Headache Care at Philo Health in Mission Calgary
Head pain that keeps returning often traces back to the neck, the jaw or ongoing tension. We take time to understand where yours is coming from.
What a Headache Is
A headache is pain felt in the head, scalp or upper neck. That much is obvious when you have one. What is less obvious is where it starts.
Many of the headaches we see in Calgary are not coming from inside the head at all. They begin in the muscles and joints of the neck, in the base of the skull, or in the jaw, and refer pain upward and forward. This is why a headache can sit behind one eye, wrap around the temple, or press across the forehead while the real source is lower down.
Tension-type headaches are the most common. They tend to feel like a band of pressure. Cervicogenic headaches come from the neck and often show up on one side. Migraines are their own category, usually more intense, sometimes with nausea or sensitivity to light. Knowing which pattern you have shapes what helps.
What a Headache Feels Like
People describe it differently depending on the type. A tension headache feels like a steady squeeze across the forehead or around the whole head, dull rather than sharp. A neck-related headache often starts at the base of the skull and climbs, and it tends to stay on one side.
You might notice it building through the day, worse after long hours at a desk or on a phone. Some people wake with it. Others find it flares when they turn or hold their head in one position. If the pain comes with tight, tender neck muscles, that is a strong clue the neck is involved, which is where neck pain and headaches often overlap.
How to Tell Mild from Serious
Most headaches are uncomfortable rather than dangerous. A few patterns warrant a doctor rather than us, and it helps to know the difference.
Occasional and familiar
Frequent or worsening
Sudden or unusual
What Causes Headaches and Who Gets Them
Posture is a common thread. Hours at a screen with the head pushed forward loads the muscles at the back of the neck and the base of the skull, and those muscles refer pain into the head. We see a lot of this in Calgary office workers and students.
Stress plays a part too. Clenching, shallow breathing and held tension in the shoulders all feed into tension-type headaches. Jaw clenching and grinding can drive head pain through the muscles around the temple.
Other triggers include dehydration, poor sleep, eye strain and sudden changes in caffeine. Often it is not one cause but several stacking up until the threshold tips over.
How We Assess Your Headaches
What Treatment and Recovery Look Like
Early on, the aim is to settle the pattern: release the tight muscles, restore movement in the neck and upper back, and reduce how often the headaches fire. Many people notice a shift within the first few visits, though this varies and we do not promise a timeline.
Between visits, small changes carry a lot of weight. Adjusting how you sit, taking breaks from the screen, gentle neck mobility, and better hydration and sleep all reduce the load that builds toward a headache. We give you specific things to work on rather than a generic list.
Recovery depends on how long the pattern has been running and how much of the daily load can change. A recent, tension-driven headache often eases within a few weeks. One that has been present for years, tied to posture and stress, tends to improve more gradually and stays better when the habits behind it shift too. Good care here is a sequence, not a single visit.
Common Questions About Headaches
How long should I wait before booking about my headaches?
Do I need a referral to be seen?
Can I manage headaches at home?
Will I need a scan?
Book Headache Care in Mission Calgary
If head pain keeps returning, an initial visit gives us time to understand where yours is coming from and build a plan around it. That's the best place to start.