Headaches in Children
Headaches aren't just an adult problem — many kids experience them too, often for different reasons than adults. At Two Sparrows, we take a gentle, thorough approach to evaluating what might be contributing to your child's headaches.
Understanding Headaches in Children
Childhood headaches share some causes with adult headaches but also have some distinct, age-specific contributing patterns worth understanding.
Why It Happens
Childhood headaches can stem from many of the same contributors seen in adults — neck tension, posture (increasingly related to screen time and backpack loads), and occasionally old injuries — but a child's growing body and different daily demands (school, backpacks, sports) create their own specific patterns worth evaluating.
Common Types in Children
Tension-type headaches — the most common type in children, often related to stress, posture, or neck tension, similar to adults
Migraine in children — can present somewhat differently than in adults, sometimes with more prominent abdominal symptoms alongside head pain
Screen-time-related headaches — an increasingly common pattern tied to prolonged device use and associated posture and eye strain
Age-Specific Contributing Factors
Increasing screen time and associated posture strain, often starting at younger ages than previous generations
Heavy backpacks affecting neck and upper back tension
Dehydration, which children are often more prone to than adults due to lower awareness of thirst cues
Irregular sleep schedules
Skipped meals affecting blood sugar
A Note on Younger Children
Younger kids often can't clearly describe headache pain the way adults can — watch for behavioral signs like increased irritability, wanting to lie down in a dark room, or holding their head, which can indicate a headache even without a clear verbal complaint.
When to Seek Medical Evaluation
Seek prompt medical evaluation for: sudden severe headache, headache with vision changes, persistent vomiting, headache following head trauma, headache that wakes a child from sleep, or headaches that are increasing in frequency or severity.
Recurring headaches, often described by younger kids as general discomfort rather than clearly located pain
Headaches that seem connected to screen time, backpack use, or posture
Headaches following a fall or minor injury
Headaches alongside neck stiffness or tension
Symptoms We Commonly See
Our Approach
We evaluate alignment and movement in your child's neck and upper spine, along with posture and any relevant injury history, using gentle, pediatric-specific adjustments to support normal function.
This information is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please seek prompt medical evaluation for sudden, severe headaches, headaches with vision changes or persistent vomiting, or headaches following a significant head injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sudden, severe headaches, headaches with vision changes, persistent vomiting, or headaches following a significant head injury should be evaluated by a physician promptly to rule out other causes.
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It's possible — a heavy or poorly fitted backpack can contribute to neck and upper back tension, which may play a role in some children's headaches.
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Yes, when performed by a chiropractor with pediatric-specific training — techniques are gentle and adapted to your child's age and size.
— not sidelined by headaches that seem to show up more and more, especially after long school days or too much screen time.
Sometimes that means looking beyond the obvious, and toward gentle, whole-body care that supports how your child's body was designed to grow, move, and heal.
Holistic, non-invasive, Gonstead chiropractic care helps to provide a clear and hopeful path forward for you and your family, meeting your child exactly where they are, whether that's their very first weeks of life or the busy, active years that follow
You don't have to have all the answers today — just a willingness to explore what's possible, one gentle step at a time.