The Biggest Lie You’ve Been Told About Migraines
by The Migraine Doc
Every week, I hear it.
“My neurologist said it has nothing to do with my neck.”
“All my tests come back normal, but when I ask about my neck, they tell me it’s unrelated.”
“They said migraines are in my brain, not my spine.”
And every time I hear it, I want to say the same thing:
That’s the biggest lie you’ve been told about migraines.
Let me explain.
The Brainstem: The Missing Link Between the Neck and the Head
Most migraine sufferers are treated like they have a head problem.
But in reality, many of them have a neck problem that’s impacting the brain.
Right at the base of the skull sits the craniocervical junction, where the brainstem transitions into the spinal cord. It’s one of the most neurologically dense, mechanically sensitive regions of the entire body.
Even small shifts or misalignments in the upper cervical spine (C1/C2) can:
Disrupt blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation
Irritate the trigeminal nerve nucleus, which sits in the upper brainstem
Throw off the autonomic nervous system, leading to light sensitivity, nausea, dizziness, and pain amplification
Keep the entire system stuck in a state of sensitization and overload
This isn’t theory. This is neuroanatomy.
And yet... most providers never check it. Never image it properly. Never even consider it.
"Nothing to Do With Your Neck?" Let Me Tell You About Sarah
Sarah had been getting migraines for over 12 years.
She’d seen four neurologists, tried two different triptans, gone through Botox cycles, and even eliminated gluten, dairy, caffeine, and sugar.
Still having weekly migraines.
Debilitating. Draining. Discouraging.
Her brain MRI? Clear.
Her bloodwork? Normal.
Her neurologist’s words? “It has nothing to do with your neck.”
But she kept noticing it:
Her neck was always tight. Her headaches started in the base of her skull. Massage helped temporarily, but they always came back.
When she came to see us, we ran Biomechanical Motion X-Rays and performed Functional Nervous System Testing.
The results?
✔ A significant misalignment of her atlas (C1)
✔ CSF flow restriction at the craniocervical junction
✔ Irritation near the trigeminal-cervical complex, a key migraine pain relay center in the brainstem
After her first upper cervical correction, she felt lighter.
After a week, her headaches had dropped in intensity.
Within a month, she had her first migraine-free stretch in over a decade.
That’s not a fluke.
That’s what happens when you actually address the potential underlying cause.
Why This Matters
There are thousands, maybe millions, of people walking around with migraines who have never had their neck evaluated properly.
Not with standard imaging.
Not with “quick” chiropractic care.
Not with a prescription pad.
I’m talking about precise upper cervical analysis, the kind that uses:
Biomechanical X-rays to see how your neck moves
Brainstem function scans to assess nervous system overload
Gentle, non-twisting corrections that restore flow, not force
Zero gravity recovery to help your body hold the change
Once that’s in place, we follow with the Migraine Relief Blueprint:
Cold exposure
Breathwork
Hydration (mineralization)
Sleep optimization
Grounding
Movement
Each step supports the nervous system, but none of them will stick if the brainstem is under constant pressure.
(I am also looking at potentially adding in another step that I think is super important, but we will get into that later)
The Bottom Line
If you’ve been told your neck has nothing to do with your migraines…
If your symptoms don’t make sense on paper, but your body keeps telling you something’s off…
If your headaches start at the base of your skull, behind your eyes, or are always worse with neck tension…
It’s time to question the narrative.
Because the truth is:
👉 Your neck might be the missing piece
👉 Your brainstem might be under constant stress
👉 And the biggest breakthrough might be in the one place they never looked
Want to know if this could be true for you?
Join a 30-minute Migraine Mastermind call and get a personalized plan that finally makes sense.
Let’s stop repeating the lie.
Let’s start solving the problem.
As I always say…
Fix your neck. Fix your life.
Be blessed,
Dr. Brandon Brown
The Migraine Doc & The Specific Chiropractic Centers of Richardson Tx
Here are some links you can go read with more detailed info:
Read the pilot study: Effect of Atlas Vertebrae Realignment in Subjects with Migraine