Melbourne Headache Centre

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Melbourne Headache Centre The Melbourne Headache Centre is a centre of excellence in assessing & managing hypersensitivity disorders.

Upper cervical spine dysfunction is underestimated & poorly treated in many disorders; headache, migraine, cvs, Vestib mig, PPPD, POTS.

When it comes to migraine, there’s more to assessing the neck than finding tight muscles.It’s easy to assume that physio...
15/10/2026

When it comes to migraine, there’s more to assessing the neck than finding tight muscles.

It’s easy to assume that physiotherapy for migraine is about releasing tension, improving movement or loosening tight muscles.

But that’s not quite what we’re looking for.

The upper cervical spine has close neurological connections with the pathways involved in headache and migraine. Sensory information from this region converges with input from the head and face, meaning the neck may influence how symptoms are experienced.

That’s why our assessment goes beyond how the neck feels or moves.

We’re interested in how the nervous system responds to specific, carefully applied pressure, and whether that response tells us something meaningful about the person’s familiar migraine symptoms.

Importantly, finding tenderness or stiffness doesn’t necessarily mean the neck is contributing to migraine.

It’s the relationship between the neck and the person’s symptoms that we’re trying to understand.

Because effective treatment starts with understanding what’s relevant to the individual, rather than simply treating what feels tight.

A Fresh Perspective on Migraine

Next week: What if you’ve already tried physio?

POTS + Migraine: there’s more overlap than you might realiseA new review published in JAMA reports that around 40% of pe...
08/10/2026

POTS + Migraine: there’s more overlap than you might realise

A new review published in JAMA reports that around 40% of people with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) also have chronic migraine.

And when you look at the symptoms, it’s easy to see why the picture can become complicated.

Headache, dizziness, nausea, sensory hypersensitivity, fatigue and exercise intolerance can all feature in these presentations.

Importantly, having one condition doesn’t mean every symptom is necessarily being caused by it.

For people experiencing migraine alongside persistent dizziness, lightheadedness or symptoms that are worse when upright, recognising that there may be overlapping contributors can help build a more complete picture.

The new JAMA review also looks at how POTS is diagnosed and managed, including exercise, fluid and salt intake, compression, dietary strategies and medication.

Chung TH, Raj SR. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): A Review. JAMA. Published August 2026.

October is Mental Health MonthThis year’s theme from WayAhead is “A Little Connection Goes a Long Way.”It’s a message th...
07/10/2026

October is Mental Health Month
This year’s theme from WayAhead is “A Little Connection Goes a Long Way.”

It’s a message that feels particularly relevant for people living with migraine and chronic headache.

When symptoms are frequent or unpredictable, plans get cancelled. Social events can become difficult. Work, family life and relationships can all be affected. And over time, it can become easier to withdraw.
But connection doesn’t always have to mean doing something big.
It might be sending a message to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, having a chat over a coffee, spending some time outside, connecting with a pet, or simply checking in with someone who has been having a difficult time.
And sometimes it means giving yourself some quiet time to reconnect with the things that help you feel like you.

This Mental Health Month, it’s a good reminder that a little connection really can go a long way.
How will you connect this October?

Neck pain and migraine often travel together… but the relationship isn’t always straightforward. A sore neck during a mi...
07/10/2026

Neck pain and migraine often travel together… but the relationship isn’t always straightforward.

A sore neck during a migraine doesn’t necessarily mean the neck started the attack. Equally, we can’t assume the neck is irrelevant simply because it isn’t painful.

That’s why assessment matters.

We’re interested in more than pain or tenderness. We want to understand whether input from the upper neck has a meaningful relationship with the symptoms you recognise — whether that’s headache, pressure, dizziness, eye symptoms or something else.

The question isn’t simply “Does your neck hurt?”

It’s “Is your neck relevant to your migraine?”

And that answer may be different for everyone.

A Fresh Perspective on Migraine

Next week: It’s Not a Knot

October is Dysautonomia Awareness MonthDysautonomia is an umbrella term for a number of conditions involving dysfunction...
02/10/2026

October is Dysautonomia Awareness Month

Dysautonomia is an umbrella term for a number of conditions involving dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system — the system responsible for regulating many of the things our bodies do automatically.

This includes heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, temperature regulation and more.

For people living with dysautonomia, symptoms can be varied and sometimes difficult to piece together. They may include dizziness and lightheadedness, fainting, changes in heart rate or blood pressure, fatigue, exercise intolerance and gastrointestinal symptoms.

There can also be an important overlap with migraine.

In fact, this is something we see in the clinic, particularly in people with complex migraine and vestibular symptoms, where POTS or another form of dysautonomia may be one part of a much bigger picture.

This October, we’re joining Dysautonomia International in helping to raise awareness and improve understanding of these often invisible conditions.

Happy International Coffee Day!If you live with migraine or recurrent headaches, your relationship with coffee might be ...
01/10/2026

Happy International Coffee Day!
If you live with migraine or recurrent headaches, your relationship with coffee might be a little complicated.
For some people, a strong coffee seems to help when a headache or migraine episode is starting. For others, caffeine can be a trigger, particularly when intake changes or that usual morning coffee is missed.
Interestingly, caffeine can play both sides.
It acts on adenosine receptors in the brain, which may help explain some of its effects on headache and migraine. But regular or higher caffeine intake can also contribute to dependence and withdrawal headaches, and may be associated with increasing headache frequency.
And then there’s the question we hear all the time:
“Do I actually need to give up coffee if I get migraines?”
The answer isn’t necessarily yes. Caffeine and migraine have a complicated relationship, and individual patterns matter.
We take a deeper look at the science, how much caffeine might be too much, and why your morning coffee may be either friend or foe in our blog:
Migraine, Headache & Caffeine
Read it via the link in our bio.

A tender neck doesn’t necessarily tell us much.What’s more useful is whether assessment of the upper cervical spine can ...
01/10/2026

A tender neck doesn’t necessarily tell us much.

What’s more useful is whether assessment of the upper cervical spine can reproduce or change the symptoms you actually recognise as part of your migraine.

That might be your familiar head pain or pressure, symptoms around the eye, dizziness, nausea, or another symptom that feels distinctly “yours”.

During assessment, we use sustained pressure at specific points in the upper cervical spine and pay close attention to what happens.

Does your familiar symptom appear?
Does it intensify or change?
Does it begin to settle?

These responses can help us understand whether the neck may be contributing to your migraine presentation - rather than assuming that neck tenderness alone means it’s involved.

It’s one of the reasons a detailed assessment matters.

Assessment first. Treatment second.

Next week: What came first - neck pain or migraine?

We’re closed today for the AFL Grand Final public holiday. Good luck to Fremantle and Brisbane!See you back as normal on...
24/09/2026

We’re closed today for the AFL Grand Final public holiday.

Good luck to Fremantle and Brisbane!

See you back as normal on Monday, 28th September.

For Migraine & Headache Awareness Week, we want to challenge a common assumption:“My neck doesn’t hurt, so it can’t be i...
22/09/2026

For Migraine & Headache Awareness Week, we want to challenge a common assumption:

“My neck doesn’t hurt, so it can’t be involved.”

We hear this a lot.

And it’s an understandable assumption. If your neck isn’t painful or stiff, why would we be interested in it when assessing your migraine?

Because neck pain and neck involvement aren’t necessarily the same thing.

In fact, around 30% of people we treat at Melbourne Headache Centre present without neck symptoms.

As we explored last week for Balance Awareness Week, your upper neck does much more than produce pain. It’s constantly sending sensory information to your brain about the position and movement of your head.

That’s why we don’t simply ask:

“Does your neck hurt?”

We want to know whether your upper neck can influence your familiar migraine symptoms.

During your assessment, we can investigate how your upper neck is functioning and, importantly, whether assessing or treating it changes the symptoms you recognise as part of your migraine.

So when someone tells us their neck doesn’t hurt, our response isn’t:

“Your neck must still be the problem.”

It’s:

“Let’s find out whether it’s relevant.”

Because no neck pain doesn’t necessarily mean no neck involvement.

 A Fresh Perspective on Migraine — Week 4

It’s Migraine & Headache Awareness Week From 21–25 September, Migraine & Headache Australia is hosting five days of FREE...
21/09/2026

It’s Migraine & Headache Awareness Week

From 21–25 September, Migraine & Headache Australia is hosting five days of FREE online sessions with Australian headache experts.

This year’s program covers:

• New findings on migraine prevalence
• New migraine research
• Mental health & chronic pain
• Treatment access and advocating for change
• Expert Q&A

Each session includes a presentation or discussion followed by a live audience Q&A, and you only need to register once to access the week’s webinars.

A great opportunity to hear about some of the latest research and conversations happening in migraine and headache care in Australia.

Registration is free via Migraine & Headache Australia.

Address

World Trade Centre, Tower 4, Level 9, 18 Siddeley Street
Melbourne, VIC
3008

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm

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