If you get headaches, you're not alone. According to the World Health Organization, 40% of people around the world get headaches 1Source: WHO.
There are over 200 types of headaches, but only a few are common. 2Source: Mayo Clinic The good news? Most of them aren't a sign of serious illness. You can manage them by avoiding triggers, taking medicine, or getting physical treatment.
Our team of experienced chiropractors help patients with headaches every day. In this article, we'll explain where your headache might come from based on where it hurts, the 8 types we see most often, and how to treat them.
Where Does Your Head Hurt?
Front of Head and Forehead
If you feel pressure or pain across your forehead, you might have a tension headache, sinus headache, or migraine. Tension headaches often feel like a tight band around your head. Sinus headaches usually come with facial pressure and a blocked nose.
Behind the Eyes
Pain behind your eyes might mean you have a sinus headache, migraine, or cluster headache. Cluster headaches are very intense and usually affect one eye, making it red and watery. If you also have a stuffy or runny nose, it's more likely to be sinus-related. However, many people confuse migraines with sinus headaches.
Temples
Pain at your temples usually means a tension headache or migraine. Tension headaches create a dull, pressing feeling on both sides. Migraines typically affect one temple with throbbing pain that gets worse with movement or light.
Back of Head and Neck
If your pain starts in your neck and moves up to the back of your head, you likely have a cervicogenic headache. These headaches come from problems in your neck and are one of the most common types we treat. They often make it harder to move your neck and may spread to your temple and forehead.
One Side of the Head
One-sided headaches are typical of migraines, cluster headaches, and cervicogenic headaches. Migraines throb and may make you feel sick and sensitive to light and sound. Cluster headaches cause severe pain around one eye. Cervicogenic headaches stay on one side and are connected to how you move or position your neck.
All Over the Head
When pain affects your whole head, it's usually a tension headache or, less commonly, a hypertension headache (from high blood pressure). Tension headaches feel like pressure all around your head. Hypertension headaches only happen when blood pressure becomes dangerously high.
Now that you know where to start, let's look at each type of headache in more detail.
1. Cervicogenic Headaches
A cervicogenic headache is a common type of headache that starts in your neck and affects one or more parts of your head. It typically begins after moving your neck and often makes your neck stiffer.
This type of headache is often misdiagnosed. Its symptoms can look like migraines, tension headaches, or other types of headaches.
What They Feel Like
Where: Pain starts in the neck and spreads to the temple and forehead, usually on one side of your head.
What else: Your neck feels stiff. The pain starts with neck movements or holding one position for a long time (like working at a computer). Sometimes the pain spreads to your shoulder and arm on the same side.
Causes
- Problems with your neck, such as misaligned vertebrae, irritated joints, or tight muscles
- A fall, injury, or whiplash (common after car accidents)
- Arthritis, wear and tear, or rarely, tumours
Treatment
Physical therapies like chiropractic care and massage can help ease these headaches and make them happen less often. They work by relaxing your neck muscles and helping you move more easily.
Combining physical therapy with regular exercise often works best. Your chiropractor can create a personal exercise and stretching program for you.
Deep dry needling (which we do at Rasura Chiropractic Centres) or acupuncture can help release tight neck muscles. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing or yoga can also reduce muscle tension.
If needed, your GP can prescribe pain relief medication. In severe cases, a nerve block procedure may be considered, or surgery might be recommended to relieve nerve pressure.
2. Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. They often happen because of tight muscles in the neck and head, stress, lack of sleep, or poor posture.
What They Feel Like
Where: A dull, achy pain with pressure around your whole head, like a tight band. The feeling can spread to muscles in your scalp, neck, and shoulders.
What else: Unlike migraines, tension headaches rarely make you feel sick or sensitive to light and sound. The pain is steady, not throbbing.
Causes
- Tight muscles in the neck, head, and shoulders
- Stress and anxiety
- Not enough sleep or poor sleep quality
- Poor posture, especially when sitting at a desk
Treatment
Massaging your head, neck, and shoulders can help release tension and provide relief. Having your chiropractor adjust your body can also help with the underlying muscle tightness.
Over-the-counter painkillers can provide temporary relief. Getting enough quality sleep and improving your posture when sitting and standing can prevent future headaches.
Regular exercise and stretching like yoga or swimming can reduce muscle tension. If eye strain is causing your headaches, consider getting an eye test.
Managing stress, anxiety, or depression with techniques like Bowen therapy, reiki, meditation or professional help can address the root cause. Having a hot bath or sauna can help soothe tense muscles. Acupuncture is another option some patients find helpful.
3. Migraines
Migraines, if not treated, can last between 4 and 72 hours or longer, seriously affecting your daily life. They may be linked to genetics or other nervous system conditions. 3Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
What They Feel Like
Where: Throbbing pain on one side of the head, often around the temple, forehead, or behind the eye.
What else: Often comes with nausea and vomiting. Some people experience warning signs called aura, including flashes of light, blind spots, other vision changes, or tingling in your hand or face. Movement, light, and sound typically make the pain worse.
Causes
- Stress and anxiety
- Disrupted sleep
- Dehydration
- Skipping meals
- Hormonal changes
- Certain foods and medications
- Bright lights and loud noise
Treatment
Medications like anti-inflammatory drugs and triptans can help ease pain; talk to your doctor about what's right for you.
Having a chiropractor adjust your neck can help shorten your migraine. Research shows that this hands-on treatment works for some migraine sufferers.
Anti-nausea medications can help if you're feeling sick; speak with your doctor about these options. Resting in a dark, quiet room can provide significant relief during an attack.
Putting an ice pack or cold cloth on your forehead may help reduce pain. Staying hydrated is important for preventing migraines caused by dehydration; we recommend about 2.6 litres of fluids daily for adult men and 2.1 litres for adult women.
In some cases, techniques like TENS (a device that uses electrical pulses) may be considered for chronic migraine management.
4. Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches are very painful headaches that come in cycles. They often wake people up in the middle of the night with intense pain around the eye on one side of the head.
These headaches happen at the same time every day, almost like clockwork. They can last from 15 minutes to 3 hours, and you may have several in a row. Each cycle might last for weeks or months.
What They Feel Like
Where: Severe pain around or behind one eye, often described as stabbing or burning.
What else: Swelling, redness, flushing, and sweating on the affected side of your face. Your nose gets blocked and your eye waters on the same side as the headache. The pain is so severe that many people can't sit still during an attack.
Causes
The exact cause of cluster headaches is unknown, and they can happen to anyone. Certain lifestyle factors like smoking, heavy drinking, and caffeine can trigger them.
Men are about 2 to 3 times more likely than women to get cluster headaches, though this gap has narrowed in recent decades 4Source: National Library of Medicine. They may also run in families.
Treatment
Medication prescribed by your doctor is the main treatment for cluster headaches. Breathing oxygen through a mask can provide relief during an episode.
Nasal sprays with local anaesthetics may also help some people. Because cluster headaches follow patterns, your doctor may recommend preventive medications during active periods.
5. Sinus Headaches
Headaches can sometimes be caused by inflamed or infected sinuses. The pain is often centred around the sinus area and the front of the face.
However, true sinus headaches are quite rare. Studies show that almost 90% of people who think they have sinus headaches are actually having migraines 5Source: National Library of Medicine. If you don't have nasal symptoms like coloured discharge or fever, the headache is more likely to be a migraine.
What They Feel Like
Where: Pain and pressure behind the eyes, across the cheeks, and in the forehead. The aching may spread to the upper teeth.
What else: The pain is similar to a migraine and may get worse when bending over or lying down. You'll typically have other sinus symptoms like thick, coloured nasal discharge, facial tenderness, and sometimes fever.
Causes
Inflamed sinuses due to allergies or infection, usually from viruses, but sometimes from bacteria.
Treatment
Sinus drainage massage and skull adjustments performed by a chiropractor can help relieve pressure and improve drainage.
Resting and drinking plenty of fluids can help relieve symptoms. Over-the-counter pain relief can help manage discomfort.
Nasal decongestants and saltwater nasal sprays from the pharmacy may provide relief. Antihistamines and steroid nasal sprays, available on prescription, can help if allergies are the cause.
Your GP may prescribe antibiotics if you have a bacterial infection, though most sinus infections are viral and clear up on their own within 7-10 days.
Other Headache Types to Be Aware Of
Post-Traumatic Headaches
If you hit your head in an accident, you may develop a post-traumatic headache, usually 2 or 3 days later. These can feel like tension headaches or migraines and may come with memory problems, tiredness, irritability, or dizziness.
It's important to see a doctor immediately after any head injury, as other complications like concussion can occur.
Treatment may include adjustments and stretches from your chiropractor, along with over-the-counter pain relief as recommended by your GP.
Hormonal Headaches (Menstrual Migraines)
People who menstruate may get headaches linked to hormone changes, often occurring 2 days before or during the first 3 days of their period, or during ovulation. These typically cause throbbing pain on one side of the head, sometimes with nausea and sensitivity to light.
Treatment may include rest in a dark room, staying hydrated, and anti-inflammatory drugs or migraine medications under medical supervision.
Hypertension Headaches
These happen in a small number of people when their blood pressure becomes dangerously high (top number ≥180 and/or bottom number ≥120). It's sometimes caused by pre-eclampsia or eclampsia (in third-trimester pregnant mothers and post-delivery mothers).
The pain often feels like pressure all over the head, worst in the morning and improving throughout the day.
If you have this type of headache along with other symptoms like vision problems or dizziness, seek immediate medical attention. Your GP may prescribe medication to lower your blood pressure, and lifestyle changes are essential for long-term management.
When Should You Seek Help?
While headaches are common and often mild, you should see your doctor if:
- You get frequent headaches that stop you from doing daily activities
- You regularly take pain medicine for headaches more than 3 times a week
- Over-the-counter medications no longer work
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- The worst headache you've ever had (10 out of 10 pain)
- Headache with a fever of 38°C or higher
- Paralysis, slurred speech, or loss of feeling in any part of your body
- Stiff neck along with headache and fever
- Confusion, vision loss, or loss of balance
- Sudden change in personality or behaviour
- Morning headaches with ongoing nausea
Getting the right diagnosis and treatment is crucial for managing headaches effectively, so don't hesitate to reach out to healthcare professionals.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help
Chiropractors can help relieve headache pain through specific adjustments and personalised advice on lifestyle, exercise, and posture. This works particularly well for cervicogenic headaches, tension headaches, and some migraines.
At our clinics, we use a combination of hands-on therapy, soft tissue work, tailored exercise programs and lifestyle advice to address the root causes of your headaches – not just cover up the symptoms.
Early diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent headaches from becoming chronic. If you're getting regular headaches, keeping a headache diary can help identify patterns and triggers, which will help both you and your healthcare providers manage your condition more effectively.
Moving Forward
Headaches are a common problem that most people experience at some point in their lives. The most common types are cervicogenic headaches, tension headaches, and migraines. Understanding where your pain is located can help you work out which type you have.
You can sometimes manage headaches by making simple lifestyle changes like getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, reducing stress, and improving your posture. However, if you get severe or frequent headaches, you should see your GP for further investigation.
At Rasura Chiropractic Centres, we help our patients get rid of headaches every day. Our team of experienced chiropractors in Alexandra Headland and Coolum Beach are only a phone call away and can see you from Monday to Saturday.
Are you struggling with headaches? Book an appointment today and take the first step towards lasting relief.
