What Is The Occipital Lift™️ Adjustment?

Tension in the back of the head and neck can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. We see many patients who have pain in the back of the neck and head as well as intense tension headaches. These headaches can be painful and disruptive but you don’t just have to deal with them. We can treat them using the occipital lift adjustment and a range of other techniques to provide instant relief.

In this article you'll meet John, a longtime patient who gets tension headaches and develops a lot of tension in his neck from time to time. John woke up and could tell that he had slept in a weird position because of the tension in his neck. He started feeling tension in the back of the neck, the back of the head, and developed intense headaches.

Because John has experienced headaches that stem from tension in the back of the neck, he immediately knew what was wrong and what to do. When he came into our office, we conducted a range of motion exam to determine exactly where we needed to adjust and do soft tissue release. 

We used a combination of different techniques but the Occipital Lift Adjustment was most effective for John. The Occipital Lift Adjustment provided immediate relief from the pressure John was feeling in his head and neck. We love when we’re able to help patients start feeling better immediately.

What is the Occipital Lift™️ Adjustment?

The occipital lift adjustment is the best adjustment for occipital headaches and upper cervical muscle tension. John had pressure in his head and he instantly felt relief after his occipital lift adjustment. That immediate relief is one of the biggest benefits of this kind of adjustment.

The occipital lift adjustment is an incredibly powerful tool we have to help patients with occipital headaches and upper cervical muscle tension but it’s not the only one. We pair the occipital lift adjustment with a variety of other adjustment techniques and treatments to give our patients quick pain relief from neck pain and occipital headaches.

Occipital headaches are characterized by pain around the occipital bone which is located at the base of the skull at the back of the head. The pain can be piercing, throbbing, or come on all of a sudden like an electric shock. These headaches are often caused by some type of trauma to the area. That trauma could be anything from a concussion, whiplash, or a sports injury. In John’s case, that trauma was a night’s worth of constant pressure due to an unusual sleeping position. This trauma can lead to the occipital nerves that originate in the upper cervical spine becoming compressed, inflamed, or trapped/pinched by the muscles they pass through.

The pain associated with an occipital headache typically begins in the upper neck and radiates to the back, top, front, and sides of the head and often into the area directly behind the eyes. This kind of pain can be very disruptive to your daily life. Because occipital headaches cause radiating pain and pain behind the eyes, they’re often mistaken for migraine headaches. Unlike migraine headaches, occipital headaches have a clear mechanical cause in the cervical spine.

Occipital headaches are more common in women but men do get them as well. One of the most frustrating things about occipital headaches is they typically don’t respond well to pain killers the way other headaches do. 

You may not think of seeing a chiropractor for headache pain, but chiropractic care has been shown to be very effective for providing immediate relief and preventing future headaches. One particular study conducted on children suffering from chronic migraines found that chiropractic spinal manipulation resulted in significantly fewer days with headache pain (a 20% decrease). 

Whether you’re suffering from occipital headaches like John, sinus headaches, tension headaches, or migraines, a chiropractor can provide fast relief from the pain you’re experiencing so you can get back to doing what you love without the pain.

Do you have headaches accompanied by pain in the back of the head and neck? Schedule your appointment with one of our chiropractors by clicking here or calling (410) 296-7700.