), cervicogenic headache (starting from the upper cervical joints and muscles, typically one-sided, triggered by neck movements) and occipital neuralgia. Migraine needs a multidisciplinary approach — but its associated neck component also responds to treatment.
Common symptoms
Pressure or “tight band” sensations, pain starting at the base of the skull and climbing, tender neck and shoulder muscles, worse after long desk days, neck stiffness, and episodes becoming more frequent under stress.
Common causes
Forward-head posture and screen hours, upper cervical joint dysfunction, trigger points in the trapezius and suboccipitals, jaw clenching and TMJ tension, chronic stress and poor sleep — usually in combination.
Can they be treated without medication?
Tension-type and cervicogenic forms — largely yes: evidence supports manual therapy, targeted exercise and postural correction. Painkillers stay for episodes, not as a strategy — overuse can itself sustain headaches.
How we treat headaches at Medicine Park
We assess your cervical spine, muscles, posture and triggers, then combine cervical manual and chiropractic care, dry needling for trigger points, suboccipital release, postural training and desk-break hygiene. Red flags requiring medical work-up are screened at the first assessment. Everything in English.
How long does recovery take?
Many cervicogenic and tension headaches become visibly less frequent within 3–6 sessions; long-standing chronic forms need longer programmes with steady progress.
When to seek help
If headaches return weekly or painkillers have become routine, book an assessment. A sudden “thunderclap” headache, fever or neurological symptoms are a medical emergency.
