Not every headache comes from your head. A significant number originate in the upper neck or the jaw — and those respond genuinely well to hands-on treatment.
Headaches driven by the upper neck (cervicogenic) and by jaw dysfunction respond well to physical therapy. Tension-type headaches often improve too. True migraine is a neurological condition and belongs with your physician — though many migraine sufferers also have a neck-driven component layered on top, and treating that can reduce how often the whole thing fires.
The useful first step is sorting out which kind you have. That is an examination, not a guess. Call 228-471-5047.
This matters more than anything else on this page, because the treatments are not interchangeable. Most people who come to us have been treating the wrong mechanism for years.
The pattern is fairly distinctive. It is usually one-sided and stays on that side. It typically starts at the base of the skull or the back of the neck and travels forward, often settling behind the eye or the temple. Neck movement or sustained positions provoke it. Neck mobility is often visibly reduced, and — the most telling sign — pressing on specific upper cervical segments can reproduce your familiar headache. This type responds well to manual therapy of the upper cervical spine paired with deep neck flexor training, and it is one of the more satisfying things we treat.
Usually described as a band of pressure across both sides, mild to moderate, without nausea or visual disturbance. Often tied to stress, sustained postures and long work hours. Muscular tenderness through the neck, scalp and shoulder girdle is common. These frequently improve with manual therapy, dry needling and addressing the load pattern that keeps feeding them.
Pain in the temples, in front of the ear, or around the jaw, often with clicking, limited mouth opening, jaw fatigue when chewing, or a history of clenching and grinding. The muscles that move your jaw sit directly in the temple region, so a jaw problem regularly presents as a headache. GT PT runs one of the few dedicated TMJ physical therapy programs on the Mississippi Gulf Coast — see our TMJ page.
Typically moderate to severe, often one-sided and pulsating, and usually accompanied by nausea, light or sound sensitivity, or visual aura. Migraine is a neurological condition, and the primary treatment is medical — that belongs with your physician or a neurologist. We will say that plainly rather than take you on for a course of care that cannot address your mechanism.
That said: a large share of people with migraine also have genuine upper cervical dysfunction. When neck involvement is present and treatable, addressing it can reduce headache frequency and intensity as an adjunct to your medical management, not a replacement for it. If your evaluation shows nothing reproducible from your neck or jaw, we will tell you so and refer you on.
Driven by what your examination actually reproduces — not by a standard headache protocol.
Targeted mobilization of the C1 through C3 segments, which are the primary generators of cervicogenic headache. Often the single highest-yield intervention when the exam points here.
Specific endurance training for the small stabilizing muscles at the front of the neck. This is what keeps the manual therapy gains from fading — it is well supported in the cervicogenic headache literature and almost never done correctly on someone's own.
For trigger points in the suboccipital, upper trapezius, temporalis and masseter musculature. Referred pain from these muscles maps closely onto common headache patterns. Certified (Cert DN).
Joint mobilization, masticatory muscle work including intraoral techniques where indicated, and retraining jaw mechanics and resting position. Clenching and grinding habits get addressed directly.
A structured look at what precedes your headaches — work positions, sleep position, screen setup, stress load, clenching, caffeine and hydration patterns. Not a generic handout; your actual pattern.
Frequency, intensity and duration tracked from the start, so improvement is measured rather than remembered. Memory is unreliable about pain, and this is how we know whether the plan is working.
Most people we see have had these for a long time and have quietly given up on the idea that anything can change.
If the driver is a stiff upper cervical joint or a clenching jaw, no amount of medication changes that mechanism. Medication has an important place, especially in migraine. But taking something three times a week for years while nobody has examined your neck is a gap worth closing.
Cervicogenic headache is under-recognized because it requires a specific hands-on examination to identify — segmental testing of the upper cervical spine to see whether your familiar headache can be reproduced. That test takes a few minutes and is frequently never performed.
A clean MRI rules out serious pathology, which is genuinely reassuring and worth having. It does not rule out a mechanical driver, because joint stiffness and muscular trigger points do not appear on a scan. A normal image plus ongoing headaches means keep looking, not stop.
Jaw dysfunction lives in a gap between dentistry and medicine. Patients get a night guard from one and a prescription from the other, and nobody treats the joint and its musculature. That is squarely physical therapy's territory.
Part of what you are paying for in an evaluation is a clinician who knows what does not belong in physical therapy. Seek medical care promptly — do not start with us — if you have any of the following:
These are uncommon, and the great majority of chronic headaches are benign and mechanically driven. But they warrant a physician first, and we will send you there without hesitation if your presentation raises them. Mississippi's direct access law also requires your physical therapist to refer you on if you have not made measurable improvement within 30 days.
We verify your benefits before your first visit, so you know your coverage and any out-of-pocket cost up front — no surprise bills.
Accepted. No referral needed to begin care; your plan of care is certified by a physician or nurse practitioner within 30 days.
Most major plans accepted, including BlueCross BlueShield and United Healthcare. Some plans require a referral for coverage — we check first.
Accepted. We handle the documentation and communicate with your adjuster and employer.
Transparent self-pay rates for patients without coverage or with a high deductible. Ask when you call.
Straight answers. If yours isn't here, call — we'll tell you honestly whether physical therapy is the right next step.
One clinic in Pascagoula, serving all of Jackson County. Every condition below is treated one-on-one by Dr. Austin Baskin, PT, DPT.
One examination can tell you whether your neck or jaw is driving them. That answer is worth having either way.
228-471-5047Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · 1408 Ingalls Ave, Pascagoula, MS 39567