Most people who come into the clinic with migraines or regular headaches have already tried the obvious things. What they often haven't done is look closely at the everyday patterns that set them off. Migraines rarely have a single cause. More often it's a stack: a short night's sleep, a skipped lunch, a long day hunched over a laptop, a couple of glasses of red wine. Any one of those might be fine on its own. Together, they tip you over.
This post covers the triggers we see most often, practical ways to manage them, and where chiropractic care for the neck and upper back fits in.
Food and drink triggers
Triggers vary a lot from person to person. One person's safe food is another person's migraine starter. That said, a few come up again and again:
- Aged cheeses such as cheddar, brie and parmesan
- Processed meats such as bacon, salami and ham
- Chocolate, especially dark chocolate
- Alcohol, particularly red wine and beer
- Strong flavour additives such as MSG
- Artificial sweeteners in diet drinks and "sugar-free" snacks
- Caffeine, both too much and suddenly going without
Caffeine deserves a special mention because it cuts both ways. A heavy coffee habit can drive headaches, but so can dropping from three coffees a day to none. If you want to cut back, taper it down gradually rather than stopping cold.
Just as important as what you eat is when you eat. Skipping meals is one of the most reliable triggers we hear about. A common pattern is no breakfast, a strong coffee at 10, and a headache by early afternoon. A light breakfast and spacing out caffeine can make a real difference for that person.
Don't try to cut out every food on the list above. That's miserable and usually unnecessary. Instead, keep track (more on that below) and only remove the things that genuinely line up with your attacks.
Sleep and routine
The brain likes routine, and migraine-prone brains like it even more. Going to bed and getting up at different times, sleeping in on weekends, or running on a few short nights in a row are all common triggers. Too much sleep can be a problem as well as too little.
A few things that help:
- Keep the same bedtime and wake time, including weekends, as closely as you can
- Put screens away for a while before bed
- Avoid heavy meals and alcohol late in the evening
- Build a calm, repeatable wind-down routine, especially if stress tends to build at night
Your sleeping position matters too. A pillow that's too high or too flat, or sleeping on your stomach with your head twisted to one side, can leave the neck stiff and sore in the morning. Waking up with a headache is often a clue that the neck is involved. We cover this in more detail in our post on sleep problems and migraine headaches.
Posture and neck tension
This is the trigger people overlook most, and it's the one we deal with most directly. Long hours at a desk, looking down at a phone, driving, or even a round of golf with a stiff upper back all put load through the neck and the muscles at the base of the skull. Over time that tension can feed into headaches and make migraines more frequent or harder to shake.
Signs your neck may be part of the picture:
- Headaches that start at the base of the skull or the back of the head and spread forward
- Pain that's worse after long periods at the computer or driving
- Stiffness or reduced movement when turning your head
- Tight, tender shoulders and upper back
- Jaw clenching, especially when stressed or concentrating
Simple changes help. Set your screen at eye height, get up and move at least every half hour, and keep your phone up rather than looking down at it. Gentle neck and shoulder stretches through the day can stop tension building. If you want to understand the link better, read the neck–migraine connection.
Stress, hydration and exercise
Stress is a big trigger, and it's often the let-down after stress that brings an attack on: the first day of holidays, or the Saturday after a hard week. You can't remove stress from life, but you can give your nervous system regular chances to settle. A short walk in the morning, a few minutes of slow breathing, or time away from screens all count. It doesn't need to be a full meditation practice.
Dehydration is an easy one to miss, particularly in winter when you don't feel thirsty and the heater is drying out the house. Keep a water bottle on your desk or in your bag and sip regularly through the day rather than drinking a lot at once.
Regular, moderate exercise such as walking, swimming or a round of golf helps many people. Sudden bursts of hard exercise when you're not used to it can do the opposite, so build up gradually.
Weather and environment
Down here on the Peninsula the weather can turn quickly, and plenty of people notice headaches with sudden pressure changes before a front comes through. You can't control the weather, but you can control the other triggers on those days. If a change is coming, protect your sleep, eat regularly and stay on top of water.
Other environmental triggers include bright glare off the water, flickering or harsh lighting, and strong smells such as perfume, cleaning sprays and smoke. Sunglasses and a hat outdoors, and good ventilation indoors, are simple fixes.
Keep a migraine diary
The most useful thing you can do is track your attacks. It doesn't need to be detailed. A few lines in a notebook or the notes app on your phone each time is enough. Record:
- When the headache started and how long it lasted
- What you ate and drank that day, and whether you skipped meals
- How you slept the night before
- What you were doing beforehand, such as desk work, driving or exercise
- How stressed you felt
- Any weather change
Patterns usually start to show quickly. Once you know your main triggers, change one thing at a time so you can tell what's actually helping. Bring the diary to your appointment too, as it gives us a much clearer picture.
Managing an attack at home
When a headache or migraine starts, a few simple steps can take the edge off:
- Lie down in a dark, quiet room
- Use a cold pack on your forehead or a warm pack on your neck and shoulders, whichever feels better
- Do some slow, deep breathing
- Sip water
- Gently stretch your neck and shoulders if it's comfortable to do so
Where chiropractic care fits
If you've worked on your triggers and still get regular headaches, the neck and upper back are worth a proper look. That's where chiropractic care comes in.
At your first appointment, Dr Nick takes a full history, then assesses how your neck and upper back move, where they're stiff, and how your posture and daily habits load them. Treatment centres on chiropractic adjustments to the neck and upper back to improve movement through stiff joints. We use gentle options too, including the Activator instrument and a drop-piece table, for people who prefer a lighter approach.
Alongside adjustments, we use soft tissue work to ease tight muscles around the neck, shoulders and base of the skull, plus exercises to strengthen and support your posture. We'll also give you practical advice on your desk setup, sleeping position and the triggers above.
For many people this can help ease neck-related headaches and may reduce how often migraines show up. Your care is based on your history, your assessment and how you respond. You can read more on our headaches and migraines page.
Book in or have a chat first
If headaches or migraines are getting in the way of work, sleep or golf, we can help you work out what's driving them. Book online, or call the clinic and ask for a free phone consultation with Dr Nick to talk it through before you come in.
