Headache & Migraine Chiropractor in Vancouver, WA
Not every headache has the same trigger, and the approach that fixes one type can leave another completely unchanged. We start by figuring out which one you actually have.
Start With the Type, Not Just the Symptom
“Headache” is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and it covers several distinct conditions that respond to very different treatments. A patient describing a tight band around their head is dealing with something different than one describing a throbbing, one-sided headache with light sensitivity. Below are the three patterns we see most often.
Tension-Type Headache
A dull, band-like pressure around the whole head, often paired with tight, sore muscles in the neck and shoulders. Tends to build gradually through the day, especially during long stretches at a desk. This is the pattern most directly tied to cervical joint restriction and muscle tension — and the one that responds fastest to chiropractic care.
Migraine
Throbbing, often one-sided pain, frequently accompanied by nausea, light or sound sensitivity, and sometimes visual disturbances beforehand. Migraines have a neurological component that chiropractic care alone doesn’t fully address, but reducing neck tension and cervical dysfunction can lower how often they happen and how severe they get.
Cervicogenic Headache
Pain that starts at the base of the skull and radiates forward, often to one side, and gets worse with certain neck movements or positions. This type originates directly from the cervical spine, which makes it the most reliably responsive to chiropractic adjustment of the three.
When a Headache Needs More Than a Chiropractor
Most headaches are safe to treat conservatively. But a sudden, “worst headache of your life,” a headache with fever and a stiff neck, one that started after a head injury and is getting worse, or one accompanied by new vision changes, slurred speech, or weakness needs immediate medical evaluation, not a chiropractic visit. We’ll always tell you if that’s what we’re seeing.
How We Treat It
Cervical Adjustments
Restores motion to the upper cervical joints most often involved in tension-type and cervicogenic headaches.
Suboccipital Soft Tissue Work
Releases the small muscles at the base of the skull that refer pain forward into the head when they’re chronically tight.
The Activator Method
A gentler, low-force option for patients who are sensitive to manual cervical adjustment, especially during an active migraine.
Trigger & Posture Tracking
We’ll ask you to track timing, food, sleep, and posture patterns around your headaches, since the trigger is rarely obvious at first glance.
Questions We Hear Before a First Visit
Can a chiropractor actually help migraines, or just tension headaches?
Both, though not to the same degree. Tension and cervicogenic headaches often respond very well. Migraines are more complex, but many migraine patients still see fewer and less severe episodes once cervical dysfunction is addressed.
How do you tell which type of headache I have?
Mostly through your description of the pain itself: location, quality, what triggers it, and what comes with it. We’ll also check your cervical range of motion and press on specific points to see if that reproduces your usual headache.
How long before I notice a difference?
Tension and cervicogenic headaches often improve within a handful of visits. Migraine frequency typically takes longer to shift, usually a month or two of consistent care before a clear pattern emerges.
Find Out What Type of Headache You’re Dealing With
Same-day evaluations are usually available for patients in acute pain.
Request an Appointment
Call (360) 573-5500
We see headache and migraine patients from across Clark County, including Vancouver, Camas, Ridgefield, and Battle Ground.