Children experience headaches and migraines just as adults do. Many of the same diagnostic and treatment methods can be used to address the root cause and help children find relief.
Chiropractic adjustments are an effective and noninvasive way to treat children who suffer from acute or chronic headaches and migraines. Such adjustments seek to properly align the areas of the child’s spine and musculoskeletal system that are out of alignment and impinging on the child’s nervous system. A pediatric chiropractor can address the physical issues that may be causing pressure on the child’s nerve pathways by correcting these areas and realigning the child’s spine, thereby reducing or eliminating headache symptoms.
Does My Child Have a Headache?
Diagnosing medical concerns in children comes with some challenges, as children do not possess the same language faculties as adults. Because of this, parents need to carefully observe their children and use a combination of conversation with their kids and observation to determine if their child has a headache, a migraine, or some other ailment.
Here are some signs a child is suffering from a headache:
- They are quieter than usual
- They are moodier than typical
- They aren’t showing interest in their hobbies
- They want to rest or lie down instead of recreate
- They want to sleep or be dormant rather than be active
- They complain of pain, nausea, or a general lack of appetite
- They say that bright lights and loud noises are bothering them
Some children are more susceptible to headaches than others. For example, when asking the question, “What causes a headache in a child?” the root cause may stem from a co-occurring illness or malady. For example, children with the following health conditions are more likely to suffer from headaches and migraines:
- Anxiety
- Epilepsy
- Depression
- Sinus diseases
- Sleep disorders
- High blood pressure
- Jaw and eye problems
- Irritable bowel syndrome
When in doubt, it is essential to consult a pediatrician to accurately diagnose medical conditions in children. Pediatricians have the tools and expertise necessary to assess a child and determine whether they are experiencing a headache, a migraine, or another health condition that may require immediate or urgent treatment.
The Difference Between a Headache and a Migraine
Do children get headaches or migraines? They can experience both, and chiropractic care can be used to treat each condition. The following paragraphs identify the key differences between headaches and migraines in children.
According to WVU Medicine:
- “Migraines in children can be different from migraines in adults. For example, most adults with a migraine have pain on only one side of their head. Children are more likely to have migraines on both sides of their head. For a headache to be classified as a migraine, your child might either feel sick to their stomach or throw up and/or that both lights and sounds are really intense and painful. Some children might have all these symptoms. Usually, a child with a migraine will want to lie down, often in a dark and quiet place, and will try to go to sleep. Sleep often helps migraines go away.”[1]
That same resource identifies some of the root causes that can trigger migraines in children, including root causes that can worsen a headache in a child and exacerbate it into a migraine (a migraine is a more complicated, serious version of a headache):
- Children can experience a headache or migraine when they’re exposed to strong smells like bleach, tobacco smoke, or perfume.
- Weather changes, such as storms and temperature fluctuations, can also cause a child to experience a headache or exacerbate an existing headache into a migraine.
- Allergies, hormone changes, and emotional stress, anxiety, depression, and anger can also produce headaches and migraines in children.
- Poor health habits can often set the stage for a headache or a migraine. The most common predictors in children include excessive screen time, insufficient sleep, skipping meals, inadequate water intake, and excessive consumption of sugar or heavily processed foods.
Chiropractic care can be immensely beneficial in treating headaches and migraines in children; however, it’s also critical to assess the root causes of the child’s headache, analyze them, and treat the underlying issues.
Chiropractic Adjustments for Headaches and Migraines
Chiropractic adjustments serve multiple functions, but their primary role is to restore the spine to its proper alignment, thereby correcting misalignments caused by various factors. Children’s bodies are more supple than those of adults, and therefore can easily be influenced by their environment, accidents, rough play, and other incidents children may experience. When a child’s spine goes out of alignment, it can impact that child’s nerve pathways and cause or contribute to headaches and migraines.
One study found that children who received chiropractic care for headaches reported “significantly fewer days with headaches” than children in the study who also struggled with headaches but who did not receive chiropractic care, suggesting that chiropractic adjustments are an effective treatment method for children with headaches and migraines.[2]
How does a chiropractor adjust a child? The approach is similar for adult treatments; however, a chiropractor will likely take more time with a child, explain the process in a way that they can understand, and proceed slowly so that the child is not alarmed by the treatment.
As for the physical adjustments themselves, they are often quite similar to those made on adults with headaches. However, the chiropractor’s technique for implementing those adjustments in a child patient may differ, given the significant differences in body size, height, and weight between children and adult patients.
Chiropractic Adjustments as Pediatric Care in Nashville
The best chiropractors in Franklin are located at Cool Springs Chiropractic, where they consistently deliver exemplary service, including specialized care for children and adolescents. Every day, Cool Springs Chiropractic provides the best-rated chiropractic treatments for headaches, migraines, and other conditions resulting from spinal misalignments. Quoting Franklin, Tennessee’s multiple-award-winning local chiropractor, Dr. Peter Hinz:
- “At Cool Springs Chiropractic, our expert team provides tailored chiropractic care to address our patients’ unique health needs, including treating headaches in children. No matter what the severity of the condition is, whether home remedies have been tried yet, or whether the child has already been seen by a different chiropractor or other medical professional, we’re here to diagnose the problem and to do everything we can to help young patients experience relief from their headaches and migraines. The result? Children leave our office feeling pain-free, able to focus on school, and enjoy their time with their friends and family members.”
Schedule an appointment today with the best Middle Tennessee chiropractors by calling (615) 503-9900, or by using our online system to access a limited-time $49 New Patient Special.
Our office is located at 3252 Aspen Grove Drive, Suite 13, in Franklin, Tennessee. For information or to ask a question, email us at info@coolspringschiropractic.com.
Sources Cited:
[1] WVU. “Does My Child Have Migraines?” West Virginia University Medicine Children’s, 2025. childrens.wvumedicine.org
[2] NIH. “Effectiveness of chiropractic manipulation versus sham manipulation for recurrent headaches in children aged 7–14 years – a randomized clinical trial.” National Institutes of Health, 2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
