It reveals that one in eight consultations with a Danish chiropractor concerns headaches – and in many cases, the headache is the primary reason for the visit. The study was published in the journal Cephalalgia in August 2025 and conducted by researchers from the Danish Chiropractic Knowledge Hub and the University of Southern Denmark.
12% of All Consultations Involve Headaches
A total of 76 Danish chiropractors participated in the study, which collected data from nearly 23,000 consultations over a 20-day period. The results show that 12.6% of all patient contacts were related to headaches – a significant share, indicating that chiropractors play an important role in managing this common condition.
- This is the first study of its kind in the world to collect prospective data from chiropractors about the proportion of headache patients. It therefore makes a significant contribution to our knowledge about the types of patients seen by chiropractors, and that headaches actually make up quite a large part of their caseload, says Kristina Boe Dissing, senior researcher at the Danish Chiropractic Knowledge Hub and lead author of the study.
Multiple Types of Headaches Are Common
The most common headache type among the patients was tension-type headache, accounting for over one-third of cases. The second most common type were combinations of several headache types, typically tension-type and cervicogenic headache – a headache originating from problems in the neck.
Migraine accounted for a smaller proportion, which may be because migraine patients are more often managed medically in general practice, according to the researchers. The study also points out that many patients experience multiple headache types at the same time, which can make both diagnosis and treatment more complex.
Not Only Acute Cases – Many Come for Prevention
The study also shows that headache patients often return to the chiropractor. One in four preventive treatments was related to headaches. This suggests that many patients experience lasting benefits when they receive treatment early – before symptoms worsen.
- We don’t yet know the exact effect of preventive treatment for headaches, but we do know from studies on, for example, low back pain that certain groups of patients with recurring episodes benefit from preventive visits. They have fewer pain episodes and more stable courses. One could imagine the same applies to headache patients,” says Kristina Boe Dissing.
No Link to the Chiropractor’s Experience or Knowledge
Part of the study aimed to investigate whether certain chiropractor characteristics – such as experience, gender, or knowledge of clinical guidelines – influenced how many headache patients they saw. The result was clear: there was no statistically significant correlation. This suggests that the prevalence of headache consultations depends more on patient preferences and possibly the profile of the individual clinic.
Chiropractors Can Ease the Burden on GP's and the Healthcare System
The findings come at a time when the Danish healthcare system is under pressure, and many headache patients are referred for unnecessary scans and neurological assessments. Other studies show that almost half of all headache patients in general practice are referred to neurologists. This is not always necessary, as in most cases headaches can be managed in primary care.
- Chiropractors are well trained to examine, diagnose, and treat headaches and can play a much larger role in their primary management. This can both complement and relieve the rest of the healthcare system. Most people associate chiropractic care with ‘cracking joints,’ but that is just one of many treatments they use; muscle therapy, advice and guidance, and exercise instruction are also part of the toolbox, in line with clinical guidelines, Kristina Boe Dissing explains.
Headaches Are Not Just the GP’s “Headache”
The study makes it clear that headaches are a significant reason Danes seek chiropractic care. It also underlines the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and greater inclusion of chiropractors when assessing and treating headache patients. Headaches are not something you just have to live with. Many patients can get help – and chiropractors can be an important part of the solution.
The researchers behind the study therefore call for increased collaboration between chiropractors and other healthcare professionals – especially general practitioners. In the long run, this could benefit patients by ensuring better and more structured treatment courses.
New Research on the Way
This is the first study of its kind in Denmark, but the research team is not done yet. They have already launched a new nationwide cohort study, following headache patients over a year to investigate their course, treatment effect, and needs. The results of this study are expected in 2027.
- To make headache treatment more effective, we need to know more about this group. The new study will help provide that knowledge, so that we can hopefully create more structured treatment plans based on both headache type and the patient’s overall health in the future, says Kristina Boe Dissing about the study.
Kristina Boe Dissing, Henrik Hein Lauridsen, Mette Mouritsen Sørensen, Henrik Wulff Christensen, Rikke Krüger Jensen. Prevalence of headache consultations in Danish chiropractic practice: A cross-sectional study. Cephalalgia 2025.
Read the research paper