- 404-860-1030
- 1409 N Highland Ave NE Suite A Atlanta, GA 30306
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What causes migraines?”, you’re not alone.
Migraine is one of the most disabling neurological diseases in the world, affecting more than one billion people. Yet despite its prevalence, many migraine sufferers are told they simply have a “chemical imbalance” or are handed medications without ever learning why their nervous system continues to produce migraines in the first place.
While medications can reduce symptoms or decrease migraine frequency, they often do not address one important question:
Why has your nervous system become so sensitive that everyday events can trigger a migraine?
As Migraine Treatment Specialists Atlanta, we believe understanding the underlying neurological mechanisms is just as important as managing symptoms. Many patients are surprised to learn that the upper cervical spine, where the head meets the neck, plays an important role in how the brainstem processes pain, balance, muscle tension, and sensory information.
Let’s explore what science currently knows about what causes migraines and why the upper neck deserves attention.
Migraines are far more complex than headaches.
Researchers now understand that migraines involve changes in the brain involving
Rather than being caused by a single abnormality, migraines occur when the brain reaches what neurologists call the migraine threshold. Once this threshold is crossed, a cascade of neurological events begins.
These changes often include
This helps explain why migraines are much more than headaches, they often include nausea, dizziness, light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, visual disturbances, neck pain, fatigue, and cognitive changes.
Migraines usually develop in stages.
The prodrome phase may begin hours or even days before the headache.
Common symptoms include
Many patients don’t realize these symptoms are actually the beginning of the migraine process.
Not everyone experiences aura, but approximately one-third of migraine sufferers do.
What causes migraines with aura?
Aura occurs because of a neurological phenomenon known as cortical spreading depression, a temporary wave of altered electrical activity moving across the brain.
Symptoms may include
Aura is temporary but often frightening for patients experiencing it for the first time.
This is the phase most people recognize.
Typical symptoms include
For many individuals, even normal daily activities become nearly impossible.
Even after the headache improves, patients frequently experience
Some patients describe this as feeling “hungover.”
A migraine is considered chronic when headaches occur 15 or more days per month, with migraine features occurring on at least eight of those days.
Several mechanisms contribute to chronic migraines.
One of the most important is central sensitization.
Over time, repeated migraine episodes can make the nervous system increasingly sensitive. Pain pathways become more easily activated, meaning smaller triggers can eventually produce larger migraine attacks.
The nervous system essentially becomes "primed" to generate pain.
This helps explain why chronic migraine patients often report that their migraines become easier to trigger over time.
Triggers do not necessarily cause migraines.
Instead, they often push an already sensitive nervous system past its migraine threshold.
Common triggers include
Not every trigger affects every person, which is why identifying personal patterns is often helpful.
One of the most common questions neurologists hear is…
“What causes migraines in females?”
Women experience migraines approximately three times more often than men.
The primary reason appears to involve fluctuating estrogen levels.
Hormonal migraine causes may include:
Estrogen influences serotonin and several other brain chemicals involved in pain regulation.
For many women, migraines predictably worsen during periods of rapid hormonal change.
A sudden change in migraine frequency deserves careful medical evaluation.
Possible reasons include
Although many new migraines are benign, new severe headaches or sudden neurological symptoms should always be evaluated promptly by a healthcare professional to rule out more serious conditions.
Several nutritional deficiencies have been associated with increased migraine frequency in some individuals.
These include
While supplementation may benefit certain patients, deficiencies are rarely the sole explanation for chronic migraines.
They are best viewed as one possible contributor among many factors affecting the nervous system.
One area that is frequently overlooked is the upper cervical spine.
The top two vertebrae (C1 and C2) sit immediately beneath the skull and surround the lower brainstem.
This region contains dense neurological connections with the trigeminocervical complex, an area where sensory information from the upper neck and the trigeminal nerve converge.
Research has shown that abnormal sensory input from the upper cervical spine may influence these shared pain pathways in some individuals.
When joints, muscles, or supporting ligaments of the upper neck are not functioning normally, altered nerve signaling may increase irritation within these pathways, potentially contributing to migraine susceptibility in certain patients.
This does not mean every migraine originates in the neck.
However, it may help explain why so many migraine sufferers also report
For patients whose migraines have a cervical component, evaluating upper cervical function may provide valuable information.
The brainstem acts as one of the body’s primary control centers.
It helps regulate
Numerous migraine studies have demonstrated altered activity within brainstem regions during migraine attacks.
Because the upper cervical spine sits immediately adjacent to the brainstem and shares neurological connections with many migraine-related pathways, researchers continue investigating how this relationship may influence headache disorders.
Traditional migraine treatment often focuses on
These approaches can be very helpful and are appropriate for many patients.
At Upper Cervical Specialists of Atlanta, we also evaluate whether abnormal mechanics of the upper cervical spine could be contributing to altered neurological input.
By assessing the alignment and function of the upper neck, we aim to identify one potential piece of the migraine puzzle that may otherwise be overlooked.
Every migraine patient is different, and comprehensive care often requires considering multiple contributing factors.
If you’ve been wondering what causes migraines, the answer is rarely simple.
Migraines result from a complex interaction between genetics, brain chemicals, the brainstem, nerve pathways, environmental triggers, hormones, and the overall sensitivity of the nervous system.
While common triggers such as stress, dehydration, weather changes, or certain foods may provoke attacks, they often do so because the nervous system has already become vulnerable.
For some individuals, dysfunction involving the upper cervical spine may contribute to abnormal sensory input reaching migraine-related pathways.
Understanding this relationship provides another avenue to investigate, especially for patients who continue struggling despite conventional care.
If migraines are affecting your quality of life, a comprehensive neurological and upper cervical evaluation may help determine whether your neck is playing a role in your symptoms.
Migraines are caused by complex neurological changes involving the brainstem, trigeminal nerve pathways, genetics, brain chemicals, and environmental triggers. Multiple factors typically work together rather than a single cause.
Hormonal fluctuations, particularly changes in estrogen, are one of the most common reasons women experience migraines more frequently than men.
Sudden migraines may be triggered by stress, hormonal changes, sleep disruption, illness, medication changes, or neck injuries. Any sudden severe headache or new neurological symptoms should be evaluated promptly by a healthcare professional.
Chronic migraines often develop through central sensitization, where repeated migraine attacks make the nervous system increasingly sensitive, lowering the threshold for future episodes.
Research suggests that abnormal sensory input from the upper cervical spine may influence pain-processing pathways shared with the trigeminal nerve in some individuals. While not all migraines originate from the neck, this relationship may be clinically relevant for certain patients, particularly those with associated neck pain or stiffness.
