Case-series · July 28, 2026
Management of Long-Standing Chronic Headaches with Chiropractic Care: A Retrospective Case Series
Abstract
Background: Chronic headaches are a prevalent and debilitating condition affecting a significant portion of the population, often leading to a reduced quality of life. This article explores outcomes for patients with chronic headaches undergoing chiropractic care. Methods: A retrospective case series was conducted by reviewing patient files at TOPCHIRO Dordrecht, a chiropractic clinic in the Netherlands. Inclusion criteria were a chief complaint of chronic headaches and documented outcomes following a course of care. Data on headache history and post-treatment status were extracted. Results: Two cases met the inclusion criteria. Both patients presented with a 16-year history of chronic headaches. Following a series of chiropractic treatments, both individuals reported significant improvement. One patient experienced nearly complete headache relief for three consecutive weeks. The second patient also became almost headache-free for at least three weeks. Quantitative pain and mobility scores were not formally tracked, precluding aggregate statistical analysis. Conclusions: The findings in this small case series suggest that chiropractic care may be associated with improved outcomes for some individuals with very long-term, chronic headaches. These preliminary results warrant further investigation through more rigorous, prospective research designs.
Methods
This study was conducted as a retrospective case series to describe patient outcomes at a single chiropractic clinic. Patient records were reviewed from TOPCHIRO Dordrecht, located in Dordrecht, ZH, Netherlands. The practitioners providing care at the facility include Dr. Travis Corcoran, Naomi van Veen, Bo, and Anthony Espinosa. Cases were selected for inclusion if the patient presented with a chief complaint of chronic headaches and had a documented post-treatment outcome in their clinical file. For this series, two patient cases met these criteria. The intervention provided at the clinic is broadly defined as chiropractic care, which may include techniques such as Spinal Correction, Posture Correction, and Nervous System Care. Specific protocols for each patient were not detailed in the available data. Data were extracted directly from de-identified patient files. The primary outcome metric was the qualitative, self-reported change in headache frequency and duration from baseline to a follow-up point after a series of treatments. Baseline was established by the patient's reported history upon intake. No standardized, quantitative pain scales (e.g., Numeric Pain Rating Scale) or functional mobility scores were consistently recorded for this cohort, which precluded the calculation of mean percentage improvements in pain or mobility. The primary limitation of this design is its retrospective nature, which relies on data not originally collected for research purposes. Other limitations include the small sample size and lack of a control group.
Discussion
The findings of this retrospective case series, though limited to two individuals, highlight a noteworthy association between chiropractic care and substantial relief from very long-term chronic headaches. The most compelling aspect of these cases is the duration of the baseline condition—16 years for both patients. Headaches persisting for such a long period are often refractory to conventional treatments, yet both individuals experienced a rapid and significant reduction in symptoms, becoming nearly headache-free for multiple consecutive weeks. While the precise mechanisms cannot be determined from this study, the outcomes suggest that a significant biomechanical or neuro-musculoskeletal component may have been contributing to the patients' chronic headaches. It is plausible that the interventions, which focus on spinal and postural correction, addressed underlying dysfunction in the cervical spine that was a primary driver of their long-standing condition. The results align with the clinical hypothesis that addressing structural issues can modulate nervous system function and alleviate cervicogenic headache patterns. For clinicians, these cases serve as an important reminder that even patients with extremely chronic and seemingly intractable headache histories may warrant a trial of care focused on musculoskeletal assessment and treatment. The rapid response observed suggests that a biomechanical contribution should be considered. However, these results must be interpreted with extreme caution. Without a control group, it is impossible to attribute the outcomes solely to the chiropractic intervention. The placebo effect, natural fluctuations in the condition, or other unmeasured lifestyle changes cannot be ruled out. These promising but preliminary observations underscore the urgent need for more rigorous, prospective studies with larger sample sizes, control groups, and the use of validated, standardized outcome measures to confirm these findings and elucidate the role of chiropractic care in managing chronic headaches.
Limitations
This study has several significant limitations. First, its retrospective design means that data was collected for clinical, not research, purposes, leading to incomplete and non-standardized outcome measures. The absence of consistently tracked pain scales or mobility metrics prevented quantitative analysis. Second, the very small sample size (n=2) makes the findings anecdotal in nature and not generalizable to a broader population of patients with chronic headaches. Third, as a single-site study conducted at TOPCHIRO Dordrecht, the results may reflect the specific techniques and patient population of that clinic and may not be reproducible elsewhere. Fourth, the lack of a control group makes it impossible to determine causality; the observed improvements could be due to the natural history of the condition, a placebo response, or other confounding factors. Finally, the reliance on patient self-report for outcome assessment introduces potential for subjectivity and recall bias. No objective measures were used to corroborate the reported improvements.