Why Do I Keep Getting One-Sided Headaches?

Does your headache pain always seem to favor one side? If you've ever winched from a one-sided headache, you know how relentless it can feel. You're not imagining things — one-sided headaches are real and can hit hard. 

Maybe you have a migraine that throbs relentlessly or a cluster headache that seems to follow its schedule. Either way, these headaches can be as confusing as they are exhausting, especially if they keep returning.

So, why do they happen? We take headache pain seriously at Spine Care of Manassas Chiropractic Center in Manassas, Virginia. We're committed to uncovering the root cause of your one-sided headaches so that we can develop a treatment plan that eliminates your pain at the source.

Here are the most common causes of one-sided headaches — and what we can do about them:

Cervicogenic headaches

Cervicogenic headaches stem from issues in your cervical spine (neck). They can cause uncomfortable neck pain that radiates to one side of your head. Tension, tissue trauma, and misalignments in the neck are the most common culprits. They typically worsen with specific neck movements or poor posture. 

If you have a cervicogenic headache, the pain may originate at the base of your skull and spread to one side of your head.

Our team can help relieve these headaches with spinal adjustments, cold laser therapy, and postural rehabilitation.

Migraines

Migraines often cause throbbing or pulsing pain that settles on one side, usually around your temples or behind one eye. They can last for hours, even days, and are often accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and visual disturbances known as auras.

Treating a migraine can be tricky. You likely have specific triggers like certain foods, stress, hormonal changes, or environmental factors like bright lights and strong smells. Identifying and managing these triggers is critical to reducing the frequency and intensity of migraines.

Chiropractic care can help ease migraines by addressing spinal misalignments that may pressure nerves, leading to headache symptoms. At Spine Care of Manassas, your treatment plan may include gentle spinal adjustments or targeted massage therapy.

Tension headaches

Tension headaches usually affect both sides of your head, stretching from temple to temple. However, if you have poor posture or muscle strain in your neck and shoulders, these headaches can be primarily one-sided.

During your full-body assessment at Spine Care of Manassas, our team examines your posture and muscle health to identify tension points contributing to your headaches. Treatments may include spinal adjustments, stretches, and ergonomic guidance to minimize the strain that leads to one-sided tension headaches.

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches are extremely painful, sudden, one-sided headaches. They typically form on one side and develop around a single eye. Known for their severe, stabbing pain, cluster headaches occur in "clusters" over several days or weeks. Redness, swelling, and eye-watering can also impact the affected side.

Chiropractic adjustments and soft tissue therapy may help relieve the frequency and intensity of cluster headaches.

Tissue trauma

If you’ve ever experienced neck or back injury — even a minor one — it can have lasting impacts, including headaches. Muscle, ligament, and soft tissue trauma can lead to misalignments in the cervical spine, creating tension and inflammation that trigger one-sided headaches. 

Our approach includes gentle spinal adjustments to correct misalignments, therapeutic exercises to strengthen muscles, and soft tissue therapy to reduce inflammation.

Book your one-sided headache evaluation in Manassas, Virginia

Stop your next one-sided headache before it starts. Call us today or schedule an appointment with Dr. Lincoln German or Dr. Mikaela Foley in our Manassas, Virginia, office to book your assessment.