Headaches Won’t Stop? What Could Be Causing the Pain

Persistent headaches and migraines can be frustrating, especially when medications, imaging, and repeated medical evaluations have not provided clear answers. Headache disorders are complex, and understanding them may involve looking beyond the location of the pain to consider factors such as the neck, jaw, previous injuries, sleep, stress, and overall health. In Part 1 of the ANEW Insight Podcast, Dr. Supatra Tovar speaks with Dr. Jonathan Taves, a Mayo Clinic-trained Doctor of Physical Therapy, headache specialist, and founder of Novera: Headache Center. Dr. Taves specializes in chronic and complex headache disorders, including migraines, cervicogenic headaches, occipital neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, and post-traumatic headaches. The conversation begins with why chronic headaches can be so difficult to understand and why some people continue experiencing symptoms even when imaging appears normal or medications have not provided sufficient relief. Dr. Taves explains how pain can sometimes be referred from the neck into the head and discusses why identifying possible contributors to headache pain may require looking beyond symptoms alone. Dr. Tovar and Dr. Taves also explore the anatomy of the upper neck and how the cervical spine, occipital nerves, and trigeminal nerves may interact in the experience of head and facial pain. Dr. Taves describes why mobility in the upper neck can make this area particularly important to evaluate in some people with persistent headaches. The conversation then moves into Dr. Taves’ three-part approach to evaluating chronic headaches: identifying possible sources of pain, considering developmental or structural factors that may contribute to symptoms, and looking at overall health factors such as sleep, stress, nutrition, hormones, and general health. He emphasizes that every person is different and that multiple factors may contribute to an individual’s headache experience. Finally, Dr. Tovar and Dr. Taves discuss the differences between migraine, tension headache, and cervicogenic headache, why headache classifications can sometimes be confusing, and how hormonal fluctuations may influence a person’s threshold for developing headache symptoms. You will learn about: • Why chronic headaches and migraines can be difficult to understand • How the neck may contribute to some headache symptoms ns • How previous injuries and neck stress may contribute to headaches • Dr. Taves’ three-part framework for evaluating chronic headache concerns • How sleep, stress, nutrition, hormones, and general health may influence headache thresholds • Why individualized evaluation matters when addressing persistent headaches Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and introduction to Dr. Jonathan Taves 02:00 How Dr. Taves became interested in treating headaches 05:00 Why chronic headaches can be difficult to diagnose and manage 06:00 Why imaging may not explain every headache 07:00 How the neck may contribute to head pain 08:00 Understanding the anatomy of the upper neck 10:00 How nerves in the neck, head, and face interact 11:00 What may contribute to neck-related headache symptoms 12:30 Dr. Taves’ three-part headache evaluation model 13:00 Developmental factors, airway, sleep, and neck tension 14:00 General health, stress, nutrition, and headache thresholds 15:00 What treatment may look like 16:00 Manual therapy, neck mobility, and jaw function 17:00 Sleep, breathing, and additional healthcare support 18:00 Migraine vs. tension headache vs. cervicogenic headache 20:00 Why headache diagnoses are often based on symptoms 22:00 What is a cervicogenic headache? 23:00 Previous injuries and possible headache contributors 24:00 Hormonal fluctuations and headache thresholds 26:00 Closing thoughts and preview of Part 2 Key Topics Covered Chronic headaches Migraine Cervicogenic headache Tension headache Neck pain Hormones and migraine Sleep and headaches Stress and headaches Physical therapy CONNECT WITH DR. JONATHAN TAVES Learn more about Dr. Jonathan Taves and his work: Website: https://www.noveraheadachecenter.com/ Facebook:   / noveraheadachecenter   YouTube:    / theheadachedoctorpodcast   Instagram:   / noveraheadachecenter   TikTok:   / theheadachedoctor   These are the guest links specified for the episode materials. Connect With Dr. Supatra Tovar Follow Dr. Supatra Tovar on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and TikTok: @drsupatratovar Continue Your Journey Book: Deprogram Diet Culture: Rethink Your Relationship with Food, Heal Your Mind, and Live a Diet-Free Life Course: Deprogram Diet Culture https://anew-insight.com Visit the Website: https://drsupatratovar.com Watch More Episodes: ANEW Insight Podcast Watch the TEDx Talk: Rethinking Your Relationship with Food in the GLP-1 Era