Chronic Migraine headaches are caused by many different factors. An important factor is the relationship between chronic migraine headaches and the upper neck. Specifically how the base of your skull connects to the top couple of vertebrae in the cervical spine. C1 and C2, or Atlas and Axis, as they are called, are the most freely moving vertebra in the entire spine. This gives us great range of motion in our neck but also means that when the body has trauma, it is an area that is likely to mis-align. A misalignment at the skull base interferes with nerve pathways, blood flow, and cerebral spinal fluid flow. Compromise to any of these systems can result in the symptoms of migraine headaches. At Areté Chiropractic we are experts in evaluating the alignment of the head and neck and how that affects spinal health and body balance. If a misalignment in the C1-C2 vertebra is a contributing factor to migraine headache, then reducing or correcting that misalignment will make a significant difference in how your body functions. We can often help people's bodies function better with less symptoms, or even recover completely.

Just ask Courtney! Courtney had been struggling with chronic headaches since she was about 12 years old. For the weeks prior to starting care at Areté she was struggling with DAILY migraine headaches. It made it difficult for her to live her life. She was also experiencing TMJ pain, constant neck, upper back, and lower back pain, and she would notice about once a day that her hands would fall asleep. You may be wondering what her headaches have to do with her hands. Nerves from the neck go into the shoulder, arm, and hand. So it was a pretty safe bet that Courtney's neck was a big piece of the pie as to why her body was expressing all these symptoms.

She has been under care for over six months now and has much less spinal pain, no numbness in the hands, and she only gets a migraine when her upper neck goes out of alignment!