Headache and Migraine Chiropractor in Surprise, AZ
Most headaches do not start in the head. They start in the neck, the jaw, or the muscles that hold them, and that is why a pill helps for four hours and the headache comes back. At Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Surprise, Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. examines the neck and the upper back first, finds what is driving the pattern, and treats it with chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture and dry needling in one visit. New self pay patients start at $49 for a first visit that includes the consultation, exam, X-rays if clinically necessary, and first treatment. Walk ins are welcome Monday through Thursday.
Why the neck is the first place we look
The top three joints of the neck share a nerve pathway with the back of the head, the temples and behind the eye. When those joints stop moving well, the brain reads the signal as head pain. That is a cervicogenic headache, and it is the most common pattern we see in the office. The second most common is muscular, where the muscles across the shoulders and the base of the skull stay switched on all day and refer pain upward. Both are findings you can measure, not guesses, which is why the examination comes before any treatment plan.
What kinds of headache do you treat?
Tension headaches, cervicogenic headaches, headaches after an auto accident, headaches that come with neck pain or jaw tightness, and the neck component of migraine. We do not claim to cure migraine. What we can do is treat the neck and muscle drivers that often sit underneath it, and for many patients that changes how often the attacks come and how hard they hit. Individual results vary, and if your examination points somewhere else, we say so and refer.
What happens at the examination
Range of motion at each level of the neck, the joints that are not moving, the muscles that are guarding, posture, and a history that asks when the headaches started and what makes them worse. Digital X-rays are taken when the history or the examination calls for them, not as a routine. If you want to know what a film actually shows before you see one, the guide to understanding your X-rays walks through it in plain words. Existing imaging is welcome, and we also offer an MRI review.
How the treatment plan works
The adjustment restores motion at the joints that are stuck. Acupuncture and dry needling release the muscles at the base of the skull and across the shoulders that keep feeding the pattern. Corrective exercise teaches those muscles to hold the change, and posture correction deals with the desk or the phone if that is what keeps reloading the neck. All of it happens in the same visit with the same doctor.
Does acupuncture help headaches?
It is one of the tools we use for the muscular side of a headache pattern, particularly the band across the base of the skull. Dr. Legg is Certified in Acupuncture and performs the needling himself, so the person who felt your neck is the person choosing the points. It may help, it is not a guarantee, and it is judged the same way everything else is here, by whether your measurements and your headache frequency actually move.
How long before headaches change?
Some people feel a difference the same week. Others, particularly where the pattern has been running for years, take longer. What matters is that it is re-checked rather than assumed: your range of motion and your own account of how often the headaches come are compared against where you started, and if nothing has moved the plan changes. A plan that is not working is a reason to change the plan.
What does the first visit include?
For new self pay patients: examination, X-rays if they are needed, your first adjustment, and your first acupuncture and dry needling treatment, $49. Walk in Monday through Thursday or book online. The first visit page walks through the day itself, and you can book the $49 visit here. The $49 does not apply to Medicare, auto or personal injury, or workers compensation.
Do you take insurance for headache care?
We accept most major insurance plans and Medicare. Medicare covers chiropractic spinal adjustments only; acupuncture and dry needling by a chiropractor are self pay. We verify your benefits and go over any cost with you before your visit. More detail is on our Medicare page and our insurance page.
Do I need a referral?
No. Arizona allows you to see a chiropractor directly. Same day appointments are available and walk ins are welcome Monday through Thursday.
When is a headache not a case for this office?
A headache that is the worst of your life and came on in seconds, one that follows a head injury, or one that arrives with fever, confusion, weakness or a change in vision belongs in urgent or emergency care, not here. That is not a diagnosis, it is the line where you should be seen somewhere else first. If anything in your history points that way, we will tell you at the examination.
Visit us
Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture, 13757 W Bell Rd #101, Surprise, AZ 85374, inside Sheitelman Physical Medicine on West Bell Road. Call (623) 214-7600. Monday to Thursday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Arizona time. Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. earned his Doctor of Chiropractic at Logan University and a Master of Public Health, and you see the same doctor at every visit. Learn more about Dr. Legg, see every condition we treat, or read what to expect after your adjustment. Individual results vary. Reviewed by Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. Last reviewed September 2026.