Headaches & Migraines

Overview

Headaches are common, but they are not “just part of getting older” or something you have to put up with forever. They can affect your concentration, mood, sleep, work and family life — and they often come with worry: Is this serious? Is this my neck? Is this stress? Is this migraine?

At Flinders Health and Wellness Clinic, we provide osteopathic assessment and management for many types of headaches in a careful, structured way. Our role is to help you make sense of your headache pattern, identify musculoskeletal and lifestyle contributors where appropriate, and work alongside your GP and other health professionals so you are not trying to figure it out on your own.

Common Types of Headache

Cervicogenic Headache

Headache referred from structures of the cervical spine — meaning a secondary headache disorder. Commonly associated with neck pain, restricted movement and aggravation with sustained or end-range cervical positions. This is often felt on one side of the head and is one of the most common headaches we see and assess in clinic.

Migraine

Migraines are a highly debilitating type of headache due to a mix of factors that can have a large impact on daily life. Migraines can have an aura — a neurological symptom before the headache — such as visual changes, smell changes or sensory changes. This page was prepared by Brooke Stevenson, who is a lifelong migraine sufferer and brings both clinical expertise and personal empathy to headache management.

TMJ-Related Headache

Headache associated with the jaw (temporomandibular joint) and masticatory muscle dysfunction. Often linked with jaw pain, clenching, bruxism and localised temporal or facial pain. The relationship between jaw, neck and skull means that TMJ dysfunction frequently presents alongside headache and neck pain.

Medication Overuse Headache

A primary headache disorder characterised by recurrent moderate to severe attacks, often unilateral and pulsating, with associated nausea and/or sensitivity to light and sound. Medication overuse can be a maintaining factor and is important to identify and address as part of your overall management.

Cluster Headache

A severe primary headache disorder presenting as one-sided pain behind the eye or in the temple. Can also feature watering eyes or sinus congestion. Cluster headache requires prompt medical management alongside any supportive osteopathic care.

Headaches That Need Urgent Medical Attention

Please see your GP urgently or go to an emergency department if you experience any of the following:

• A sudden, extremely severe headache (“thunderclap” or “worst headache of your life”)
• Headache with trouble speaking, weakness, drooping face or loss of vision
• Headache with confusion, drowsiness, collapse or a seizure
• Headache with high fever, stiff neck, rash or feeling very seriously unwell
• Severe headache after a significant head injury
• Severe one-sided headache with a painful, red eye and blurred vision
• A new headache if you have high blood pressure, are on the pill, or have recently had a head injury or concussion
• Any new headache where you have a temperature, vomiting, visual changes or altered consciousness

You should also book an urgent GP appointment if your headaches keep coming back or are getting more frequent, if painkillers are not helping or you need them more than a couple of days per week, or if headaches are affecting work, school, driving or sleep.

How We Assess Headaches

Headache assessment involves a lot of questions. We want to know about your general health, blood pressure history, history of falls and the full pattern of your headaches. Suitable headache treatment involves careful screening — headaches can be an indicator of other issues, so we are careful in our management.

If the headache has been thoroughly investigated and you are not having concerning symptoms, treatment can involve manual therapy, assessment of the jaw and thoracic spine as well as the neck. We will also look at modifiable factors to reduce severity, whether that be changing your ergonomics, strengthening the muscles of the front of the neck or giving stress management tools.

If we have any concerns, we will suggest you see your GP. In this case, we obviously won’t charge you for the appointment — it’s more important that you are in the right place with the right professionals.

Practical Steps Before You See Someone

Keep a brief headache diary (7–14 days)

Write down, even in dot points: when the headache starts and how long it lasts, where you feel it, how strong it gets, what you were doing beforehand, what helps, and any associated symptoms (nausea, light/sound sensitivity, neck pain, visual changes, dizziness). Bringing this information to your appointment gives your osteopath and GP a much clearer picture of your headache type and triggers.

Check your basic habits

Reflect on the past 1–2 weeks: Are you drinking enough water? Are you consistently skipping meals or relying heavily on caffeine? Has your sleep quality or stress level changed? Have you suddenly changed your physical activity? These questions help identify how sleep, stress, hydration and activity may be interacting with your headaches.

Review your neck and screen set-up

Do headaches tend to come on after long periods at a computer, tablet or phone? Is your screen at eye level, or are you often looking down? If you can, try lifting screens closer to eye level and taking short movement breaks every 30–45 minutes. Simple changes like these can reduce strain on the neck and upper back and provide useful information about how posture affects your symptoms.

Understanding Headache Triggers

Headache and migraine triggers are not the same for everyone. A trigger is anything that seems to increase the chance of an attack. We focus on helping you recognise patterns and make changes where they’re practical and safe, rather than trying to eliminate every possible trigger. Common trigger areas to consider include sleep patterns, stress levels, hormonal factors, food and hydration, caffeine intake, sensory load and posture or workload.

Trigger management is about reducing the overall “load” on your system, not trying to live a perfect, trigger-free life. We encourage you to keep a simple headache diary to track these factors over 1–2 weeks, then review it together in session.