Quick Summary: A migraine is more than a bad headache. It often throbs on one side, brings light and sound sensitivity or nausea, and can last hours to days. Dr. Hansen looks for neck and posture factors that may be adding to the load, works alongside your medical doctor, and refers out when something needs medical attention.
A migraine is a throbbing or pulsing headache, often on one side, that can make ordinary light and sound feel like too much. Many people feel sick to their stomach during an attack, and some vomit. An ordinary headache usually fades with water, food, or a decent night’s sleep. According to Mayo Clinic, an untreated migraine usually lasts 4 to 72 hours, and some people feel drained or foggy for up to a day afterward.
Some people also get an aura. That’s a set of temporary warning symptoms that show up before or during the headache. Visual changes are the most familiar, like flashing lights or blind spots, but an aura can also bring pins and needles, weakness, or trouble speaking. Not everyone with migraines has an aura, and the same person may get one with some attacks and not others.
If you live with migraines, some of this probably sounds familiar:
That second pattern, pain that starts at the base of the neck and moves behind the eye, deserves a closer look. It can be migraine. It can also be a headache that starts in the neck itself, called a cervicogenic headache, and the two are easy to confuse. Sorting out which one you’re dealing with (or whether it’s some of both) changes what makes sense to do next.
Stress is the most common migraine trigger. The American Migraine Foundation lists it for almost 70% of people with migraine. Triggers don’t cause migraine, which is a neurological condition, but they can set off an attack in someone already prone to them. Other common ones include:
Triggers often stack. A short night, a long screen session, and a stressful afternoon can each be manageable alone, then tip you into an attack together, and the last one usually gets the blame. That last item on the list surprises people too. Leaning on headache medicine more than about 10 days a month can lead to rebound headaches, which is one more reason to keep your doctor involved. In the Brazos Valley, a game day at Kyle Field can stack several at once: heat, bright sun, a short night, and a few drinks.
So where does the neck come in? For a lot of people, neck pain shows up right alongside a migraine, sometimes hours before the headache and sometimes during it. Some research suggests that neck pain may be part of the migraine itself rather than the thing that starts it. That’s an honest gray area, and we’d rather tell you so than pretend otherwise.
Still, for some people, physical stress seems to add to the load: restricted neck motion, muscle tension, and long days bent over a laptop. Emotional stress tends to land in the same place, which is why stress shows up physically for so many people.
If neck pain lingers between attacks, that’s worth paying attention to. When musculoskeletal factors are in play, addressing them is a reasonable part of a bigger plan. It doesn’t change the fact that migraine is a medical condition, and it doesn’t replace what your doctor prescribes.
Headaches have many possible causes, so the first step is understanding your pattern and screening for anything that needs a medical workup. Dr. Hansen starts with a detailed history: where the headache sits, what it feels like, how long it lasts, what sets it off, and what you’ve already tried. Then comes a hands-on exam of your neck and upper back, including posture, range of motion, and orthopedic and neurologic testing. In our College Station office, X-rays are taken only when the exam findings call for them. That’s why every visit starts with an exam, not with an adjustment.
If Dr. Hansen finds musculoskeletal factors that may be contributing, he’ll show you on a spine model or your X-rays and tell you plainly whether he believes he can help. Our migraine and headache relief care follows three steps. Prime uses guided breathing to help your body settle out of a guarded, stressed state. Facilitate is a gentle, specific adjustment, often using Diversified or Upper Cervical Drop technique. Integrate is what happens between visits: movement, sleep, and home exercises. Soft tissue work on tight muscles at the base of the skull is often part of the plan. Care plans are structured, and progress is judged by how often your headaches show up, how well you’re functioning, and how your neck moves.
To be clear about limits: chiropractic care does not treat migraine disease. Studies on spinal manipulation for headaches have had mixed results, as the NIH’s NCCIH points out. What we can do is address the neck and posture side of the picture, alongside your medical doctor, not instead of them.
Not every headache needs the ER, but some patterns are worth a closer look. Get your headaches checked if:
Some headaches need medical care right away. Go to the ER or call 911 for:
If none of those apply and your headaches seem tied to neck tension or posture, schedule your first appointment and we’ll sort through it together.
Chiropractic care can’t treat migraine itself, but it may help when neck tension, restricted motion, or postural strain is part of your pattern. Dr. Hansen’s role is to find and address those musculoskeletal factors. He’ll tell you honestly after your exam whether he thinks they’re contributing. If your headaches don’t fit that picture, he’ll say so and point you toward the right provider instead of keeping you on a care plan that doesn’t make sense for you.
Neck pain is very common with migraine, before or during an attack. Some evidence suggests that for many people it may be part of the migraine itself rather than the cause. For others, a stiff, strained neck seems to add to the load. The exam helps sort out which describes you. If your neck stays stiff or sore between attacks, that’s worth a closer look, and it’s the part of the picture we can address.
Yes, absolutely. Migraine is a medical condition, and your medical doctor should stay in charge of diagnosis and any medication. Chiropractic care works best here as one piece of a team approach, focused on the neck and posture side of things. Let your doctor know you’re seeing us, and let us know about any medicine you take. If anything in your exam points to a need for further testing, Dr. Hansen will refer you back.
Yes. Plenty of our patients drive in from Bryan, Navasota, Caldwell, and Snook, along with Texas A&M faculty and students from right here in town. Our office is on Mills Park Circle in College Station, so it’s an easy trip from most of the Brazos Valley. If headaches make driving hard on a bad day, plan your visits for days when you feel steady enough to get here safely.
For most people who’ve had a proper exam, yes, and that exam is the reason we never skip it. Dr. Hansen screens for red flags first and won’t adjust if anything suggests a stroke or another serious problem. Adjustments are gentle and controlled, and the pop is not the goal. If you’d prefer a lower-force option, Activator is available. Mild, short-lived soreness or tiredness after a visit can happen.
There’s no set timeline, and we won’t promise one. Care plans are structured, often around 12 weeks, and Dr. Hansen checks progress along the way by how often your headaches show up, how intense they are, how well you’re functioning, and how your neck joints are moving. If things aren’t changing the way he’d expect, he’ll tell you and talk through other options, including a referral.
Proudly serving College Station and Bryan, River of Life Chiropractic starts every visit with a real exam, not a guess. Ready to find out what’s actually going on?
Real feedback from the patients we’ve had the privilege to care for
College Station is home base, but patients regularly drive in from Bryan, Navasota, Caldwell, and Snook for care, most traveling somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes to get here. Within College Station itself, we see a lot of familiar faces from Pebble Creek, Indian Lakes, Southern Pointe, and the Castlegate and Castlerock communities.
Wherever you are driving in from, the visit looks the same: a real exam first, X-rays when they are actually needed, and a plan built around what your body is showing us, not a guess based on your zip code.
Contact us for expert chiropractic care in College Station, TX.
Monday: 9am – 1pm, & 3pm – 6pm
Tuesday: 3pm – 6pm
Wednesday: 9am – 1pm, & 3pm – 6pm
Thursday: 9am – 1pm, & 3pm – 6pm
Friday: 9am – 1pm, & 3pm – 6pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
