Migraines
Some headaches come from the neck. Some come from what you ate, or did not eat, or did not sleep. Telling them apart is where this starts.
Book your first visitBook your first visit online or call (630) 435-0100.
You should know within a few weeks whether this is working. If it is not, I change the plan rather than extend it.
Migraines, tension headaches, and cervicogenic headaches get lumped together because they all hurt in your head. They come from different places and respond to different things, and figuring out which one you actually have is the fastest route to fewer episodes and milder ones.
I am Dr. Justin Hunter, and I treat headaches in downtown Naperville from both directions at once: the neck, and the triggers. Over 20 years in practice, with board-certified training in clinical nutrition on top of the chiropractic doctorate, which matters more for headaches than for almost anything else I treat.
Not all headaches are the same problem
A cervicogenic headache starts in the neck. The upper cervical joints and the muscles around them refer pain up into the skull, usually on one side, often behind the eye or at the base of the skull. These respond well to hands-on care because the source is mechanical and reachable.
A true migraine is a neurological event, frequently with visual changes, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. It behaves differently, and it is often set off by triggers that have nothing to do with your neck: sleep, blood sugar, hydration, specific foods.
Plenty of people have both. That is why one approach got you halfway and no further.
What I look at
The upper neck: joint movement, muscle tension, and old injuries including whiplash from years ago
Posture and loading through the neck and shoulders, particularly for desk and screen work
Your pattern: time of day, day of week, what precedes an episode, what ends it
Sleep quality and consistency, the contributor almost nobody checks and one of the biggest
Blood sugar stability and meal timing, where headaches often track more closely than people expect
Food and hydration patterns worth testing against your headache diary
Why I look at your neck and your triggers
Most chiropractors will look at your neck. Most nutrition practitioners will look at your triggers. I am trained to do both, and headaches are the condition where that matters most.
I am a Doctor of Chiropractic and a Diplomate of the Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition. In practice that means if your headaches are mechanical, we treat the neck. If they track with sleep, blood sugar, or hydration, we go after that instead of adjusting you every week and hoping. And if it is both, which it frequently is, we work on both without you having to book two practices to find out.
You should know within a few weeks whether this is working. If it is not, I change the plan rather than extend it.
How I treat migraines and headaches
Where the exam supports it: adjustments to the upper cervical spine and the areas below it that are contributing, with focused soft tissue work through the neck, the base of the skull, and the shoulders, which is often where the immediate relief comes from.
Rehab and movement work for the postural loading that keeps rebuilding the problem, particularly for people who spend their day at a screen.
And where the pattern points at it, nutritional and lifestyle work on the contributors, built from your headache diary and your history rather than a generic trigger list.
The realistic goal is fewer episodes, less severe episodes, and better control over what sets them off. Anyone promising more than that is guessing.
When a headache needs a medical evaluation instead
Some headaches need urgent medical attention rather than an appointment. Get seen immediately for:
- A sudden, severe headache that peaks within seconds, often described as the worst of your life
- Headache with fever and a stiff neck
- Headache with confusion, weakness, slurred speech, vision loss, or numbness on one side
- A headache that started after a head injury
- A clear, unexplained change in your usual headache pattern
Ready to find out which kind of headache you actually have?
Fewer episodes, less severe episodes, and better control over what sets them off. That is the realistic goal.
Start a headache diary before you come in if you can. Date, time, what preceded it, what you ate, how you slept. It is often the most useful thing you bring.
Common Questions
Can a chiropractor help with migraines?
For headaches with a mechanical component in the neck, yes, often significantly. For true migraines, care can reduce frequency and intensity and address contributors, and it is not a cure. The first visit is about working out which kind you actually have.
How do I know if my headaches come from my neck?
Some good clues: pain that starts at the base of the skull, stays mostly on one side, worsens with neck position or after long screen sessions, and comes with neck stiffness. The strongest clue is when the examination reproduces your headache from the neck.
How many visits before I know if this is working?
You should see a change in a few weeks, not a few months. If you are not responding the way I expected, I will tell you and change the plan rather than keep booking you.
Should I keep a headache diary?
Yes, and start before your first visit if you can. Date, time, what preceded it, what you ate, how you slept, how long it lasted. That record is often the most useful thing you bring in.
Will you tell me to stop my migraine medication?
No. That is between you and your prescribing physician. The goal is to reduce how often you need it, not to interfere with it.
Is this covered by insurance?
Pure Health & Wellness is in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, Aetna PPO, PHCS PPOs, and United Healthcare PPO. In your insurance directory the practice may be listed as Hunter Family Chiropractic, PC. Same practice, same doctor, same address. Call (630) 435-0100 and I will confirm coverage for your specific plan.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book a first visit directly. If you already have imaging or records, send them ahead or bring them with you. Helpful, but not required.