Some headaches start in the neck. They climb up from the base of the skull, settle behind one eye or at the temple, and build through the day: after hours at a laptop, a long drive, or a week of sightseeing looking down at a phone map. Many people have been calling it migraine for years. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it is something else. This page explains, in English, what we look at in our clinic in central Málaga, what does not belong here, and when what you need is a doctor instead.
Migraine is a neurological condition. It comes in attacks, the pain is often throbbing and one-sided, and it tends to bring nausea or sensitivity to light and noise. It is diagnosed and managed by a doctor or a neurologist.
A neck-related headache, called cervicogenic headache in medical reports, is different: the pain starts in the neck and is felt in the head. It is usually one-sided, gets worse with certain neck positions or movements, and comes with a stiff or loaded neck. This one does belong here, because it is a joint and muscle problem.
There is also the very common tension-type headache: a band-like pressure around both sides of the head, linked to tiredness and stress. That one is also for your doctor to diagnose.
And you can have two at once: migraine, plus a loaded neck that makes the bad days worse. Telling which part is which is part of the assessment itself. If what you have is migraine, we will say so and refer you.
What we hear most often
The pain arrives mid-afternoon after a morning on screen. It starts at the base of the skull and climbs up one side. Turning to reverse the car pulls. The shoulders feel like stone. It is better first thing in the morning and builds as the day goes on. Or it started after a car accident months ago and the neck has not felt the same since: see whiplash chiropractor in Málaga.
What we do not do here
We do not diagnose or treat migraine or any other headache disorder. That belongs to your doctor or neurologist.
We do not change your medication, whether for attacks or for prevention. That decision is your doctor’s.
We will not tell you that adjusting your neck cures headaches. There is no basis for that claim, and anyone who promises it is not telling you the truth.
What we do look at
- Headache that starts in the neck and gets worse with certain positions or movements.
- Neck stiffness and difficulty turning or tilting your head.
- Persistent tension in the upper shoulders and the muscles at the base of the skull.
- Upper back pain from long hours sitting.
- Working posture: head forward, screen too low, neck bent over papers or a phone.
- A loaded neck in people with diagnosed migraine: the migraine stays with their doctor; the neck is ours. More in neck pain chiropractor in Málaga.
Day to day: laptop, car and pillow
Screen at eye level. If you work on a laptop, a stand and a separate keyboard make more difference than you would think. Working remotely from a holiday rental, a pile of books under the laptop is better than nothing.
Every half hour, a minute of movement: stand up, roll your shoulders, turn your head slowly from side to side within what is comfortable.
Bring the phone up to your eyes, not your head down to the phone.
In the car, the headrest level with the back of your head and the seat back nearly upright. For sleeping, a pillow that keeps your neck straight, neither too high nor too low; sleeping face down strains it the most.
None of this replaces what your own doctor has told you.
When to see a doctor, not us
Go straight to A&E (Urgencias, or call 112) if the headache:
- Comes on suddenly and is the worst you have ever had.
- Comes with weakness, tingling on one side of the body, difficulty speaking or problems with your vision.
- Comes with fever and a very stiff neck, or with confusion.
- Started after a blow to the head.
See a doctor if it is a new kind of headache after the age of 50, if it has changed in pattern or frequency, if it wakes you at night, or if a doctor has never looked at it. In that last case, that is the first step, not us.
How the first visit works
You will see José De San Juan Guerrero, D.C., Doctor of Chiropractic (Sherman College, South Carolina) and a registered physiotherapist in Spain, with more than 25 years in practice in central Málaga. The whole visit can be in English.
It takes about half an hour, always in the same order: we listen first, how long it has been going on, where the pain starts, what makes it better or worse, how many hours you spend sitting and what you have been told before; then come the examination of your neck and upper back and a computerised postural analysis; then we explain what we found before anyone touches you. If your case is suitable, the first adjustment is done that same day. Bring any reports, especially from a neurologist, even if they are in another language.
Why come, even if your doctor already manages your headaches
With headaches it is easy to end up counting pills: one at the first sign, another if it does not go, and the feeling that your day depends on them. Your doctor is right to rule out anything serious and to manage migraine if you have it. What often gets left out is the neck that loads up every afternoon in front of the screen.
That part is ours. What we work on is movement: getting the upper neck joints that have stiffened to move again, and letting the muscles at the base of the skull and across the shoulders stop guarding all day. That does not heal any disease, migraine included, and we will not sell it to you as if it did. But a neck that moves better changes your day: turning to reverse the car without that pull, getting to the end of the working day without a stone-hard neck, reading on the sofa for a while.
If at the first visit we see that your problem is not coming from the neck, or that it needs another medical opinion, we will tell you that same day. We would rather tell you than let you waste time and money. And that is exactly why you can trust what we do tell you.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my headache comes from my neck?
Common clues: it starts at the base of the skull, it is one-sided, it gets worse with certain positions and your neck is stiff. Only an assessment can confirm it, and if there is any doubt about migraine or another headache disorder, your doctor decides.
Do you treat migraine?
No. Migraine is a neurological condition and belongs to your doctor or neurologist. What we do look at is the neck, which in many people with migraine is also loaded.
Do I need a referral?
No. But if a doctor has never looked at your headaches, start there.
I am only in Málaga for a short time. Is it worth coming?
Yes, if the neck is limiting you now. At the first visit we will be clear about what can reasonably be done in the time you have here.
Book your first visit · Chiropractor in central Málaga, in English · C/ Córdoba 6 · +34 629 245 594 · WhatsApp
Esta página también está disponible en español: Dolor de cabeza cervical en Málaga.
This clinic works on musculoskeletal complaints of the spine and joints. We do not diagnose or treat systemic, respiratory, autoimmune, metabolic or neurological disease, and we do not replace prescribed medical treatment. If you have a diagnosis of that kind, your specialist is the one who manages it.
