Headaches every day? It might not be in your head.

Chiropractor for Headaches, Including Headaches After a Car Accident

Clinically reviewed by Dr. Seth Hill, DC, President, Auto Injury Chiropractic. Last reviewed October 2026. Editorial policy

Short answer

A chiropractor can help when your headaches start in your neck, upper back or the muscles around them. That’s common after a car accident and with long hours at a desk. We check for warning signs and screen for concussion first. Then we treat the neck with gentle adjustments, soft-tissue work and exercises, and track your progress at re-exams.

Get emergency care first if you have these warning signs

Most headaches are not an emergency. Some are. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have:

A sudden, severe headache, the worst you’ve ever had.
A headache with a fever and a stiff neck, especially if light hurts your eyes.
Weakness, numbness or tingling (often on one side), slurred words, a drooping face, new vision changes or double vision, or a sudden loss of balance.
A headache after a hit to the head, with confusion, unusual sleepiness, trouble waking up, a seizure, or passing out.
Repeated vomiting.
A headache that keeps getting worse or won’t go away.
One pupil larger than the other.
Dizziness or fainting when you turn your head.

We see you once you’ve been medically cleared. If you’re already our patient and a new warning sign shows up, call your clinic right away or get emergency care.

Three kinds of headache we treat

Our care looks upstream. We find the neck joints, muscles and posture habits that feed your headache, and we treat those.

Cervicogenic headache (it starts in the neck)

“Cervicogenic” means the pain comes from the neck. It often starts at the base of the skull and spreads up the back of the head, sometimes to the forehead or behind one eye. It’s often on one side. Turning your head or holding one position for a long time can bring it on. The source is the joints, muscles and nerves of the upper neck.

Tension-type headache

This is the most common primary headache, meaning a headache that isn’t caused by another condition.⁵ It feels like a dull, pressing band around your head, usually on both sides. Many people notice tight neck and shoulder muscles with it, and it can flare with stress, poor sleep or long hours at a screen.

Post-traumatic headache

This headache starts after a car accident, a fall or another impact. It can come from the neck injury, from a concussion, or from both. That’s why every auto-injury exam at our clinics includes a concussion screen.

Migraine and other medical headaches

Migraine is its own condition. It often throbs and can come with nausea or sensitivity to light and sound. If your exam points to migraine or another medical cause, we tell you, and we coordinate your care with your primary care provider or a neurologist.

Not sure which kind you have? That’s what the first exam is for. Call your nearest clinic or book online.

Headaches after a car accident

Headaches are one of the most common symptoms after a crash, and they’re easy to brush off. One study looked at 6,481 people in Saskatchewan, Canada. Each had been treated, or had filed an insurance claim, within 30 days of a traffic injury. Of these, 72% reported head pain. Pain in the neck alone was rare; most people hurt in several places.¹

Why crashes cause headaches. Most headaches after a car accident start in the neck. A collision throws your head forward and back faster than your muscles can brace. That strains the muscles, ligaments and joints of the neck. It’s the same injury behind whiplash and neck pain, and the irritated tissue can send pain up into your head.

Sometimes it’s a concussion. Less often, a headache after a crash is a sign of concussion. You don’t have to hit your head to get one. The fast back-and-forth motion alone can injure the brain and the neck at the same time. Dizziness can come with either one; read more about dizziness after a crash.

Why the headache may start later. Headaches often show up hours or days after the crash, as adrenaline fades and inflammation builds. Whiplash symptoms are often delayed 24 to 72 hours. So get evaluated promptly, even if you felt fine at the scene.

Why an early exam helps your claim. An exam soon after the crash records your injuries close to the date they happened. That record matters for your PIP claim and, if you have one, your attorney.

Had a crash and now have headaches? Call or book a same-day visit when the schedule allows. See also our car accident chiropractor guide.

When a headache follows a hit to the head

Every auto-injury exam at our Oregon City, Milwaukie and Troutdale clinics includes a concussion screen.

If your headache started after a head impact, or the screen raises a concern, you get a structured concussion assessment:

A symptom inventory, so we can measure change over time.
Vestibular (balance) and oculomotor (eye movement) screening.
A gradual, symptom-guided plan to return to work and activity.
Care for the neck, because a neck injury can cause or worsen headaches and dizziness.

We co-manage with neurology and your primary care provider when your findings call for it. We don’t do brain imaging on site. If you need it, we refer you to the right medical provider.

Concussion symptoms often overlap with whiplash: headache, neck pain, dizziness, trouble concentrating, light or noise sensitivity, fatigue, sleep changes, irritability and blurred vision. If any of these started after your crash, tell us at your first visit. Find your clinic’s concussion care page below.

When stress or anxiety is part of the picture

A crash can shake more than your neck. If stress, anxiety, poor sleep or fear of driving is part of your recovery, you don’t have to sort it out alone.

Auto Injury Counseling offers telehealth counseling with Dr. Manesha Ram, PsyD, psychologist resident, under the supervision of David Kays, PsyD. Visits are by secure video from anywhere in Oregon, for adults 18 and over. Your chiropractor and Dr. Ram coordinate, so your physical and emotional care follow one plan.

Ask about counseling at your exam, or visit Auto Injury Counseling to book.

How we treat headaches

1. A full exam first. We take your history: when the headaches started, how often they come, what sets them off, and any crash or impact. We test your neck and nerves (range of motion, joints, muscles and nerve function) and screen for concussion. We use imaging only if your exam calls for it. All three clinics have on-site digital X-ray, and we refer you for an MRI or CT when you need one.

2. A written plan at your first visit. Before you leave visit 1, you get a written, personalized treatment plan. It covers what we found, your goals, how often you’ll come in, and how we’ll measure progress. In most cases, your first treatment is the same day. Plan on about an hour.

3. Gentle adjustments or mobilization. We restore motion in the neck and upper back with gentle adjustments, or with slower mobilization when that suits your injury better. Care is matched to what you can tolerate that day.

4. Soft-tissue work and massage. Tight muscles at the base of the skull, in the neck and across the shoulders get hands-on care. All three clinics have licensed massage therapists on staff.

5. E-stim and heat in the early phases. While tissue is inflamed and starting to repair, E-stim (interferential current, and TENS when needed) and heat calm pain and muscle spasm. We use them alongside adjustments and rehab, never on their own, and they taper off as your exercises build.

6. Neck and posture exercises. You start home exercises as your provider directs. First come small moves like chin tucks, gentle neck range of motion and shoulder blade sets. Later you build to band rows and neck isometrics. Our neck and whiplash home exercises run in four stages, from Stage 1 (Calm and Move) to Stage 4 (Return to Activity). Each stage includes a Skull Release for the tight muscles at the base of the skull, done only if your provider assigns it for headaches. Your provider decides when you move up.

7. Re-exams. At each re-exam we chart the same eight measures: symptoms, range of motion, joints, nerves, tenderness, muscle strength, X-ray and other imaging when used. The results decide whether we taper your visits, change the plan or release you from care. If anything gets worse or a new symptom appears, we refer you to a medical doctor.

Ready to find out what’s behind your headaches? Call your nearest clinic or book online.

What the research says

Research describes groups of people, not you. Your exam decides what fits your headaches. Here is what studies have found:

Headaches that start in the neck. In a randomized trial of 200 people with cervicogenic headache, both manipulative therapy and a specific low-load exercise program reduced how often headaches came and how strong they were, and the benefit held at 12 months. Combining the two wasn’t significantly better than either alone, though 10% more people got relief with the combination.²
Spinal manipulation and mobilization. A UK evidence report found spinal manipulation or mobilization effective in adults for migraine and cervicogenic headache.³
Hands-on care plus exercise. An umbrella review pulled together 35 systematic reviews. For cervicogenic headache, it found high-confidence support for neck mobilization or manipulation, soft-tissue mobilization, and manual therapy combined with exercise, for pain and disability in the short term.⁴
Tension-type headache. A systematic review of 10 randomized trials found that manual therapy had positive effects on pain intensity, how often headaches came, disability, quality of life and neck range of motion in adults with tension-type headache. No single technique stood out, and combining techniques seemed most effective.⁵

That’s why your plan combines hands-on care with exercise instead of relying on one treatment. Book an exam at the clinic nearest you.

Your care, phase by phase

We use the same four Phases of Care for every condition we treat, including headaches. The phases follow how injured tissue heals. They are the framework, not the schedule. Your re-exams decide when you move forward.

Phase 01: Inflammation (0 to 72 hours after an injury). The goal is to calm inflammation, protect the injured tissue and bring pain down to a level you can work with. Care includes E-stim and heat, soft-tissue work and licensed massage, and gentle adjustments you can tolerate. Visits are more frequent.

Phase 02: Repair (72 hours to 12 weeks). Most active soft-tissue healing happens here. Care includes adjustments, continued soft-tissue work, gentle mobilization and the start of neck and shoulder blade stabilization exercises. E-stim and heat taper off as your exercises build. Visits are still frequent, then taper as your findings improve.

Phase 03: Remodel (12 weeks to 12 months). Tissue keeps maturing under load long after symptoms ease. Care includes adjustments, retraining how your neck muscles work together, progressive-load rehab and a return to your normal activities. Visits taper toward independence.

Phase 04: Living Your Highest Lifestyle. After active care, you move to as-needed visits and periodic re-checks. At this point we record your findings honestly as normal (full recovery) or permanent (residual). This phase is about keeping your gains. It isn’t a promise that you’ll feel exactly as you did before the injury.

If your headaches built up over time instead of starting with an injury, your provider uses the same phases to show where you are and what comes next. Questions about your phase? Ask at your next visit, or call your clinic.

How long headache care takes

Every plan is individual, and your plan gives you a schedule, not a promise. Here is the honest standard answer:

For a moderate injury, active care usually runs 8 to 12 weeks.
Most plans start at 2 to 3 visits a week, tapering to 1 to 2 a week as you improve.
Complex soft-tissue and post-concussion cases can take up to 6 months.
Injured tissue keeps remodeling for up to a year, even after symptoms ease.
For whiplash, our doctors follow the Croft treatment guidelines. They set maximums, not a fixed number of visits. Many patients need fewer.
Re-exams decide when your visits taper and when you’re released from care.

Headaches that didn’t start with an injury follow the same rule: your exam sets the plan, and your re-exams decide the next step. To get your own plan, book your first visit.

Paying for headache care

After a car accident. Every Oregon auto policy on a private passenger vehicle includes Personal Injury Protection (PIP). PIP pays reasonable and necessary medical expenses from your own policy, no matter who caused the crash. It covers at least $15,000 per person, for care within two years of the crash (ORS 742.520; ORS 742.524). We bill your PIP claim directly and verify your coverage before your first visit. Learn more: how Oregon PIP pays for your care and does Oregon PIP cover chiropractic care?

Health insurance. For OHP members, we’re in-network with CareOregon (including CareOregon Advantage), Providence Health Assurance and OHSU Health. We’re also in-network with Regence BlueCross BlueShield, Providence, Moda, Kaiser Permanente (through Heraya Health, for chiropractic and massage), Cigna, PacificSource, Aetna and more. Our front desk verifies your benefits before your first visit. See the plans we accept in Oregon City, Milwaukie and Troutdale.

Not sure what’s covered? Call your clinic and we’ll check.

Auto Injury Chiropractic

Get care near you

Same-day visits when the schedule allows, at three clinics.

Oregon City

1404 Molalla Ave
Oregon City, OR 97045

(503) 723-4462

Mon to Thu 9:00am to 6:00pm
Fri 9:00am to 1:00pm

Concussion care in Oregon City | Neck pain care in Oregon City

Book online

Milwaukie

13152 SE Rusk Rd
Milwaukie, OR 97222

(503) 919-7001

Mon to Thu 9:00am to 6:00pm
Fri 9:00am to 1:00pm

Concussion care in Milwaukie | Neck pain care in Milwaukie

Book online

Troutdale

233 E Columbia River Hwy
Troutdale, OR 97060

(503) 491-9266

Mon to Thu 9:00am to 6:00pm
Fri 9:00am to 1:00pm

Concussion care in Troutdale | Neck pain care in Troutdale

Book online

Fill out your new-patient forms online before your visit at forms.autoinjurychiropractic.com (about 15 minutes), or arrive 10 minutes early to complete them in the office.

Return to a pain-free life.

Common questions

Can a chiropractor help with headaches?

Often, yes, when the headache starts in your neck or the muscles around it. Research supports hands-on care such as manipulation or mobilization, combined with exercise, for headaches that come from the neck.^2,4 Your exam comes first, to rule out warning signs and find the source.

Why do I have a headache after a car accident?

Usually from whiplash or neck strain. The crash throws your head forward and back and strains your neck, and that pain can spread into your head. Sometimes a headache is a sign of concussion, even if you didn’t hit your head. That’s why every auto-injury exam at our clinics includes a concussion screen.

Is a headache after a car accident serious?

It can be. Get emergency care right away for a sudden severe headache or one that keeps getting worse. The same goes for repeated vomiting, confusion, weakness, numbness, slurred speech, vision changes or passing out. If none of these apply, get examined within a few days, even if you feel fine, because symptoms often show up hours or days later.

What helps a tension headache?

Tension-type headaches often come with tight neck and shoulder muscles. A review of 10 trials found that manual therapy (hands-on care) had positive effects on how strong and how often these headaches were.⁵ We combine hands-on care with neck and posture exercises you can do at home.

Do I need an X-ray or MRI for my headaches?

Not always. We image only when your exam calls for it. All three clinics have on-site digital X-ray, and we refer you for an MRI or CT when needed. We don’t do brain imaging on site.

Will Oregon PIP pay for headache treatment after a crash?

Usually. PIP pays reasonable and necessary care from your own auto policy, no matter who was at fault. It covers at least $15,000 per person, for up to two years after the crash. We bill your PIP claim directly and verify your coverage before your first visit.

References

Hincapié CA, Cassidy JD, Côté P, Carroll LJ, Guzmán J. Whiplash injury is more than neck pain: a population-based study of pain localization after traffic injury. J Occup Environ Med. 2010;52(4):434-440. doi:10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181bb806d. PMID 20357684.
Jull G, Trott P, Potter H, et al. A randomized controlled trial of exercise and manipulative therapy for cervicogenic headache. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2002;27(17):1835-1843. doi:10.1097/00007632-200209010-00004. PMID 12221344.
Bronfort G, Haas M, Evans R, Leininger B, Triano J. Effectiveness of manual therapies: the UK evidence report. Chiropr Osteopat. 2010;18:3. doi:10.1186/1746-1340-18-3. PMID 20184717.
Reynolds B, McDevitt A, Kelly J, Mintken P, Clewley D. Manual physical therapy for neck disorders: an umbrella review. J Man Manip Ther. 2025;33(1):18-35. doi:10.1080/10669817.2024.2425788. PMID 39607420.
Cumplido-Trasmonte C, Fernández-González P, Alguacil-Diego IM, Molina-Rueda F. Manual therapy in adults with tension-type headache: a systematic review. Neurologia (Engl Ed). 2021;36(7):537-547. doi:10.1016/j.nrleng.2017.12.005. PMID 34537167.