Often, when I say that I can help people’s migraines and severe headaches by assessing and treating their neck their response is, “but my neck doesn’t hurt”. And yet . . . it’s still involved.

How nerves work

Nerves are designed to send messages from their end to the brain. That’s all they know how to do. If there is a problem at any point along that route all the nerve is able to tell the brain is “the end hurts”.

Think of it like making a telephone call – you call your friend and don’t get an answer. Now all you know is that your friend didn’t answer the phone but this could be for any number of reasons, they didn’t answer it, the phone was off, there was a problem in any one of the many interchanges and connections en route . . . . but all you (the brain) knows is that the phone wasn’t answered.

And nerves work in a similar way – there can be any number of reasons why the message doesn’t get through but your brain only knows how to interpret it one way.

What’s that got to do with my headache?

EVERY nerve in the body travels through the neck – even the ones for the face and head. So if you compromise the neck then you have an effect on all those nerves as they travel up into the head.

If we relieve the pressure on the nerves, in effect, if we fix the phone line from end to end, it is much easier to receive the phone call.

Treating the neck

Many people are wary of treatment because they think it might trigger a migraine. And yet they still believe their neck isn’t involved.

A proper assessment is critical – before your practitioner does anything they should know exactly where the problem is.

Treatment MUST be gentle – absolutely no cracking!

If your practitioner knows exactly where the problem is AND is experienced and gentle they should never trigger a migraine.