Headaches and migraines are usually treated with medication, and for many people that isn’t enough. Many trace back to the neck and spine, where a vertebra out of position can put pressure on the nerves around it. Dr. Kalay’s exam looks for that source, so care goes after the cause and not just the pain.
Sounds familiar?
Headaches come in many types and have many causes. The ones chiropractors see most often start in the neck, where posture, stress or an old injury keeps the muscles and joints under strain.
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Your spine and nervous system work together. When a vertebra moves out of position, it can put pressure on the nerves around it, and headaches can be one result.
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Poor posture and stress aggravate the muscles and tendons of the head and neck. This neck-driven headache is the kind chiropractors treat most often.
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Trauma can start headaches too. Whiplash from a car accident is a common one, often arriving alongside neck and back pain.
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Certain foods, bright lights, loud noises, strong scents, lack of sleep, dehydration and stress can all set off a headache or migraine.
The right care depends on what is causing your headaches. Dr. Kalay works to find the source first, then explains the options and the plan before anything begins. A mild headache can follow an adjustment, so here’s what is normal and what is not.
For the neck and spine
Gentle, hands-on adjustments to the spine, working to take pressure off the nerves behind the headaches and help the neck move freely again. The goal is to treat the cause, so you rely less on headache medication.
How it worksAfter a car accident
Whiplash can bring on headaches along with neck and back pain. Auto injury care looks at every area the accident affected, not just one.
How it worksWhere every plan starts
A consultation and exam to find the cause, then a plan you understand before care begins. Your first consultation is complimentary.
I also suffer from extreme migraines and stress. … The doctor immediately saw listened and addressed the irregularities and focused on them.
Reviews are quoted as written. Individual results vary.
Reviewed by
Dr. Gurj Kalay, DC
Doctor of Chiropractic, Palmer College of Chiropractic West (2014)
General information, not medical advice. Your own exam decides your care.
A tension headache comes from tight, contracting muscles. The pain is mild to moderate, and it comes and goes. A migraine is usually moderate to severe, often throbbing and on one side of the head, and gets worse with ordinary activity like walking. It tends to bring sensitivity to light and sound, sometimes nausea, and many people see an aura before it starts.
Often, when they trace back to the neck and spine. If a vertebra has moved out of position, it can put pressure on the nerves around it, and headaches can follow. Dr. Kalay’s exam looks for that source, and adjustments work on it, so care goes after the cause instead of only easing the pain.
Dr. Kalay goes over your history, assesses your posture and may X-ray your neck, looking for what is behind the headaches. It helps to bring notes on recent ones: when each started, where it hurt, what it felt like, what you were doing, how long it lasted and what made it better or worse.
If you know your triggers, steer clear of them. Common ones include certain foods, bright lights, loud noises, strong scents, lack of sleep, dehydration, high stress and poor posture. Noticing which ones come before your headaches makes them easier to avoid.
Go to the nearest hospital right away for a sudden, sharp, severe headache, or one that comes with sudden loss of balance or falling, confusion, a seizure or trouble speaking. These can be signs of a serious problem that needs emergency care, not a chiropractor.
Care for headaches and migraines on Century Park Drive, starting with an exam to find where they come from. The clinic serves Yuba City, Marysville, Live Oak, Gridley, Plumas Lake, Olivehurst, Wheatland and Colusa.
Call or book online. Your first consultation with Dr. Kalay is complimentary.
New patient? Send the new patient form and the team will contact you to set up your first visit.
New patient special437 Century Park Dr Ste A · Yuba City, CA
