The WHO states that, 'Headache disorders characterised by recurrent headache are among the most common disorders of the nervous system'.  They go on to state that 'there are many barriers to effective care' including 'lack of knowledge among health care providers' and 'poor awareness of the general public'

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The burden of headache and migraine on quality of life can be quite substantial.

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What we do know about headache and migraine is that sufferers have a sensitised central nervous system.  This system is called the Trigeminal Cervical Complex (TCC), and is located in the brainstem at the base of our brain. Messages from your facial nerves, the joints in your upper neck and many other areas are processed in the TCC.  We now know that in headache/migraine sufferers these messages become amplified as if the dampening switch to these messages is faulty.

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Many specific migraine medications work on this principle and reduce migraine symptoms by turning down that sensitivity. 

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Research has also shown that about 80% of headache and migraine sufferers have a neck component to their problem.

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Link - The Neck in Migraine and Tension-Type Headache

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If your upper neck is involved in your headache presentation, it may be the factor that is ramping up your sensitivity due to its intimate connection to the TCC. The good news is that peer reviewed studies are showing that specific treatment techniques directed at your upper cervical spine are not only improving your neck symptoms but are also providing a desensitising effect on the TCC. The results of which are adding to the efficacy of this targeted treatment in the management of Migraines.

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Link to Reference Article