Headaches and migraines can derail your day, your week, and your work. This post breaks down the four most common headache types we see in practice, what actually triggers them, and how chiropractic care addresses the root cause instead of just masking the pain with medication.
How common are headaches, really?
More than 15% of U.S. adults report severe headaches or migraines, and women are affected at more than twice the rate of men. A 2017 Statista survey found that 18% of respondents experienced headaches multiple times a month.
The workplace impact is staggering. Each year, headaches cost the U.S. an estimated $17 billion in absenteeism, lost productivity, and medical expenses. According to a 2008 NHF web survey, nearly all respondents experienced headaches at work, and about half missed one to three days of work per month because of them.
Despite that, 86% of respondents said work-related headaches had never been addressed at their place of employment, and 93% reported that no headache prevention or treatment information was available through their employer. Ninety percent said headaches affect their performance — but only 33% ever tell their employer.
The four headache types we see most often
Tension headache
A band of pressure across the forehead. Patients describe it as squeezing or vice-like.
Migraine
Usually one-sided facial pain that can be debilitating. Nausea and visual disturbances are common.
Cluster headache
Sharp, focused pain in and around the eye.
Cervicogenic headache
A headache that starts in the base of the skull and wraps up over the head. It originates in the neck and is closely tied to poor posture.
What's actually triggering your headaches
Triggers vary, but the most common ones cluster around the workplace and lifestyle:
- Mental stressors — deadlines, difficult coworkers, sustained pressure
- Physical stressors — poor posture from a badly set up workstation, long hours at a screen
- Environmental factors — fluorescent lighting and screen glare
- Lifestyle factors — dehydration and inflammatory foods high in artificial additives
The traditional approach is medication. In the short term, drugs can dull the symptoms. But long term, they ignore what's actually driving the pain. Most patients who come to us for headache relief are tired of cycling through medications and want a solution that addresses the cause.
Tired of treating the symptom instead of the source? Get started with our $49 new patient exam and X-rays at Advanced Health Chiropractic in the South Loop. We'll pinpoint what's driving your headaches and build a plan to fix it. Book online at /schedule or call (312) 987-4878.
How we approach headaches at Advanced Health
We've helped thousands of Chicagoans get out of headache and migraine pain. Our approach starts with a thorough initial consultation: a detailed health history, orthopedic and neurological testing, and posture-focused imaging. That gives us a clear diagnosis and a specific course of care — not a guess.
For headache patients, treatment typically blends:
- Chiropractic adjustments to restore proper motion and alignment, especially in the upper cervical spine where cervicogenic headaches originate
- Chiropractic BioPhysics methods to correct the underlying posture and spinal structure issues that drive recurring headaches
- Spinal decompression and traction for patients whose headaches trace back to disc or nerve involvement in the neck
- Physical therapy and soft tissue work to release the muscle tension feeding into the head and neck
The goal is objective, long-term results — not a temporary fix.
Ready to find your root cause?
If you've tried other providers and other approaches without lasting relief, we'd like to meet you. Learn more on our headaches and migraines page, or book your new patient visit and let's figure out what's actually going on.
Dr. Luke Stringer, DC
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