When Headaches Start Running Your Life
Maybe it’s the headache that starts creeping up from your neck halfway through the workday.
The tight, band-like pressure that arrives whenever you’re stressed.
The ache behind your eyes that makes staring at another screen unbearable.
Or perhaps it’s a migraine… you know, the kind that can wipe out an entire day, leaving you nauseous, sensitive to light and sound and desperate to lie somewhere dark and quiet until it passes.
Whatever yours looks like, recurring headaches shouldn’t simply become something you learn to put up with.
Headaches have many different causes, and the treatment that’s appropriate for one type may be completely wrong for another. Migraine, tension-type headache, headaches associated with neck problems, jaw-related headaches and headaches caused by an underlying medical condition are not interchangeable.
At The Urban Alchemist in Carlton North, our multidisciplinary clinic offers several approaches that may form part of headache management depending on the type of headache you’re experiencing and the factors contributing to it.
These may include chiropractic care, myotherapy, remedial massage, acupuncture, and other healthcare services where appropriate.
But before deciding how to treat a headache, there’s a more important question:
What kind of headache are you actually experiencing?
Book an Appointment for Headaches
Not sure who to book? Contact our team on (03) 9347 9247
Not All Headaches Are the Same
“Headache” describes a symptom, not one single condition.
There are many different headache disorders, broadly divided into primary headaches, where the headache itself is the condition, and secondary headaches, where another health problem is causing the headache.
That’s why a good assessment is super important.
Where does your headache start?
What does it feel like?
How long does it last?
How often does it happen?
Does movement make it worse?
Do you feel nauseous?
Are you sensitive to light or sound?
Does your neck hurt at the same time?
Do you clench your jaw?
Has the pattern recently changed?
Those details can help distinguish between different headache presentations and determine whether you need musculoskeletal care, migraine management, dental assessment, medical investigation—or some combination of these.
Common Types of Headache
Tension-Type Headaches
Tension-type headaches commonly feel like pressure or tightness around the head rather than the throbbing pain often associated with migraine.
You might describe it as a band around your forehead, pressure through your temples, or a dull ache accompanied by tightness through the neck, shoulders or jaw.
Stress and muscle tension can be associated with tension-type headaches.
Depending on your presentation, management might involve addressing contributing factors such as muscle tension, stress, sleep, movement or other lifestyle factors.
Migraine
Migraine deserves its own explanation because migraine isn’t simply a really bad headache.
It’s a neurological condition, and the headache is only one possible part of a migraine attack.
Symptoms may include:
- Moderate to severe headache
- Throbbing or pulsating pain
- Pain commonly affecting one side of the head
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sensitivity to light
- Sensitivity to sound
- Sensitivity to smell
- Visual or sensory disturbances
- Symptoms that worsen with normal physical activity
Some people experience migraine aura, which can involve temporary visual changes such as flashing lights, blind spots or zigzag patterns, or disturbances involving speech or sensation.
An untreated migraine attack may last from around four hours to three days.
Migraine can have many triggers, including changes in sleep, stress, hormonal changes, missed meals and environmental factors, although triggers vary substantially between individuals.
If you think you’re experiencing migraine—particularly if you’ve never been medically assessed for it—your GP is an important starting point.
Headaches With Associated Neck Pain
If your headache seems to begin around your neck or the base of your skull, occurs alongside restricted or painful neck movement, or consistently appears with neck symptoms, the musculoskeletal system may be one contributor worth assessing.
That doesn’t mean every headache that comes with a stiff neck is “caused by your neck.”
Migraine itself can involve neck symptoms, and headaches have many potential causes.
But when examination suggests that neck movement, joints or surrounding muscles are relevant, musculoskeletal treatment and rehabilitation may form part of an appropriate management plan.
Jaw-Related Headaches
If you wake with a tight jaw and a headache – or notice yourself clenching your teeth through stressful days – your jaw may deserve some attention too.
Tension through the muscles involved in chewing can be associated with pain around the temples and face, while temporomandibular disorders (TMD) can occur alongside headache.
Look for clues such as:
- Jaw pain
- Jaw clenching or grinding
- Painful clicking
- Facial tension
- Tenderness around the temples
- Pain while chewing
- Difficulty comfortably opening your mouth
If that sounds suspiciously familiar, don’t make this page do all the work:
Read our complete guide to Jaw Pain & TMJ
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headache is much less common but can cause extremely severe pain, typically around one eye.
Symptoms may include watering or swelling around the affected eye and attacks that occur in characteristic clusters. Cluster headache requires appropriate medical diagnosis and management.
Why Do I Keep Getting Headaches?
Sometimes there is one obvious trigger.
Often there isn’t.
Recurring headaches can be influenced by multiple factors, which might include:
- Stress
- Sleep changes
- Dehydration
- Missing meals
- Hormonal changes
- Alcohol
- Medication use
- Jaw clenching or grinding
- Musculoskeletal problems involving the neck
- Eye, ear, nose or throat conditions
- Illness or infection
- Individual migraine triggers
And sometimes the headache itself is the neurological disorder – as with migraine.
This is precisely why “your posture is causing your headaches” or “your neck is out” is far too simplistic an explanation for recurring headache.
We’d rather help you work out what’s actually relevant to you.
Stress, Screens and That 3pm Headache
There’s a familiar modern headache pattern.
You’ve been sitting at your laptop for hours.
Your shoulders have gradually migrated towards your ears.
Your jaw is clenched.
You’ve forgotten to drink anything since breakfast.
And by 3pm, your head is pounding.
It can be tempting to blame one thing – usually “bad posture.”
Reality is usually more complicated.
Prolonged static positions, muscle tension, visual demands, stress, insufficient movement, dehydration, missed meals and sleep can potentially overlap.
The answer therefore isn’t necessarily achieving some mythical perfect posture.
It may be changing positions more frequently, taking movement and visual breaks, improving your workstation, addressing neck or jaw problems where present, managing stress and looking at the other patterns surrounding your headaches.
Read more about postural tension
Hormones and Migraine
Hormonal changes can be an important migraine trigger for some people.
Migraine is more common in women, and some people notice a relationship between migraine attacks and their menstrual cycle or other hormonal changes.
If you’ve noticed a clear hormonal pattern to your migraines, discussing this with your GP can be worthwhile.
And if you’re pregnant and develop a new, sudden or different headache, seek medical advice rather than assuming it’s your usual headache pattern.
Book a discovery call with our Holistic GP
How Are Recurring Headaches Assessed?
Good headache management starts with a good history.
Depending on who you’re seeing and the nature of your symptoms, assessment may explore:
- Where your headache occurs
- What the pain feels like
- How frequently it happens
- How long attacks last
- Associated symptoms
- Neck or jaw symptoms
- Neurological symptoms
- Medications
- Sleep
- Stress
- Menstrual or hormonal patterns
- Possible triggers
- Previous injuries
- What makes your headaches better or worse
For recurring or severe headaches, medical assessment is important.
Your doctor may diagnose your headache based on your history and examination and, when appropriate, investigate other potential causes or refer you to a neurologist or another specialist. Migraine itself doesn’t have one specific diagnostic test.
Keep a Headache Diary, Seriously
If your headaches keep appearing and you have no idea why, this is one of the simplest useful things you can do.
For several weeks, record:
- When the headache started
- How long it lasted
- Where you felt it
- How severe it was
- Other symptoms
- Medication taken
- Sleep
- Meals
- Alcohol
- Menstrual cycle if relevant
- Stress
- Exercise
- Anything else unusual that day
A headache diary can help you and your healthcare provider recognise patterns and possible triggers that are almost impossible to reconstruct from memory three weeks later.
What Treatments Can Help Headaches and Migraines?
Here’s where we need to resist the seductive but rubbish answer:
“Treatment X fixes headaches.”
There are too many different headache disorders for that to be true.
The appropriate treatment depends on what kind of headache you have.
For migraine, medical management may include acute medications taken during an attack as well as preventive medication for people experiencing frequent attacks. Lifestyle strategies and identifying relevant triggers may also form part of management.
Our Holistic GP can help with this type of management
For headaches with significant musculoskeletal, jaw or stress-related contributors, other approaches may be useful alongside appropriate medical care.
Chiropractic Care
For some people experiencing headache alongside neck pain or musculoskeletal dysfunction, chiropractic care may form part of a broader management approach.
Assessment can consider movement through the neck and upper body, muscular factors and other aspects of your presentation before determining whether chiropractic treatment is appropriate.
Myotherapy
When headaches occur alongside significant muscular tension through the neck, shoulders, jaw or upper back, myotherapy may be worth considering.
Treatment can focus on relevant muscles and movement patterns and may incorporate hands-on therapy, exercise and self-management strategies.
Remedial Massage
If stress and muscular tension are major features of your headache pattern, remedial massage may provide another conservative treatment option.
This can be particularly relevant for people experiencing tension through the neck, shoulders, scalp or jaw alongside their headaches.
Learn more about Remedial Massage
Learn more about our specialised Face and Jaw Massage
Acupuncture
Some people use acupuncture as part of their headache or migraine management.
Whether it’s appropriate depends on your individual presentation, and it shouldn’t replace necessary medical assessment or migraine treatment.
Medical Treatment
If you experience migraine or frequent, severe or changing headaches, medical assessment may be important.
Your GP can help diagnose the type of headache you’re experiencing, discuss appropriate acute or preventive medication, investigate other potential causes and refer you to a neurologist where necessary.
That may be the most appropriate treatment pathway for you.
If you come to us for musculoskeletal assessment and we believe this is the better route, we’ll let you know.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Headaches
Headaches are a perfect example of why having multiple healthcare disciplines under one roof can be useful.
One person’s headaches may be predominantly migraine requiring medical management.
Another may experience tension-type headaches alongside significant muscular tension.
Someone else may have headaches closely associated with jaw clenching.
And another person’s headache may need medical investigation rather than hands-on treatment at all.
At The Urban Alchemist, we don’t believe every headache belongs to one therapy.
Our role is to help you find an appropriate starting point, and to recommend medical or other assessment when that’s what your symptoms require.
Book an Appointment for Headaches
Not sure who to see? Contact our team on (03) 9347 9247
When Is a Headache an Emergency?
Most headaches aren’t caused by a dangerous underlying condition.
Seek urgent medical care for a sudden, severe or concerning headache.
Call Triple Zero (000) or seek urgent medical care for a sudden severe headache or a headache accompanied by concerning neurological or systemic symptoms such as confusion, seizures, significant vision changes, severe neck stiffness or loss of balance.
You should also seek prompt medical assessment for:
- A severe headache that begins suddenly
- Headaches becoming progressively worse over several weeks
- A new headache following a head injury
- A headache that wakes you from sleep
- A headache triggered by coughing
- A new or different headache during pregnancy
- A significant change in your usual headache pattern
If something about your headache feels dramatically different or seriously wrong, don’t book a massage and see how you go. Get medically assessed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Headaches & Migraines
What’s the difference between a headache and a migraine?
Headache is a broad symptom associated with many different conditions.
Migraine is a neurological disorder that commonly involves moderate-to-severe headache alongside symptoms such as nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Some people also experience aura.
So, every migraine doesn’t look identical, and not every bad headache is migraine.
Can neck problems cause headaches?
Some headache presentations can involve structures or musculoskeletal factors in the neck, and neck symptoms can occur alongside headaches.
However, neck pain is also common during migraine, so having a sore neck doesn’t automatically mean your headache is “coming from your neck.”
A proper assessment is far more useful than guessing.
Can jaw clenching cause headaches?
Jaw clenching and tension through the muscles involved in chewing may contribute to pain around the temples and head in some people. TMD can also occur alongside headaches.
If you experience jaw pain, clenching, grinding or painful clicking alongside your headaches, having your jaw assessed may be worthwhile.
Read more about Jaw and TMJ issues
Can stress cause headaches?
Stress can trigger or worsen headaches for some people and can influence muscle tension, sleep, jaw clenching and other behaviours.
That doesn’t mean a recurring headache should automatically be dismissed as “stress.” Persistent or changing headaches still deserve appropriate assessment.
Can dehydration cause headaches?
Dehydration can contribute to headaches in some people. If your headaches consistently appear after long periods without drinking, during hot weather or following strenuous exercise, hydration is one factor worth considering.
Why do I keep waking up with headaches?
Morning headaches can have multiple potential contributors, including sleep-related issues, jaw clenching or grinding, migraine and other health conditions.
Persistent morning headaches – particularly those associated with nausea or a changing headache pattern – should be discussed with your doctor.
Can painkillers actually cause headaches?
Yes, frequent use of some headache medications can contribute to medication-overuse headache.
If you’re regularly using headache medication or your usual medicines are becoming less effective, speak with your doctor or pharmacist.
Do not abruptly change prescribed medication because you read this page.
Should I get a brain scan for recurring headaches?
Not everybody with recurring headaches needs imaging.
Your doctor will determine whether investigations such as imaging are appropriate based on your symptoms, examination, headache pattern and medical history. Migraine itself is generally diagnosed clinically rather than through one specific test.
Can massage help headaches?
For people whose headache pattern includes significant muscular tension, massage may be one component of management.
Whether it’s appropriate depends on the type of headache and what’s contributing to it, which is why we don’t recommend assuming every headache is a muscle-tension problem.
Can chiropractic help headaches?
Chiropractic care may be considered for some people whose headaches occur alongside relevant neck or musculoskeletal symptoms.
It is not a substitute for medical assessment of new, unexplained, severe or changing headaches, and migraine should not simply be treated as a spinal problem.
Can acupuncture help migraines?
Acupuncture is one non-drug approach some people use as part of migraine management. If you have migraine, we’d still encourage appropriate medical diagnosis and management rather than treating acupuncture as a replacement for medical care.
How do I know which practitioner to book?
You don’t necessarily need to.
If your headaches are new, severe, changing or haven’t been medically assessed, starting with your GP is sensible.
If you have an established headache pattern and your symptoms appear strongly associated with neck pain, muscular tension or jaw problems, one of our musculoskeletal practitioners may be an appropriate starting point.
If you’re still unsure, contact our reception team. Tell us what’s happening and we’ll help you choose the most appropriate appointment rather than making you play practitioner roulette.
Headache & Migraine Treatment in Carlton North, Melbourne
If recurring headaches are interfering with your work, sleep, exercise, relationships—or your ability to enjoy a perfectly ordinary Tuesday—they deserve more than endlessly reaching for another painkiller without understanding what’s going on.
The first step isn’t choosing a treatment.
It’s understanding your headache.
At The Urban Alchemist in Carlton North, our multidisciplinary team provides a range of treatment options that may form part of headache management, including chiropractic care, myotherapy, remedial massage and acupuncture.
And when your symptoms need medical investigation or another form of care, we’ll tell you.
Ready to find the right place to start?
Book an Appointment for Headaches
Not Sure Who to Book? Contact Us on (03) 9347 9247