Quick Answer
A chiropractic evaluation for headaches should involve much more than asking where your head hurts. Because headaches and migraines can have many different causes and contributing factors, a thorough evaluation starts with your history and the story behind your symptoms.
At Chandler Chiropractic, we ask about when your headaches began, how
often they occur, what triggers them, previous injuries, neck symptoms, posture, sleep, stress, work habits, exercise, and other factors that may provide important clues.
Next, we perform a thorough physical examination. Depending on your individual situation, this may include evaluating posture, neck movement, muscle function, spinal mobility, orthopedic and neurological findings, and balance. When clinically appropriate, we may also recommend digital X-rays.
Most importantly, we gather this information before deciding whether chiropractic care is appropriate.
The Complete Answer
If you’ve experienced recurring headaches or migraines, you may have wondered what actually happens during a chiropractic evaluation for headaches.
Do you simply tell the chiropractor where your head hurts?
Do you automatically need X-rays?
Will you immediately receive an adjustment?
At Chandler Chiropractic, we don’t begin by assuming we already know the answer. Instead, we start by learning about you.
That’s because one of the most important things we’ve learned after more than 22 years in practice is simple:
Every headache has a story.
Step 1: We Start With a Conversation
Before examining your neck or recommending chiropractic care, we want to understand when your headaches began and how they affect your life.
For example, we may ask:
- When do you first remember experiencing headaches?
- How often do they occur?
- Where do you feel the pain?
- Does the pain stay in one location or travel?
- How severe are your headaches?
- How long do they typically last?
- Do they occur at a particular time of day?
- Have you identified any triggers?
- What makes them better?
- What makes them worse?
- What have you already tried?
Although these questions may sound simple, the answers can help reveal patterns.
Perhaps your headaches began after a car accident or sports injury. On the other hand, they may have gradually become more frequent after years of computer work, increased stress, changes in sleep, or other physical and lifestyle demands.
Sometimes the connection is obvious. Other times, an event that happened years ago may become an important part of the conversation.
For that reason, we want the entire story—not simply a description of today’s headache.
Step 2: We Look Beyond the Headache
Headaches don’t always occur by themselves. Therefore, during a chiropractic evaluation for headaches, we may ask about other symptoms that could provide additional information.
Depending on your situation, we may ask about:
- Neck pain or stiffness
- Shoulder tightness
- Jaw discomfort
- Dizziness
- Balance problems
- Sleep quality
- Fatigue
- Numbness or tingling
- Ear discomfort
- Sinus pressure
- Vision changes
We may also discuss your work environment, computer and phone use, exercise routine, previous injuries, sleep habits, stress levels, and everyday activities.
At first, some of these questions may seem unrelated. However, each answer gives us another piece of information.
Our goal is to understand the person experiencing the headaches, not just the headache itself.
Step 3: We Perform a Thorough Physical Examination
After the consultation, we move into the physical examination.
Rather than focusing only on the area that hurts, we evaluate how your body is moving and functioning. The exact examination varies from person to person because your history and symptoms help determine which tests are appropriate.
Depending on your individual situation, the examination may include:
- Cervical range of motion
- Posture evaluation
- Muscle strength and function
- Palpation of the spine
- Joint movement and spinal mobility
- Orthopedic testing
- Neurological testing
- Balance testing when appropriate
- Other tests related to your specific symptoms
Each test provides another piece of information.
No single finding tells us everything. However, when we combine your history, symptoms, examination findings, and other appropriate information, the overall picture can become much clearer.
Why We Look at More Than Your Neck
If your headache involves your head or neck, you might wonder why a chiropractor would evaluate other areas of your spine.
The reason is that the body doesn’t move as a collection of completely separate parts. Your posture, shoulders, upper back, lower spine, hips, and overall movement patterns can influence how your body moves and adapts.
We often compare this to visiting the dentist. A dentist wouldn’t examine one tooth and ignore the rest of your mouth simply because one tooth hurts. Instead, the dentist evaluates the larger picture before making recommendations.
We take a similar approach with the spine.
Even when headaches are the primary concern, we want to understand how the entire body is functioning rather than limiting the examination to one painful area.
X-ray prior to chiropractic care is critical for knowing what is actually going on and get to the root of the issue.
Step 4: We Decide Whether Digital X-Rays Are Appropriate
Another common question patients ask is:
“Will I need X-rays for my headaches?”
Not necessarily.
We don’t believe every patient automatically needs X-rays. Instead, we recommend digital X-rays when they are clinically appropriate and when the information may help us make a safer, more informed decision.
Depending on your history and examination findings, X-rays may provide additional information about spinal structure, the natural curves of the spine, signs of degeneration, previous injuries, or other structural findings.
Most importantly, imaging can become another piece of the overall evaluation.
If we believe X-rays are appropriate, we’ll explain why. If they aren’t necessary, we’ll tell you that too.
Step 5: We Put the Pieces Together
This is one of the most important parts of a chiropractic evaluation for headaches.
We don’t make recommendations based on one test, one X-ray, or one symptom. Instead, we consider the information together.
That may include your:
- Headache history
- Previous injuries
- Current symptoms
- Lifestyle and daily activities
- Posture
- Range of motion
- Muscle function
- Orthopedic findings
- Neurological findings
- Spinal movement
- Imaging findings, when appropriate
Think of the process like putting together a puzzle. One piece rarely reveals the entire picture. As more pieces come together, however, we gain a better understanding of what may be contributing to your symptoms.
Only then can we make thoughtful recommendations about the next step.
Does a Chiropractic Evaluation Mean You Need Chiropractic Care?
No.
This is an important distinction.
Coming to a chiropractor for an evaluation doesn’t automatically mean chiropractic care will be the right choice for your headaches.
Sometimes the examination identifies neck dysfunction, limited spinal movement, muscle tension, posture concerns, or other musculoskeletal factors that may make chiropractic care appropriate.
In other situations, however, the history or examination may indicate that additional testing or another healthcare provider should become involved.
For example, we may recommend advanced imaging or consultation with another healthcare professional when the findings suggest that more information is necessary.
Our responsibility isn’t to convince everyone with headaches that they need chiropractic care. Instead, our responsibility is to gather enough information to make the most appropriate recommendation we can.
Why Headache Evaluation Matters
Two people can walk into our office and say exactly the same thing:
“I keep getting headaches.”
Yet their stories may be completely different.
One person may spend ten hours a day working at a computer and experience significant neck stiffness. Another may have a history of car accidents, sports injuries, or concussions. Someone else may be dealing with migraines alongside sleep changes, stress, or other health concerns.
The symptom may sound the same, but the contributing factors may be very different.
That’s why we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach.
The quality of any recommendation depends on the quality of the information gathered first.
What If We Find Something That Needs Medical Evaluation?
Sometimes the most important result of an examination is recognizing when chiropractic care shouldn’t be the first step.
If your history, symptoms, or examination findings raise concerns, we may recommend additional testing, advanced imaging, or evaluation by another healthcare provider.
Depending on the situation, that could involve your primary care physician, a neurologist, an orthopedic specialist, or another appropriate healthcare professional.
Chiropractic care can also work alongside other forms of healthcare when appropriate.
The goal isn’t for one profession to do everything. The goal is to help you receive the right care at the right time.
What This Means for You
If you’ve been experiencing recurring headaches or migraines, an evaluation should help answer more than one question.
It shouldn’t simply ask:
“Where does it hurt?”
Instead, we want to understand:
When did this begin? What patterns are present? What may be contributing? What does the examination show? Is chiropractic care appropriate? Do we need additional information?
Those questions help move the conversation from simply experiencing headaches toward better understanding them.
Our Perspective at Chandler Chiropractic
After more than 22 years of caring for patients, we’ve learned that people rarely come to us because of one headache.
They come because headaches have started interfering with work, sleep, exercise, travel, family time, sports, or simply enjoying everyday life.
That’s why we don’t begin with an adjustment.
We begin with a conversation.
We listen to your history, perform a thorough examination, gather additional information when appropriate, and then explain what we find.
If chiropractic care makes sense, we’ll explain why. If another provider or additional testing should come first, we’ll explain that too.
Because before we can recommend where you should go next, we need to understand where you’ve been.
Still Have Questions?
If recurring headaches or migraines are interfering with your daily life, a comprehensive evaluation may help you better understand what could be contributing and what your next step should be.
Contact Chandler Chiropractic to schedule an evaluation at our Chandler or Scottsdale location.
Lasting Results for All Stages of Life.
Reviewed by Dr. Mike Schloemp, DC
September 2026
Dr. Mike Schloemp is the founder of Chandler Chiropractic and has served individuals and families throughout Chandler and the East Valley for more than 22 years. His clinical focus includes family chiropractic, sports injuries, headaches and migraines, pediatric care, pregnancy care, and personal injury.
