Can Neck Pain Cause Migraines and Chronic Headaches? With Dr Jono Taves

Can neck dysfunction cause migraines and chronic headaches—even when you don’t feel significant neck pain?

In this episode of Beyond The Pain, Leigh Brandon speaks with Dr Jono Taves, a physical therapist, headache specialist and founder of the Novera Headache Center, about the frequently overlooked connection between the neck, migraines and persistent headaches.

When pain appears behind the eye, across the temple or inside the head, it is understandable to assume that the problem originates there. But when scans and neurological investigations fail to reveal a clear cause, could the pain actually be referred from the neck?

Jono explains how dysfunction within the upper cervical spine can contribute to headache and migraine symptoms, why the brain may misinterpret where pain is coming from and how neck problems can remain undetected during conventional headache assessments.

Leigh and Jono discuss:

• Why pain felt in the head may originate in the neck
• The relationship between neck dysfunction, migraines and chronic headaches
• Why MRI and CT scans may not reveal the source of someone’s symptoms
• How previous injuries, trauma and accumulated physical stress can affect the neck
• Why some migraine sufferers have neck dysfunction without obvious neck pain
• The limitations of continually managing symptoms without investigating their cause
• How specialist physical therapy may help reduce headache frequency and severity
• The influence of posture, prolonged sitting and screen use
• How psychological stress can increase muscular tension and aggravate symptoms
• Practical ways to improve neck health and support headache recovery

This conversation will be especially valuable if you experience recurring migraines, persistent headaches, neck or shoulder pain, or symptoms that have continued despite medication and conventional treatment. It may also help those whose headaches began following a sports injury, concussion, whiplash or other physical trauma.