Yes — and top experts agree. Independent reviews from respected institutions like the Quebec Task Force, RAND Corporation, and Duke University have all concluded that chiropractic neck (cervical) manipulation is a safe and effective treatment for many common types of headaches, migraine and neck pain.
In fact, these reviews found that chiropractic care is often more effective and much safer than taking common painkillers like NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen), which can carry a higher risk of serious side effects.
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Headaches and migraines affect more than 10% of the UK population. For many people, migraines start in their early 20s and are three times more common in women than in men.
Research from the UK, North America, and Australia shows that headache treatment makes up about 10% of chiropractic visits. As a result, more scientific studies now support chiropractic care as a safe and effective treatment for certain types of headaches.
There are over 20 different types of headaches. The ones most often treated by chiropractors include:
Migraines are believed to stem from neurovascular changes in the brain. Though the exact cause is unknown, triggers may include:
Hormonal changes
Certain foods
Immune reactions
Environmental factors
These headaches are caused by pain referred from the neck. Common sources include:
Tight neck and shoulder muscles
Dysfunction in the cervical (neck) joints
Poor posture
Stress
Pain may travel to the head through a connection in the brainstem called the trigeminocervical nucleus.
Chiropractors aim to restore proper joint function, improve movement, and reduce pain. Treatment often includes:
Spinal adjustments/manipulation
Soft tissue therapy
Rehabilitative exercises
Postural advice and education
This combined approach helps correct dysfunction, reduce the risk of chronic pain, and support long-term recovery.
Research from institutions like the Quebec Task Force, RAND Corporation, and Duke University shows moderate scientific evidence supporting chiropractic care for headaches and neck pain. In fact, chiropractic received more supportive evidence than any other treatment reviewed by these bodies.
Studies confirm spinal adjustments are especially effective for:
Cervicogenic headaches
Chronic neck-related migraines
Tension-type headaches linked to neck dysfunction
Chiropractic adjustments target joint dysfunction in the cervical spine. If your headaches stem from this area, treatment can offer relief—regardless of whether your headaches are labeled as migraines or tension-type.
Critics sometimes claim that chiropractic effects are “just placebo.” But clinical trials prove otherwise.
In studies where both groups received similar manual contact, those receiving actual spinal manipulation had significantly better outcomes than those getting placebo or sham treatments.
Adding rehabilitative exercises to spinal adjustments can improve results—especially for people with chronic or recurring symptoms.
A well-known study from the Minnesota trial (Bronfort et al., 2001) showed that patients who received both treatment and exercises did better than those who received only one approach.
Yes. Chiropractic manipulation of the neck is very safe when performed by a trained professional.
The estimated risk of serious side effects (like stroke from vertebral artery injury) is 1 in 1 million treatments.
Other sources report even lower risks—1 in 2 million in the U.S. and 1 in 5.8 million in Canada.
According to medical experts from the University of Toronto, the risk from chiropractic care is smaller than that from many common prescription drugs or diagnostic tests.
The chiropractic profession continues to fund high-quality research to further understand and reduce risks.
Yes—and here’s why.
Most chiropractic patients seek help for neck pain, back pain, and headaches, which have a high cost to society in terms of time off work and healthcare spending.
Chiropractic care focuses on:
Early movement
Manual therapy
Exercise and education
This differs from the traditional medical model, which often relies on medication, rest, and costly tests.
Research shows that chiropractic care results in:
Fewer diagnostic tests
Reduced medication use
Lower rates of hospitalization
Less chronic pain and disability
Experts estimate that hundreds of millions could be saved annually with this approach.
If you’re living with migraines or neck-related headaches, chiropractic care may offer a safe, drug-free solution. Backed by decades of research, this approach addresses the root cause—not just the symptoms.
Speak to one of our chiropractors to see if cervical manipulation is right for you. Relief could be just one visit away.
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Chiropractic. The spine is a long chain of segments or links. Each segment has a limit of how far it can move safely. If it moves further than normal you get an injury and pain.
Chiropractic. Chiropractors know that bed rest is not good for back pain. What can you do if you just can’t get out of bed?
This piece of chiropractic research was published in 1993 and indicate that the treatment could help the health authorities save money in decreased drug costs, decreased return visits to the GP.