Headaches are among the most common reasons people seek care at Kosterman Chiropractic, and they’re also among the most mismanaged conditions in healthcare today. Nearly everyone gets a headache from time to time, but if you’re experiencing them regularly — whether that’s a few times a week, a few times a month, or practically every day — that is not normal, and it is not something you should just learn to live with. Your body is trying to tell you something, and covering it up with ibuprofen or Excedrin every time it happens is not a solution.
Most of the headache patients who come to see us have already been through the usual routes. They’ve stretched, they’ve rested, they’ve seen their medical doctor and maybe been prescribed NSAIDs or stronger migraine medications like Topamax. Some have tried physical therapy, massage, or acupuncture. And while some of those things provide temporary relief, they keep coming back because nobody has actually identified what’s driving the headaches in the first place. That’s where we come in.
Now I want to be upfront about something, because I think honesty builds trust — chiropractic care cannot help every type of headache. Some headaches are purely hormonal, metabolic, or related to dietary sensitivities and allergies, and those need to be managed differently. But a significant percentage of the headaches we see — including many that have been labeled as tension headaches or even migraines — are actually coming from the neck. And those respond exceptionally well to chiropractic care.
Here’s the connection that surprises most people. The upper cervical spine — particularly the joints at C1, C2, and C3 — has a direct neurological relationship with the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for sensation across most of the head and face. When those upper cervical joints become restricted, irritated, or inflamed due to poor posture, an old whiplash injury, or degenerative changes, they can trigger a cervicogenic headache. This headache actually originates in the neck, not the head itself. These are frequently misdiagnosed as tension or migraine headaches because the pain feels like it’s in the head. But the source is in the spine. The small deep muscles at the base of the skull, called the suboccipital muscles, are particularly involved — they get chronically tight and compress the greater occipital nerve, sending pain shooting up over the back and top of the skull. Sound familiar?
This is exactly why taking Advil or Tylenol for these headaches only works temporarily. You’re numbing the pain signal without addressing what’s generating it. The joint is still restricted, the nerve is still being irritated, and the headache keeps coming back — often requiring more and more medication to get the same relief. Dehydration is another commonly overlooked trigger — most people are chronically underhydrated and don’t realize how significantly it contributes to headache frequency and intensity. And for patients whose headaches are tied to food sensitivities or allergies, we can actually help with that, too. We offer in-office food sensitivity testing via a simple finger prick that identifies which specific foods may be triggering your headaches, and we work with patients to track and adjust their diet accordingly. At Kosterman Chiropractic, our goal is to determine exactly what type of headache you’re dealing with, identify every underlying factor contributing to it, and address all of them — not just the most obvious one. For patients whose headaches are coming from the neck, that means correcting the spinal dysfunction and addressing everything. For others, it means identifying the dietary or lifestyle triggers nobody has ever looked for. For many patients, it’s a combination of bto trackor moadjust, which means finally getting their life back.
What Causes Headaches?
Understanding what’s actually driving your headaches is the most important step toward getting rid of them for good. In our practice, we see headaches stemming from a surprisingly wide range of sources — and for most patients, it’s not just one thing but a combination of factors that have been building over time. Here are the most common contributors we identify and address at Kosterman Chiropractic.
One of the biggest culprits in modern life is upper crossed syndrome — a specific pattern of muscle imbalance that has become almost universal among people who spend their days at desks and on devices. The chest muscles and the muscles at the base of the skull become chronically tight and overactive, while the deep neck muscles and the muscles between the shoulder blades become weak and inhibited. The result is the classic rounded-shoulder-forward-head posture that most of us recognize in ourselves. Here’s why that matters for headaches — for every inch your head drifts forward from its ideal position, it adds roughly ten pounds of effective load on your cervical spine. A two-to-three-inch forward shift, which is completely common, makes your head feel like it weighs thirty to forty pounds on the muscles of your neck. Those muscles are then straining constantly just to hold your head up, and that chronic tension feeds directly into headache patterns.
Tech neck accelerates this whole process. When you look down at your phone, your cervical spine goes into sustained flexion, the suboccipital muscles at the base of your skull become compressed and tight, and the muscles running up the sides of your neck become chronically overloaded. Over time, this creates trigger points — small knots of contracted muscle fiber that refer pain up into the head, temples, and behind the eyes. The problem is that most people do this for hours every single day, so the muscles never fully recover between sessions. The headache becomes a daily companion.
Screen use in general contributes in ways most people haven’t considered. People tend to breathe shallowly or even hold their breath when focused on a screen, which increases muscle tension throughout the neck and shoulders. The eyes work harder to maintain a fixed close-up distance for extended periods, and the muscles around the eyes and forehead tighten in response. Monitor height matters more than most people realize — screen too low and you’re flexing the neck all day, screen too high and you’re compressing the cervical facet joints. Blue light exposure and screen glare cause squinting, which tightens the forehead and temple muscles and feeds directly into headache patterns.
Driving posture is another underrated contributor. Most people drive with the seat too far back, causing them to reach forward for the wheel, which rounds the shoulders and mimics upper crossed syndrome. Gripping the wheel too tightly creates tension that travels up through the arms and into the neck. Add in jaw clenching from road stress or concentration, which recruits the muscles around the jaw and temple that refer pain directly to the head. A long commute becomes a headache-generating machine.
Speaking of the jaw, TMJ dysfunction is one of the most commonly overlooked drivers of headaches we see. The jaw and neck share muscle groups and nerve pathways, so grinding or clenching the teeth, especially during sleep, creates tension that radiates up into the temples, the sides of the head, and even behind the eyes. Many patients who’ve been told they have migraines are actually dealing with a combination of cervical dysfunction and jaw tension that nobody has ever properly evaluated.
There are several other factors worth noting. Shallow chest breathing is surprisingly significant — when people don’t use their diaphragm properly, the muscles in the sides of the neck become accessory breathing muscles and get chronically overworked, pulling on the cervical spine all day long. Stress causes the body to brace and guard, particularly in the shoulders and neck, and chronic stress essentially means chronic muscle tension in exactly the areas that generate headaches. Stomach sleeping forces the head into sustained rotation for hours, compressing one side of the cervical spine all night. Weak deep neck flexors leave all the stabilization work to the superficial muscles that weren’t designed for it. And dehydration — even mild dehydration — makes the brain more sensitive to fluid changes, which directly contribute to headache frequency and intensity.
The common thread through almost all of these is sustained, unrelieved muscle tension and joint compression in the neck and upper back, most of it driven by how we live and move in modern daily life. The encouraging thing is that most of these factors are highly correctable. Postural retraining, specific chiropractic adjustments, targeted strengthening, soft tissue work, and simply breaking up prolonged static positions throughout the day can make a tremendous difference — and that’s exactly the approach we take at Kosterman Chiropractic.
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How Our Care Plan Works
1. Better
In the first phase of care, our priority is simple: help you feel better fast. We work to reduce pain, improve mobility, and support better sleep so your body can begin healing the right way. This is where we calm the irritation, begin restoring proper motion, and lay the foundation for lasting results — not just temporary relief.
2. Stronger
Once pain has decreased and mobility begins to return, we shift our focus to restoring proper function and stability. This phase is about correcting the underlying issues, rebuilding strength, and improving the way your spine and body move — so progress sticks. We work to help you return to the activities you love with confidence, not caution.
3. Healthier
It doesn’t make sense to get you better, just for it to all go bad again! We want you feeling and functioning your best for years to come. This phase ensures that you maintain all of the amazing progress you have made.
How We Treat Headaches In Cary, NC
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
When a headache patient comes in to Kosterman Chiropractic, the first thing we do is slow down and ask the right questions — because the details matter enormously with headaches. We need to know everything. How often are you getting them? How long have you been dealing with this? What time of day do they typically hit? Are they worse during the work week and better on weekends? Do they come on during your commute or after long hours at a screen? Do they start at the base of the skull and work their way up, or do they begin behind the eyes or at the temples? Are they one-sided or both? What makes them better and what makes them worse? All of that information starts painting a very clear picture before I’ve even laid a hand on you — and it often tells me a great deal about whether we’re dealing with a cervicogenic headache driven by the spine, a tension headache from muscle overload, something dietary or hormonal, or a combination of several things at once.
From there, we move into a thorough, hands-on examination with a specific focus on the areas most commonly involved in headache patterns. I typically begin in the mid to upper back and work my way up through the shoulders and into the neck — assessing posture, spinal alignment, muscle tension and balance, and joint mobility at each level. I’m looking at how the patient stands and sits, where the head sits relative to the shoulders, and whether there are signs of upper crossed syndrome or forward head posture contributing to the problem. I palpate hands-on the upper back, shoulders, and neck to find areas of tightness, tenderness, and trigger points — particularly the suboccipital muscles at the base of the skull, which are so frequently involved in headache cases. I assess range of motion and perform specific orthopedic and neurological tests to identify which spinal levels are restricted or irritated, and whether nerve involvement is present.
We then take a focused set of cervical digital X-rays right here in our office. For headache patients, this is particularly valuable because the X-rays allow me to assess the neck’s curvature, identify areas of compression or misalignment, detect where degeneration may have developed, and evaluate how the muscles are pulling on the spine based on postural changes visible in the images. All of that information together gives me a complete and accurate picture of what’s actually driving the headaches — not a guess, not a generic diagnosis, but a specific finding that we can build a targeted plan around. Because when it comes to headaches, treating the right thing makes all the difference.
Digital X-rays
When it comes to headaches, most people never think about getting an X-ray — and that’s exactly the problem. If nobody has ever looked at the structure of your cervical spine, nobody actually knows what’s contributing to your headaches. At Kosterman Chiropractic, we have a digital X-ray right here in our office, so we can get answers the same day you come in, without sending you somewhere else or making you wait.
For headache patients, specifically, the cervical x-ray tells us things that no amount of questioning or physical examination can reveal on its own. The first thing I look at is the curve of the neck. A healthy cervical spine has a gentle backward C-shaped curve that allows the spine to distribute load properly, maintain space for the nerves, and keep the muscles balanced. In headache patients, I very commonly see the curve straighten or even reverse — a direct result of years of forward head posture, tech neck, and unaddressed subluxations. That loss of curvature reveals the entire biomechanics of the cervical spine. It places chronic abnormal tension on the muscles and joints at the base of the skull — exactly the area most responsible for cervicogenic headaches.
Beyond the curve, I’m also looking at the alignment of each vertebra, disc spacing, signs of degeneration or arthritis, bone spur formation, and any postural shifts that indicate where the spine has been compensating. All of that shapes how I approach your care — where to focus the adjustments, what to expect in terms of correction, and how to set realistic goals for reducing headache frequency and intensity. Without that information, I’m working with incomplete data, which leads to incomplete results.
As for safety, our digital X-ray system is a high-frequency unit, which means radiation exposure is minimal, far lower than older traditional equipment. We take only what we need and nothing more. For most headache patients, it’s one of the most eye-opening parts of their first visit — seeing exactly what’s happening in their spine and finally having a clear explanation for why their head keeps hurting.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Cary, NC
At the center of most of the cervicogenic headaches we treat at Kosterman Chiropractic is a subluxation — a misalignment or loss of proper motion in one or more vertebrae of the cervical spine. When a subluxation is present in the upper cervical spine, particularly at C1, C2, or C3, it creates a cascade of problems that feed directly into headache patterns. The joint becomes restricted and irritated, the surrounding muscles tighten and guard to protect the area, the suboccipital muscles at the base of the skull get chronically compressed, and the nerves in the area — including those with a direct relationship to the trigeminal nerve that controls sensation across the face — begin to fire abnormally. The result is a headache that feels like it’s coming from inside your head but is actually being generated entirely by what’s happening in your neck.
The chiropractic adjustment is the single most effective tool we have for addressing this problem at its source. When I deliver a specific adjustment to the restricted cervical vertebrae, I’m restoring proper motion and alignment to that joint, taking the irritation off the surrounding nerves, releasing the chronic muscle tension that’s been building around the area, and allowing the body to finally stop generating the pain signal it’s been sending to your head. Many patients notice a reduction in headache frequency and intensity relatively quickly once we start correcting the underlying subluxations — sometimes within the first few visits. Others with longer-standing problems and more significant structural changes take more time, but the trajectory is consistently in the right direction when we’re addressing the actual cause.
What makes chiropractic care superior to the conventional approach for headaches comes down to one fundamental difference — we fix the problem, while conventional medicine manages the symptom. There is absolutely a time and place for headache medication, and I would never tell a patient to throw away their prescriptions. But taking Topamax, ibuprofen, or Excedrin every time a headache hits does not correct a subluxation, does not restore the cervical curve, does not release the suboccipital compression, and does not address the postural imbalances driving the whole cycle. It quiets the alarm without finding the fire. Over time, many patients find they need more and more medication to get the same relief as their body adapts, while the underlying structural problem continues unchecked. At Kosterman Chiropractic in Cary, we take a different approach entirely — find what’s actually causing the headaches, correct it specifically and directly, and give the body what it needs to stop generating them in the first place. For patients who have been living with chronic headaches for years, that distinction is life-changing.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Exercise is a critical but often overlooked part of long-term headache relief, and at Kosterman Chiropractic, it’s a standard part of how we care for headache patients. Here’s why — chiropractic adjustments correct the subluxations and restore proper joint motion. Still, if the muscles surrounding those joints are chronically imbalanced, weak, or tight, they will continue to pull the spine back out of alignment and perpetuate the same headache cycle. Addressing the muscular component is what makes the results last.
The muscles most commonly involved in headache patterns are the suboccipital muscles at the base of the skull, the upper trapezius, the levator scapulae running up the sides of the neck, and the sternocleidomastoid muscles along the front and sides of the neck. In most of our headache patients, these muscles are chronically overworked, riddled with trigger points, and essentially locked in a state of low-grade contraction that never fully releases. On the other side of the equation, the deep cervical flexors at the front of the neck and the muscles between the shoulder blades are weak and inhibited. They’ve essentially checked out, leaving all the stabilization work to muscles that weren’t designed for it. That imbalance is the engine driving most chronic tension and cervicogenic headaches.
When a subluxation is present, it makes all of this worse. The joint isn’t moving properly, so the muscles around it tighten further to protect and stabilize the area. Over time, those muscles develop trigger points — small knots of contracted muscle fiber that refer pain in very predictable patterns up into the head, behind the eyes, and across the temples. Breaking that cycle requires both correcting the joint and retraining the muscles.
The exercises we prescribe for headache patients focus on three things — releasing what’s tight, strengthening what’s weak, and retraining posture so the head sits where it belongs over the shoulders. For tight, overactive muscles, we focus on suboccipital, upper trapezius, and levator scapulae stretches to gradually reduce chronic tension at the base of the skull and along the sides of the neck. For strengthening, we focus heavily on deep cervical flexor activation through chin tucks — one of the most important and underutilized exercises for headache sufferers — which retrains the small stabilizing muscles at the front of the neck that are almost universally weak in patients with forward head posture. We also incorporate scapular squeezes and wall angels to strengthen the mid back and pull the shoulders back into proper position, reducing the forward rounding that loads the cervical spine. For patients with significant upper cross syndrome, we build a more comprehensive corrective exercise program that addresses the full postural pattern driving their headaches.
Just like with our neck and low back patients, we deliver customized exercise plans directly to your email with photos and videos, so you always know what to do and how to do it correctly. We also have exercise and stretch videos available on our YouTube page that you can reference anytime between visits. The goal is to make it as simple as possible for you to do your part at home — because what you do between visits is what determines how fast you get better and how long you stay that way.
Cervical Spinal Decompression
Most people don’t immediately connect their headaches to their spinal discs — but for a significant number of chronic headache sufferers,s the discs of the cervical spine are playing a direct role in what’s driving their symptoms, and understanding why requires a quick look at what those discs actually do and what happens when they break down.
Between each of the seven vertebrae in your neck sits a disc — a small cushioning structure with a tough outer layer and a soft gel-like center. These discs act as shock absorbers, maintain the spacing between the vertebrae, and play a critical role in preserving the openings through which the cervical nerves exit the spine. When the discs are healthy and hydrated, that spacing is maintained, the nerves have plenty of room, and the joints above and below move freely. When the discs begin to degenerate — losing height, drying out, or bulging outward — the spacing between the discs collapses, the joints compress, and the nerves and surrounding tissues become irritated. In the upper cervical spine, where the neurological relationship with the head and face is so direct, even relatively modest disc changes can significantly impact headache patterns. A disc that is compressing a nerve root at C2 or C3 can trigger relentless headaches that travel up the back of the skull and over the top of the head — and no amount of ibuprofen is going to fix that because the problem is structural, not chemical.
This is where nonsurgical cervical spinal decompression becomes a valuable tool for headache patients, particularly those with disc involvement, degenerative changes, or compression in the upper cervical spine. The significant application of a gentle, precise pulling force to the cervical spine that creates a negative pressure inside the disc — essentially a vacuum effect. That vacuum draws the compressed or bulging disc material back toward the center, taking pressure off the irritated nerve roots. Simultaneously, it pulls water, oxygen, and nutrients back into the dehydrated disc through the pumping process called imbibition, helping the tissue rehydrate and begin to heal. As the disc regains its proper height and the compression on the surrounding nerves is relieved, many patients notice not only a reduction in back pain and stiffness but also a meaningful decrease in headache frequency and intensity.
For patients who have been dealing with chronic headaches for years and haven’t found relief through medication, physical therapy, or other approaches, cervical spinal decompression with specific chiropractic adjustments and a targeted exercise plan gives us a powerful and comprehensive way to address the problem at its actual source. At Kosterman Chiropractic in Cary, we use decompression as part of an integrated approach to headache care — and for the right patient, it can be transformative.
Common Types of Headaches in Cary, NC
Tension Headache
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache we see, and they’re exactly what they sound like — headaches driven by tension. Patients typically describe a dull, achy, pressure-like sensation that feels like a tight band or a vise squeezing around the head, often across the forehead, temples, or the back of the skull. Unlike migraines, they’re usually not accompanied by nausea or sensitivity to light, and they tend to build gradually over the course of a day rather than hitting suddenly. They can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours, and for many patients, they become a daily or near-daily occurrence.
The cause is almost always rooted in chronic muscle tension and joint pressure—like in the neck and upper back— upper cross-vertebral syndrome, forward head posture, suboccipital compression trigger points, and cervical subluxations are the usual suspects. Stress, poor sleep, dehydration, and prolonged screen time all pour fuel on the fire. At Kosterman Chiropractic, tension headaches respond exceptionally well to our approach: 30-minute chiropractic adjustments to correct the cervical subluxations driving daily muscle tension, soft-tissue work to release trigger points, postural retraining, and a targeted exercise plan to address the underlying imbalances. Most patients see significant improvement in frequency and intensity relatively quickly once we start addressing the actual cause rather than just masking the symptom with medication.
Migraine Headache
Migraines are in a category of their own, and anyone who has experienced one knows exactly why. They are typically intense, throbbing, and often one-sided — frequently soft-tissue, a pounding pain nd one eye or on one side of the head that can be absolutely debilitating. Many migraine sufferers experience an aura beforehand — visual disturbances like flashing lights, blind spots, or zigzag patterns that signal the headache is coming. Nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound are hallmark features, and most patients need to lie down in a dark, quiet room just to get through it. Migraines can last anywhere from a few hours to several days.
The causes of migraines are complex and not fully understood, but they involve neurological changes in the brain, including shifts in brain chemistry and blood flow. Triggers vary widely from patient to patient and can include hormonal fluctuations, certain foods and beverages, alcohol, changes in sleep patterns, stress, bright lights, and strong smells. I want to be honest with migraine patients — chiropractic care is not a cure for migraines, and anyone who tells you otherwise is overpromising. However, research does support that cervical spine dysfunction can be a significant contributing trigger for many migraine sufferers, and addressing those subluxations through chiropractic adjustments can meaningfully reduce migraine frequency and severity for patients where the cervical component is involved. Combined with our in-office food sensitivity testing and dietary tracking to identify personal triggers, we can often help migraine patients gain significantly more control over their condition, even if we can’t eliminate it.
Cluster Headache
Cluster headaches are one of the most painful conditions a human being can experience — patients and researchers alike have described them as among the most intense pain known to medicine, which is saying something. They are characterized by severe, excruciating pain centered around or behind one eye, often accompanied by redness and tearing of the eye, nasal congestion or runny nose on the affected side, and a feeling of restlessness. Unlike migraine,s where lying down helps, cluster headache sufferers often pace or rock because staying still makes it worse. They come in clusters — occurring multiple times per day for weeks or months and then going into remission for a period before returning.
The exact cause of cluster headaches is not fully understood. Still, they appear to involve the trigeminal nerve and the hypothalamus, which regulates the body’s biological clock, which is why they often occur at the same time of day with striking regularity. Alcohol is a well-known trigger during active cluster periods. Cluster headaches are primarily a neurological condition, and their management typically involves medical interventions such as oxygen therapy, triptans, and preventive medications. That said, cervical spine care can play a supportive role — reducing upper cervical irritation and nerve compression takes some of the load off an already sensitized nervous system. We always work collaboratively with patients’ medical providers on complex headache conditions like this one.
Allergy or Sinus Headache
Allergy and sinus headaches are felt as a deep, dull, constant pressure in the forehead, cheekbones, or bridge of the nose — the areas where the sinus cavities are located. The pain typically worsens when you bend forward or lie down and is usually accompanied by nasal congestion, a runny nose, postnasal drip, and a feeling of fullness or pressure in the face. They tend to be worse in the morning and improve as the day goes on and drainage occurs. Many headaches that patients self-diagnose as sinus headaches are actually migraines or tension headaches — true sinus headaches are specifically caused by inflammation and congestion in the sinuses.
The most common causes are seasonal allergies, environmental sensitivities, colds, and sinus infections. At Kosterman Chiropractic, we can help address this in a couple of important ways. First, our in-office food sensitivity testing can identify dietary triggers that contribute to chronic inflammation and congestion, which feed sinus headaches. Second, there is a well-established neurological connection between the upper cervical spine and the sinuses — chiropractic adjustments to the upper cervical region can support proper nervous system function and drainage, a benefit many patients find genuinely helpful for chronic sinus-related symptoms. It’s one of those areas where patients are often pleasantly surprised by results they weren’t expecting.
Trigeminal Headache
Trigeminal neuralgia is one of the most distinctive and recognizable pain conditions we encounter — patients describe it as sudden, severe, electric-shock-like jolts of pain in the face, jaw, teeth, gums, or lips. The pain is almost always one-sided and can be triggered by the most ordinary things — eating, drinking, talking, touching the face, brushing teeth, or even a light breeze. The attacks typically last only a few seconds, but they can be so intense and so unpredictable that they significantly impact quality of life. Between attacks, so many patients live in fear of triggering the next one.
Trigeminal neuralgia involves the trigeminal nerve — the largest cranial nerve — which is responsible for sensation across most of the face. It is most commonly caused by compression of the nerve by a blood vessel at the point where it enters the brainstem, though it can also result from multiple sclerosis or other conditions affecting the nerve. Medical management, including certain anticonvulsant medications, is typically the primary treatment. However, given the direct neurological relationship between the upper cervical spine and the trigeminal nerve, reducing irritation and compression in this region through gentle chiropractic care can be a valuable adjunct for some patients. We always approach these cases conservatively and in coordination with the patient’s neurologist or medical team.
Cervicogenic Headache
Cervicogenic headaches are in many ways our specialty at Kosterman Chiropractic — and they’re also one of the most commonly misdiagnosed headache types in medicine. The word cervicogenic simply means originating from the cervical spine, and that’s exactly what these are — headaches that feel like they’re in the head but are actually being generated entirely by dysfunction in the neck. Patients typically describe a steady, nonthrobbing pain that starts at the base of the skull and spreads up one side of the head, sometimes reaching the forehead or the area behind the eye. Neck stiffness almost always accompanies the headache, and certain neck positions or movements will reliably trigger or worsen it. They’re frequently misidentified as tension or migraine headaches, which is exactly why so many patients have spent years treating the wrong thing.
The cause is joint restriction, subluxation, and muscle tension in the upper neck — particularly at C1, C2, and C3 — which irritate the nerves in that region and trigger referred pain up into the head via the trigeminal nerve pathway. Old whiplash injuries, chronic forward head posture, tech neck, and degenerative changes in the cervical spine are the most common underlying contributors. Cervicogenic headaches are exactly what chiropractic care was designed to address. Specific adjustments to the restricted cervical joints, soft-tissue work on the suboccipital muscles, cervical decompression when disc involvement is present, and a tailored, rehabilitative exercise plan produce better results for these patients. Tviaone headache type where we consistently see patients who have suffered for years finally find lasting relief.
Concussion Headache
Concussion headaches are a type of post-concussion symptom that can persist for days, weeks, or in some cases, months following a head injury. Patients describe them as a dull,l persistent ache, pressure, or throbbing in the head that may be accompanied by brain fog, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light and noise, dizziness, irritability, and fatigue. They can be worsened by physical or mental exertion and tend to fluctuate in intensity from day to day. When headaches and other symptoms persist beyond a few weeks following a concussion, the condition is often referred to as post-concussion syndrome.
What many patients and even some providers don’t fully appreciate is that a concussion rarely injures the brain alone. The same force that causes the brain to move inside the skull almost always creates significant trauma to the cervical spine as well — subluxations, soft tissue injuries, and muscle damage that go unaddressed because everyone is focused on the brain injury. Those cervical injuries then become a major ongoing driver of post-concussion headaches. At Kosterman Chiropractic, we approach post-concussion headaches very carefully and conservatively, working to gently restore proper motion and alignment of the cervical spine, reduce the neurological irritation contributing to symptoms, and support the body’s recovery process. We always coordinate with the patient’s medical team and take a gradual, measured approach that respects the sensitivity of the recovering nervous system.
Pregnancy Headache
Headaches are unfortunately very common during pregnancy, particularly in the first and third trimesters. They can range from dull tension-type aches to more intense throbbing headaches, and they’re often driven by a combination of hormonal fluctuations, increased blood volume, changes in posture as the body adapts to the growing belly, dehydration, sleep disruption, and stress. The postural changes of pregnancy are particularly significant, as the center of gravity shifts forward, the entire spine compensates, including the cervical spine, which can create or worsen cervical subluxations and muscle tension that feed headache patterns. Maternal-typed medications during pregnancy are uniquely challenging because most medications are off-limits. This is actually one of the areas where chiropractic care truly shines as a safe, drug-free option for expectant mothers. Gentle specific chiropractic adjustments are completely safe during pregnancy and can provide significant relief from headaches by addressing the cervical subluxations and postural changes contributing to the problem. We also help pregnant patients with hydration guidance, safe stretching and exercise recommendations, and positioning advice for sleep and daily activities. Taking care of the spine during pregnancy is one of the best things an expectant mother can do for her own comfort and well-being throughout those nine months.
Whiplash Headache
Whiplash headaches are one of the most common and most persistent consequences of a car accident or other traumatic injury, and they are almost universally underestimated. Patients describe them as a deep aching pain that typically starts at the base of the skull and radiates up and over the head, often accompanied by neck stiffness, shoulder pain, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating. They frequently don’t appear immediately after the accident — it’s very common for them to develop or worsen in the days following the injury as inflammation sets in and the full extent of the soft tissue damage becomes apparent.
The cause is the trauma the whiplash force inflicted on the cervical spine — subluxations created by the sudden, violent movement, muscle and ligament damage, disc injuries, and irritation to the upper cervical nerves that refer pain into the head. Left untreated, these headaches have a way of becoming chronic, partly because the underlying cervical injuries are never properly addressed and partly because the compensatory muscle guarding and tension that develops after the accident perpetuates the headache cycle indefinitely. At Kosterman Chiropractic, we have extensive experience treating post-whiplash headaches and take them seriously from day one. Specific chiropractic adjustments to correct the subluxations the trauma created, soft tissue work to address the muscle damage, cervical decompression when discs are involved, and a carefully progressive rehabilitative exercise plan give us a comprehensive approach that addresses every layer of the injury. Patients who get proper chiropractic care after a whiplash injury recover faster, more completely, and are far less likely to develop the chronic headache patterns that follow untreated whiplash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chiropractor in Cary, NC, good for headaches?
Absolutely — and for headaches that are being driven by cervical spine dysfunction, muscle imbalance, or postural problems, a chiropractor is honestly the best first call you can make. Does insurance cover chiropractors? We specialize in identifying the specific type of headache you’re dealing with and addressing the underlying cause directly, rather than just managing symptoms with medication.
When should you see a chiropractor for headaches?
If you’re having headaches more than once or twice a month, if they’re getting more frequent or more intense over time, or if you’ve been relying on over-the-counter or prescription medication regularly to get through them — those are all signs that something underlying needs to be evaluated. Don’t wait until they’re excruciating before getting checked out.
Is a massage or chiropractic better for their aches?
Both are valuable, and they work significantly better together than either one alone. Massage addresses the muscle tension and trigger points that contribute to headache patterns, while chiropractic adjustments correct the underlying joint dysfunction and subluxations that drive them. At Kosterman Chiropractic, we combine both as part of a comprehensive headache treatment approach.
Do medical doctors recommend chiropractors for headaches?
Increasingly, yes — the American College of Physicians now recommends spinal manipulation as a first-line non-pharmacological treatment for headaches, and many forward-thinking medical doctors in the Cary and Raleigh area refer their headache patients to us. The research supporting chiropractic care for tension and cervicogenic headaches in patients drives them. At an established and growing.
Does insurance cover chiropractors for headaches?
Yep! As long as you have chiropractic benefits. We’d be happy to help you know for sure. Give us a call, and we can walk you through it.
How can I relieve my headaches?
The most effective long-term solution is to get a proper evaluation at Kosterman Chiropractic so we can identify exactly what’s driving them and build a plan to fix it. In the research, well hydrated, taking breaks from screens every 30 to 40 minutes, gentle neck stretching, and applying. Does insurance cover chiropractors? Provide some relief while we get to the root cause.
Can getting your neck adjusted help with headaches?
For a large percentage of headache sufferers, the answer is yes — and often dramatically so. When headaches are generated by restricted joints, subluxations, or nerve irritation in the upper cervical spine, a specific chiropractic adjustment to those joints can provide relief that no medication can match, correcting the structural problem causing the headache rather than just quieting the pain signal.
Is chiropractic effective for migraines?
Research shows that chiropractic care can meaningfully reduce the frequency and severity of migraines for many patients, particularly those where cervical subluxation is a contributing trigger. I’m always honest with migraine patients — chiropractic is not a cure for migraines, but combined with our food sensitivity testing and dietary trigger identification, it can significantly correct and provide more control over their condition and reduce their reliance on medication.
What is a natural way to relieve tension headaches?
Staying hydrated, correcting forward head posture, taking regular breaks from screens, performing chin tucks and suboccipital stretches, applying heat to the base of the skull, and getting regular chiropractic adjustments to keep the cervical spine properly aligned are all highly effective natural approaches to reducing the frequency of tension headaches. Addressing the root cause through chiropractic care rather than reaching for ibuprofen every time is the single most impactful thing that most tension headache sufferers can do.
Who is the best chiropractor in Cary, NC, for headaches?
We may be biased, but we’d put Kosterman Chiropractic up against anyone in the area. Between our thorough diagnostic process, digital x-rays, specific chiropractic adjustments, cervical spinal decompression, in-office food sensitivity testing, and customized exercise plans, we offer one of the most comprehensive headache treatment approaches available in Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, and the greater Raleigh area. We’d love the opportunity to show you what’s possible.
$49 New Patient Special
Includes consultation, examination, x-Ray (if needed) & 1st chiropractic adjustment. This offer does not apply to federal beneficiaries, auto accident cases, workers’ compensation or if filing health insurance.