Every Type Of Headache Explained: Causes, Symptoms, And How To Find Relief

Reviewed by: Dr. Steven Knauf, D.C.

By: Janett King

Your head is pounding. The light feels too bright. Sounds are too loud. And, your to-do list isn’t getting any shorter. When a headache hits, it’s more than just an inconvenience—it interrupts your day, steals your energy, and limits your ability to fully engage in your life. Understanding what kind of headache you’re experiencing is the first step toward reclaiming your rhythm and returning to what matters most.

There are over 150 types of headaches, each with its root causes, triggers, and symptoms. While some are mild and fleeting, others can be debilitating and disruptive. From tension headaches to migraines and everything in between, here’s what you need to know about the types of headaches, what they tell you about your body, and how chiropractic care may help you find lasting relief.

Why your headaches matter

Your body is a master communicator. Every ache, twinge, or persistent pain is a message. They’re your body’s way of guiding you back into alignment, balance, and well-being. And headaches are one of the clearest signs that something is off. They’re rarely random. Instead, they arise from ongoing patterns like stress, inflammation, poor posture, dehydration, or nervous system disruption.

What’s often overlooked is that headaches aren’t just a momentary inconvenience.

Especially if headaches happen frequently or go unmanaged, they can create a cascade of long-term effects on the body and the brain.

Recurring headaches may influence your nervous system, creating a feedback loop of tension, reduced mobility, and poor sleep.

They can even shift how your body physically responds to pain. When headaches happen often, your muscles—especially in your neck, shoulders, and upper back—may tighten to protect you from more discomfort. This is called muscle guarding. Your body’s natural reflex is to stabilize the area and avoid triggering pain again. Over time, that constant muscle tension can become part of the problem. It may limit your range of motion, increase stiffness, and make your headaches more likely to return. What starts as protection can turn into a cycle of tension and pain that’s hard to break without support.

Frequent or persistent headaches can also steal from your life in quieter ways. Headaches can interfere with your concentration, focus, and memory. They may affect your mood, increase irritability, and reduce your capacity to engage with others at work, at home, or in moments that should feel joyful. When pain is unpredictable or frequent, it can leave you feeling like you’re always one step behind your day.

And, because many people learn to push through or normalize their symptoms, they delay care, often until the pain becomes unbearable or disruptive. Understanding what your headache is trying to tell you puts you back in the driver’s seat.

When you start identifying what triggers your headaches, where you feel them, and how often they occur, you gain clarity. That insight makes choosing a treatment path that supports sustainable relief and better long-term health easier.

So, let’s examine the major types of headaches, their causes, and what they might tell you about your body.

The three most common headache types

Not all headaches are created equal. And, neither are the solutions. Each type of headache has its patterns, pressure points, and underlying causes. Some build gradually, while others strike fast. Some show up with visual disturbances or nausea, while others feel like a heavy fog settling over your entire head. The more you understand about the type of headache you’re experiencing, the easier it becomes to recognize your triggers, choose helpful interventions, and prevent them from coming back. Let’s break down the most common headache types and what sets each one apart.

Tension-type headaches: Everyday tightness

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache and are often dismissed as “just stress.” But they’re still a signal.

Tension-type headaches feel like a tight band squeezing around your head. You may feel dull, aching pain on both sides of your head or the back of your neck. The discomfort builds gradually and can last for hours or even days.

Common triggers:

• Mental or emotional stress
• Eye strain from screens or poor posture
• Dehydration
• Poor sleep quality
• Clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth

Tension headaches don’t typically cause nausea or visual changes, but the persistent nature can wear on you. They’re often rooted in upper back, shoulders, neck, and scalp muscle tension.

Migraine headaches: Neurological overload

Migraine is a complex neurological condition. It’s more than just a “bad headache.” It often begins with a dull ache that builds into a deep, pulsing pain, typically on one side of your head. For some people, the discomfort lasts only a few hours. For others, it can stretch into days. And migraines are rarely just pain. They often bring a collection of sensory and neurological symptoms that can feel overwhelming. You might experience nausea, vomiting, or extreme light, sound, or smell sensitivity. Some people notice visual disturbances called auras, including flashing lights, zigzag patterns, or blind spots. Others feel numbness or tingling in the face, hands, or arms before the pain begins. These headaches affect more than your head. They can disrupt your ability to think clearly, move comfortably, and engage fully with your day.

Common triggers:

• Hormonal changes
• Certain foods (like aged cheese, wine, or chocolate)
• Bright lights or loud noises
• Stress
• Sleep disruption

Migraines can be genetically influenced and often run in families. For many people, they’re recurring and require a long-term strategy to manage effectively.

Cluster headaches: Sharp, sudden, and intense

Cluster headaches are one of the most severe and disruptive types of head pain. They come on fast and strike with intense, piercing pain that’s usually felt behind or around one eye. The pain is often described as burning or stabbing and may cause the affected eye to become red or teary. Other symptoms can include a runny or congested nose, facial sweating, and agitation or restlessness during the attack. Unlike other headaches, cluster headaches occur in patterns. You might experience several headaches a day over weeks or months, followed by periods of remission when they completely disappear. They tend to show up simultaneously each day and are notorious for waking people up at night. While the exact cause is unknown, cluster headaches involve the hypothalamus, the part of your brain that regulates your body’s internal clock. That might explain why they follow such a strict schedule. Cluster headaches are more common in men and often appear between the ages of 20 and 50, though they can affect anyone.

Common triggers:

• Tobacco use
• Alcohol consumption, especially during cluster cycles
• Bright lights or glare
• Strong smells, such as perfumes or solvents
• Overheating or sudden changes in temperature
• Disruption of normal sleep pattern

Identifying your cluster headache triggers and tracking your cycles may help reduce the frequency and intensity of attacks—and give you back control over your schedule.

Other types of headaches that you should know

While tension headaches, migraines, and cluster headaches are the most common categories of headaches, others can impact your quality of life. These headaches might not occur as frequently, but they can be just as disruptive and telling. Knowing how to recognize them, what sets them off, and how they feel in your body can help you respond more quickly and effectively.

Sinus headaches: When inflammation meets facial pressure

Sinus headaches are often mistaken for tension or migraine headaches, but the location of the pain sets them apart. These headaches create pressure and aching in the forehead, cheeks, and the bridge of your nose. The discomfort intensifies when you bend forward or lie down.

Common triggers:

• Sinus infections
• Seasonal or environmental allergies
• Nasal congestion or inflammation

Sonic headaches are different because cold-like symptoms, including a runny or stuffy nose, post-nasal drip, or facial tenderness, often accompany them. They’re directly tied to inflammation in the sinus cavities, which can also make you feel fatigued or foggy.

If your sinus pain persists even after addressing congestion or infection, the root cause may lie elsewhere—and that’s worth exploring with a professional.

Hormone-related headaches: Your body’s monthly rhythm

Hormone headaches often follow a predictable schedule. These typically feel like migraines and occur when estrogen levels drop, like just before your menstrual cycle, during ovulation, or throughout perimenopause.

Common triggers:

• Menstrual cycle fluctuations
• Hormonal birth control
• Pregnancy or postpartum changes
• Perimenopause or menopause

The pain of a hormone headache can be intense, one-sided, and throbbing, often paired with light sensitivity, nausea, or fatigue. Tracking your symptoms across your cycle may help you identify patterns and give you a more informed starting point for treatment conversations.

While you can’t always control hormone shifts, balancing your lifestyle, managing stress, and supporting nervous system function may reduce these shifts' impact on your head and your health.

Exertional headaches: When movement brings on pain

Exertional headaches often begin during or shortly after intense physical activity. They appear suddenly and create a sharp, throbbing sensation that affects both sides of your head. This type of headache is usually short-lived, but the discomfort can be intense enough to stop you mid-workout. They’re most common during strenuous efforts like running, weightlifting or even during activities that increase pressure, such as coughing, sneezing, or straining. These headaches are believed to be triggered by increased blood flow and pressure in the brain during exertion. While occasional exertional headaches are harmless, frequent ones may point to an underlying issue like structural imbalances or spinal misalignment, amplifying your body’s stress response to physical effort.

Common triggers:

• Vigorous exercise
• Heavy lifting or straining
• Sudden or intense body movements
• Heat and dehydration

Exertional headaches are generally harmless if they’re infrequent and go away quickly. But if they happen often or linger, a structural or alignment issue may be contributing to the problem.

Caffeine-related headaches: A balancing act

Caffeine headaches can sneak up in two different ways. 1. When you have too much caffeine. 2. You suddenly don’t have enough caffeine. Caffeine narrows your blood vessels, which can ease pain temporarily. When your intake drops, your blood vessels rebound and widen, which may trigger pain.

Common triggers:

• Caffeine withdrawal (missing your usual dose)
• Overuse of caffeinated products
• Dehydration
• Irregular sleep habits

Accompanied by a dull aching or throbbing, these headaches can feel like migraines and may bring fatigue, brain fog, or irritability. You’ll likely feel them a few hours after your usual cup of coffee or soda.

Finding your threshold and staying consistent with your caffeine intake may help minimize these headaches—and support better energy regulation overall.

Rebound headaches: When relief leads to reliance

Rebound headaches, also known as medication overuse headaches, develop when your body starts depending on over-the-counter or prescription pain medications. These often occur when medications are used for 10 to 15 days per month or more.

Common triggers:

• Regular use of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, or triptans
• Taking pain meds for chronic tension or migraine headaches
• Relying on medication instead of addressing root causes

Rebound headaches often mimic tension headaches with dull, pressing pain. But they tend to return quickly once the effects of the medication wear off, creating a cycle that’s hard to break.

Breaking that cycle usually requires a different approach—one that supports your nervous system, restores alignment, and helps your body return to a natural rhythm without relying on medication.

What your spine has to do with your headaches

Remember that old song? “The neck bone's connected to the head bone.” Every part of your body is connected, including your nervous system, spine, and head. Misalignments in your spine, especially in the cervical (neck) region, can affect your nerve function. These misalignments (subluxations) could increase muscle tension, restrict movement, and interfere with blood flow. All of which can contribute to headaches.

How chiropractic care may help reduce headache frequency and intensity

Headaches are often treated as isolated symptoms, but they result from interconnected physical and neurological patterns. Many headaches, especially tension-type and cervicogenic headaches, can be traced back to musculoskeletal imbalances, particularly in the cervical spine. This area of the spine plays a vital role in supporting the head, maintaining posture, and protecting the nerves that regulate everything from muscle control to blood flow.

Chiropractic care approaches headaches differently. Rather than simply masking symptoms, chiropractic adjustments restore function by addressing the structural and neurological factors contributing to discomfort.

A growing body of research supports this approach. One randomized controlled trial published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders found that spinal manipulation therapy significantly reduced the frequency and intensity of cervicogenic headaches compared to a control group receiving light massage. Participants receiving spinal manipulation also experienced longer-lasting effects, suggesting that improving spinal function may influence headache patterns at the source.

Here’s how chiropractic care may support headache relief:

Restoring spinal alignment: Misalignments, or joint restrictions, in the cervical spine can place excess stress on the surrounding muscles and soft tissues. Gentle adjustments may help restore proper joint motion and reduce that strain.

Reducing nerve interference: When spinal joints move more freely, it may reduce irritation to nearby nerves. This improved communication between your brain and body may support overall nervous system balance.

Relieving muscle tension: Chronic tension in your neck, shoulders, and upper back can contribute to tension-type and migraine headaches. Chiropractic adjustments, paired with soft tissue work or targeted recommendations, may help release this tension and improve circulation.

Supporting better posture and movement: Poor posture—especially tech neck and forward head posture—can increase the load on the cervical spine. Chiropractic care helps improve alignment, enhance posture, and reduce physical stress on the head and neck.

Encouraging lifestyle modifications: Chiropractors don’t just adjust your spine. They work with you to identify triggers and habits that could be feeding into your headache patterns. That might include guidance on hydration, sleep, stress management, screen ergonomics, and movement strategies that support long-term relief.

While results vary from person to person, many people find that regular chiropractic care may help them experience fewer headaches, shorter durations, and less intense symptoms. And perhaps most importantly, it can help you feel more connected to your body, more in control of your well-being, and more confident in your ability to manage pain.

When to seek care for your headaches

You don’t have to wait until your headaches become unbearable to get help. If you’ve noticed recurring patterns or your headaches are interfering with your quality of life, it’s time to listen to your body.

Here are a few signs it may be time to seek professional care:

• You’re experiencing headaches more than once a week
• Your headaches are getting worse or lasting longer
• You’re relying on pain medication often
• Your headaches come with vision changes, nausea, or sensory sensitivity
• You feel like you’re constantly one step behind your pain
• You’re experiencing new or different headaches, especially after age 50
• You experience a sudden, severe headache (sometimes called a "thunderclap headache")

Your next step toward headache relief

Headaches may be common, but that doesn’t make them any less disruptive. Whether you're dealing with occasional tension, recurring migraines, or something in between, the more you understand your body's signals, the more empowered you are to respond in ways that support real, lasting relief.

When headaches start interfering with your ability to focus, move, rest, or show up how you want to, it’s worth exploring care beyond just the symptoms. Chiropractic may be one way to support your spine, nervous system, and overall well-being, especially if you're ready for a drug-free approach that considers how everything in your body connects.

Everyone’s journey is different. With the proper support, you can start feeling more like yourself again. You may feel less reactive, more resilient, and more present for the moments that matter most.

The information, including but not limited to text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this page, is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise, and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician, or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.