Headache & Migraine Relief in Mission Viejo, CA
“I'm getting these headaches that are kind of all over my head.” Many of them start at the top of the neck.
Many chronic headaches are cervicogenic — they begin in the upper neck, at the atlas (C1) and axis (C2), and refer pain into the head. At Foudy Chiropractic in Mission Viejo, headache cases get a specific AP open-mouth X-ray view so those two vertebrae can be assessed directly, plus a surface EMG scan of the upper cervical nerve roots. Care combines precise upper-cervical adjustment, traction, and soft-tissue work, and most patients notice a change in headache frequency before they notice a change in intensity.
What it feels like
If several of these sound like you, they are worth measuring rather than guessing at.
- Headaches that start at the base of the skull and wrap forward
- Pain behind one eye, or on one side only
- Headaches that worsen with neck movement or after a day at a screen
- Tension across the shoulders that arrives with the headache
- Waking with a headache several mornings a week
- Headaches that over-the-counter medication only partly touches
| Relief | Correction | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Quiet the symptom | Address the cause |
| Typical length | A few visits | A course of care, then maintenance |
| What is included | Adjustment and modalities | Adjustment, modalities, and corrective exercise |
| Re-testing | Not usually | Progress exam against your own baseline |
| Likelihood it returns | Higher | Lower, if the exercise work is done |
What this means for you: both are legitimate choices, and Dr. Foudy will not push you toward the longer one. You just make the choice knowing which one you picked, and what it does and does not buy you.
Why the neck
The top two vertebrae in your spine — the atlas and the axis — carry your head and sit directly beneath the brainstem. Nerves from this region share pathways with the nerves that supply the face and scalp, which is why an upper-cervical problem gets felt as a headache rather than as neck pain.
This is not a theory Dr. Foudy applies blindly. It is something he images. The AP open-mouth view exists specifically to see the atlas and axis, and he takes it for headache patients.
What else gets ruled in or out
Posture is checked on dual scales, range of motion is measured, and the surface EMG reads how the upper cervical nerve roots are functioning. If the pattern does not fit a cervicogenic headache, Dr. Foudy says so and refers you appropriately. Headaches have many causes, and not all of them are spinal.
In summary: headaches & migraines at Foudy Chiropractic
- What it is. “I'm getting these headaches that are kind of all over my head.” Many of them start at the top of the neck.
- How it is found. Surface EMG reads nerve-root function level by level, digital X-rays show the structure, and palpation validates both — so the cause is measured rather than guessed at.
- How it is treated. Chiropractic adjustment, the open-floor modalities, and where discs are involved, AccuSpina spinal decompression. Corrective exercise follows so the correction holds.
- What it costs. An adjustment visit is $90 with every modality included. Decompression plans are quoted in person after your exam.
- Where. Foudy Chiropractic, 28892 Marguerite Pkwy #150, Mission Viejo, CA 92692 — (949) 365-0403.
Headaches & Migraines — questions people ask
Can chiropractic help migraines?
Many patients with migraine and tension headaches see meaningful improvement when there is an upper-cervical component driving them. Whether that applies to you is the point of the first-visit exam — you will get a clear answer rather than an open-ended course of care.
What is the open-mouth X-ray for?
It is an AP view taken with your mouth open, and it is the standard way to see the atlas and axis clearly. For headache cases those two bones are exactly where the answer usually is.
How quickly do headaches respond?
Frequency usually changes before intensity does — patients often report the headaches are further apart before they report they are milder. Your specific timeline comes from your exam.
Do I have to stop my medication?
That is a conversation with your prescribing physician, not with a chiropractor. Dr. Foudy does not manage medication and will not tell you to stop taking anything.
Other things this office sees every week
Sciatica
Pain running from the low back into the buttock and down the leg. Dr. Foudy hears this almost every day — and can almost always help.
Read more →Lower Back Pain
The most common reason people walk through this door — and the one Dr. Foudy says he can almost always help.
Read more →Neck Pain
“Every time I turn my neck a certain way, I get this shooting pain into my shoulder blades.” He hears it constantly.
Read more →Herniated & Bulging Discs
A gentler alternative to medication or surgery — decompression with oscillation at maximum load.
Read more →Numbness & Tingling
Where you feel it is rarely where it starts. The scan finds where it starts.
Read more →Forward Head Posture
The posture your desk gave you — measurable, and correctable.
Read more →Sports Injuries & Performance
The chiropractor behind a gold medal team. What the athletes got is what you get.
Read more →Whiplash & Auto Injury
Symptoms often arrive days after the collision. The exam finds what the adrenaline hid.
Read more →Scoliosis
A curve that is measured, tracked, and worked on — not just watched.
Read more →Shoulder & Hip Pain
Almost every joint in the body can be adjusted — not just the spine.
Read more →Pregnancy & Prenatal Care
Gentle care for the back and pelvic pain that pregnancy brings with it.
Read more →Get an answer, not a guess.
One visit tells you whether headaches & migraines is something this office can help with. You will see your own scan and your own X-rays before any plan is proposed.