Headaches are one of the most common and debilitating conditions affecting Canadians. While most people reach for medication as a first response, many headaches — particularly tension-type and cervicogenic headaches — have neck- or muscle-related contributors that may respond to conservative care such as exercise, manual therapy and, for some people, acupuncture.
What is Headaches & Migraines?
Not all headaches are the same. Understanding the type of headache you have is critical to effective treatment. Tension-type headaches — caused by muscle tightness and joint dysfunction — are the most common. Cervicogenic headaches originate from problems in the cervical spine (neck) and refer pain into the head. Migraine is a neurological condition. Neck pain and muscle tension commonly accompany it, and managing these may help some people as part of care coordinated with their physician.
Common Symptoms
- Pressure or tightening pain around the forehead, temples, or back of the head
- Pain that starts at the base of the skull and radiates forward (cervicogenic)
- Pulsating, throbbing headache often on one side (migraine)
- Headache triggered or worsened by neck movement or sustained posture
- Accompanying neck stiffness or shoulder tension
- Nausea, light sensitivity, or visual disturbances with migraines
- Headaches that occur frequently or have changed in character
Common Causes
- Cervical joint dysfunction at C1-C3 referring pain into the head
- Tight suboccipital, trapezius, and SCM muscles
- Poor posture and forward head position increasing cervical load
- TMJ (jaw) dysfunction
- Stress, poor sleep, and dehydration (common migraine triggers)
- Eye strain from prolonged screen use
- Dietary triggers in migraine sufferers
Treatments at Woodbridge Rehabilitation Centre
Our multidisciplinary team creates a personalized treatment plan based on your specific presentation, health history, and goals. The following therapies may be recommended individually or in combination.
Chiropractic Adjustments
Spinal manipulation and mobilization of the neck and upper back may help reduce the frequency and intensity of cervicogenic headache. Evidence for tension-type headache and migraine is more limited and mixed. Care is usually combined with exercise and posture strategies.
Acupuncture
Systematic reviews suggest acupuncture may reduce the frequency of episodic migraine and tension-type headache in some adults. How it works is not fully understood, and it is best used alongside medical care.
Physiotherapy
Cervical stabilization exercises, deep neck flexor retraining, and postural correction address the mechanical factors driving tension and cervicogenic headaches.
Soft Tissue Therapy
Trigger point therapy and myofascial release in the neck, trapezius, suboccipital, and temporalis muscles may help ease the muscle tension associated with tension-type headaches.
Softwave Therapy
Softwave may be considered for tender muscle trigger points in the neck and shoulders. There is currently little research on shockwave therapy for headache disorders, and it is not a treatment for migraine.
When to Seek Urgent Care
Contact your physician promptly, or call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department, if you experience any of the following:
- A sudden, severe headache that peaks within seconds to a minute (thunderclap headache)
- Headache with fever, stiff neck or rash
- New weakness, numbness, facial droop, difficulty speaking, loss of vision or confusion
- Headache after a head injury
- A new headache pattern after age 50, or headaches that are steadily worsening
Selected References
- Linde K, et al. Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(6):CD001218.
- Linde K, et al. Acupuncture for the prevention of tension-type headache. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(4):CD007587.
- Bryans R, et al. Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with headache. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2011;34(5):274–289.
Last updated: September 2026. This page provides general information and is not a substitute for an individual assessment by a qualified healthcare provider.
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