A pounding head and a light-sensitive afternoon at work can send anyone searching for a migraine specialist in Marietta, GA. We offer a neurological look at the migraine puzzle, covering the parts of it that involve the neck, the eyes, and the body's balance and autonomic systems.
Dr. James Wright earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree at Life University in Marietta, then went on to earn a diplomate in functional neurology through the American Chiropractic Neurology Board and trained under Dr. Marc Ellis in soft tissue and brain rehabilitation. He does not diagnose migraine as a physician would or prescribe medicine.
Think of us as an additional pair of eyes. A physician helps decide what kind of headache you have and which medicines make sense. Our job is to check whether the neck, jaw, vision, or balance system is adding fuel, and to build exercises and hands-on care around what we find. The details of the headache types are on our migraine and headache care page.
Your first consultation is complimentary and has no obligation attached. If our approach does not look like a fit, we say so. Care is private-pay and one-on-one, and we are glad to share findings with your doctor when you ask us to.
Mayo Clinic describes migraine as a recurring headache, often throbbing on one side, with sensitivity to light and sound and sometimes nausea. Some people also have an aura, and triggers range from stress to skipped meals to weather changes. Here is what we can do around that:
A complimentary first consultation about your headache pattern, triggers, and what you have already tried
Review of your headache history, medicines, and any red-flag symptoms, with a suggestion to see your doctor when needed
Neck, jaw, and posture assessment for tension and cervicogenic contributors
Eye movement, balance, and autonomic testing when light sensitivity, dizziness, or other symptoms come with the headaches
Chiropractic care and myofascial release for the neck and shoulders when they fit
Exercises designed to challenge the visual, balance, and autonomic systems
Guidance on sleep, meals, hydration, and trigger tracking
Coordination with your doctor or headache specialist, with your permission
When you know your triggers, a flare stops feeling random. We help you build a short, practical log.
Cervicogenic headache starts in the neck and shows up in the head. Where hands-on care or exercises fit, they may ease the neck contribution, and the NCCIH notes low-to-moderate quality evidence that spinal manipulation may reduce cervicogenic headache frequency and intensity (NCCIH, January 2023).
If bright light and busy visual scenes make things worse, we check eye movement and tracking. Exercises are designed to challenge those systems, and we explain what to expect.
Part of good headache care is recognizing when something is not your usual migraine. We tell you which changes should prompt a call or a trip to the emergency department.
Marietta is the Cobb County seat, with a historic district built around the Square, and people reach our Smyrna office from East Cobb, the Kennesaw Mountain side, Whitlock Avenue, and the streets around the Square by taking Cobb Parkway or South Cobb Drive south. Mayo Clinic lists bright or flashing lights, strong smells, and skipped meals among common triggers, so a day of crowds and festivals around town is worth noting in a headache log.
Near Marietta are Kennesaw, Smyrna, Powder Springs, and Acworth. If you prefer another location, see our migraine pages for Smyrna, Atlanta, and Sandy Springs. For headaches that start in the neck, there is a page for neck pain treatment in Marietta.
1. Contact us: Call or book online. A sudden, severe headache is an emergency: call 911 first.
2. Headache history: Dr. Wright reviews your pattern, triggers, auras, medicines, and past imaging or testing.
3. Evaluation: Testing of the neck, eye movements, balance, and autonomic responses, looking for what may feed your headaches.
4. Findings: We explain what we found and where our care may fit alongside your medical care.
5. Plan: Care is built from hands-on work, exercises, and daily-habit guidance chosen for your pattern.
6. Review: We track how often and how strongly headaches come, and adjust the plan together.
A physician diagnoses headache type. Mayo Clinic notes that migraine often involves throbbing pain on one side with light sensitivity and nausea, while tension-type headache is more often a dull, tight-band pressure. We look for neck, eye, and balance contributors either way.
That can happen, and migraine with dizziness has its own name, vestibular migraine. Our Vestibular Migraine page explains it.
Mayo Clinic lists hormonal changes among common triggers. Discuss that with your doctor, who can weigh medical options.
Yes. We see our care as complementary and are glad to coordinate.
A list of medicines, any imaging or headache diary, and notes on triggers and timing.
We are private-pay and do not bill insurance, and the first consultation is complimentary.
If migraines keep rearranging your week, call 770-767-3830 or book a complimentary consult. You can also visit the contact page.
Next steps
Your symptoms are part of the story, and we'd love to help you understand the rest. Book a consult online, or give us a call and we'll walk you through it. Your initial consultation is complimentary, with no obligation to begin care.
You can book a consultation online. Other appointments are booked by our clinic staff. [email protected]