Conditions & Concerns
Headaches
Headaches have many drivers. Understanding which ones apply to you is the point of the evaluation.
Headaches are common enough that many people stop questioning them.
There can be many contributing factors — upper neck function, posture, sleep, stress load, hydration and diet among them. Understanding which of these apply to you is a large part of what the evaluation is for.
Why this matters
Frequent headaches can affect concentration, work, mood and sleep, and their impact often reaches well beyond the hours when a headache is actually present.
Patterns tend to matter more than intensity. When headaches happen, what precedes them and how they change over time often tell us more than how severe any single episode feels.
The brain & nervous-system connection
Where the nervous system fits in
The upper cervical spine has a close sensory relationship with areas of the brainstem involved in head and neck sensation. Evaluating how that region is moving and functioning is one part of understanding what may be contributing to head pain.
What we look at
We look for patterns, not a single test
We don't evaluate someone based on a single symptom or a single test. We look for patterns across several areas of function, and those patterns are what guide the care we recommend.
- Detailed health history and consultation
- NeuroInfiniti Stress Response Evaluation
- Posture and movement
- Balance and coordination testing
- Eye movement or neurological screening when appropriate
- Grip or motor-function testing when appropriate
- Palpation and spinal function
- Other examination procedures based on the individual
Not every person receives every test. What we perform depends on your history, your age and what the examination shows as we go.
How we approach care
Evaluation comes before treatment. Foothills Chiropractic is a neurologically based office, which means we start with how your brain, nervous system and spine are functioning, and let those findings — not simply where you hurt — guide what we recommend.
Not everyone is adjusted the same way. Technique and force may vary with age, examination findings, health history, comfort and clinical judgment. Dr. Geran is trained in several chiropractic techniques and chooses based on findings rather than preference alone.
Chiropractic is one part of a broader health picture. When findings fall outside our scope, Dr. Geran may recommend referral or co-management, and progress is reassessed over time rather than judged only by how you feel on a particular day.
Dr. Mike Geran practices at Foothills Chiropractic in Travelers Rest, SC, and sees patients from across the Furman University area and the surrounding Upstate communities.
Scope of care
What this does — and doesn't — mean
What we do
- • We evaluate chiropractic and musculoskeletal function.
- • We look at nervous-system-related functional findings that fall within our scope.
- • We assess movement, balance and coordination findings.
- • We measure stress-response patterns with the NeuroInfiniti evaluation.
- • We make individualized chiropractic care recommendations and re-measure over time.
What we don't claim
- • We do not diagnose, treat or cure diseases.
- • Chiropractic care is not a treatment for dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other neurological diseases.
- • Chiropractic care is not a replacement for medical care, testing or medication.
- • No outcome is promised. Results vary from person to person.
Medical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment or co-management may be needed when findings or symptoms warrant it, and Dr. Mike Geran will say so.
Evidence
What does the research say?
We separate two different kinds of evidence: research into the brain, the nervous system and healthy aging, and research on chiropractic or manual therapy itself. Each summary is labelled, and each links to the primary source rather than a secondary summary.
We are continuing to review published research relevant to this topic and will add sourced, linked studies here as that work is completed.
We periodically update this section as new research becomes available.
Explore this topic
Explore Headaches
Articles and, over time, short videos on this topic. Anything still in draft is marked as such rather than presented as finished guidance.
The Top 5 Foods That Contribute to Headaches
Common dietary contributors worth tracking.
Nervous SystemHow the Brain and Upper Cervical Spine Are Related to Headaches
The sensory relationship between the upper neck and the brainstem.
Nervous SystemWhy Do I Keep Getting Headaches?
Recurrence usually means the driver has not changed.
Specific concerns in this area
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Cervicogenic Headache
- Craniofacial Pain
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
- Double-Crush Syndrome
- Headaches
- Migraine
- Neuralgia & Nerve Pain
- Numbness & Tingling
- Occipital Neuralgia
- Peripheral Nerve Entrapment
- Radiculopathy
- Tension-Type Headache
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- TMJ Dysfunction
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
Related topics at Foothills Chiropractic
- Stress, Sleep & Nervous-System Regulation — How well you shift between stress and recovery is something we can measure with the NeuroInfiniti evaluation.
- Focus, Attention & Brain Function — Attention is a nervous-system function, and it is influenced by stress, sleep and input.
Common questions
- Are all headaches the same?
- No. Headaches vary a great deal in their pattern and likely contributors, which is why part of the evaluation is understanding your particular pattern rather than treating headaches as one condition.
- Do you treat migraines?
- We do not diagnose or treat migraines or any other medical condition. We evaluate nervous-system and spinal function, and if findings suggest medical evaluation is needed, we will say so.
- What should I track before my visit?
- It helps to note when headaches happen, how often, anything you notice that seems to come before them, and how you have been sleeping. That information gives us useful context going into the evaluation.
When medical evaluation may be needed
A sudden, severe headache unlike any you have had, or a headache with neurological symptoms, needs immediate medical evaluation.
Think Foothills Chiropractic might be right for you?
Start Here walks you through what the process looks like, so you can decide whether taking the next step makes sense for you.