Inspiring Conversations with Jono Taves of Novera: Headache Center

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jono Taves.

Hi Jono, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I didn’t start out my career focused on headaches and migraines.
After receiving a degree in exercise science, I went on to receive my Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the Mayo Clinic. During my time there, I was introduced to a local Physical Therapist who taught a course on how to treat the neck and jaw. This sparked my interest. I pursued other Physical Therapists (PTs) and coursework that would further my understanding of treating the neck as it relates to headaches. It was then that I realized there was a lesser-known form of treatment that had the potential for much greater impact on patients’ lives — physical therapy focused on the neck.

I wanted to work with as many patients as possible, so I worked for a couple outpatient physical therapy clinics. Up until then, all I had heard about headaches and migraines was, “Migraines are for the neurologist to treat”, or “It’s a neurological problem”, even “There is no true way for a PT to help if a patient has a migraine diagnosis”. But I saw something different. Patient after patient saw substantially more relief than anything they had tried before. Simply through the application of these hands-on techniques I had learned to treat the neck!

At that point I started to question why more PTs weren’t doing this. I had to ask, “Why were patients going decades, or even a lifetime, with medication as their only form of treatment?” It seemed absurd. What I found was that medical doctors didn’t know what the “cause” was, so they were left to offer what they could through symptom management.

The problem seemed twofold: many PT’s weren’t confident they could treat the neck or even think of treating someone for migraines, and physicians trained in a model heavily driven by pharmaceutical interventions doing their best to help.

The vision of Novera surfaced when I realized the majority of headache and migraine sufferers were skeptical that PT could help. They had been let down so many times that many were near hopeless. To add to the distrust, general PT practices are open gym settings and heavily based on exercise — two things most people with headaches and migraines find challenging. I knew I needed to build trust and show a deeper level of understanding than what a general PT practice offered.

In January 2019 Novera: Headache Center was created specifically for headache and migraine sufferers feeling hopeless and tired of relying on medication, not knowing where to turn. Our mission is to empower everyone with headaches and migraines to break free from a life of fear of your next headache or migraine and dependence on medication so that you can thrive in everything you do.

Today Novera has two locations, four providers and has hundreds of people from all around the country come to see us for headache and migraine relief. On average out patients will experience 70% relief from headaches and migraines within a 6 week period. Our outcomes beat even the leading medication and without the side effects.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We do a lot of education through my podcast (the headache doctor podcast) and our social media channels. Specialty physical therapy for the neck is not necessarily something that people with headaches or migraines are searching for and it’s not uncommon for people to be skeptical when they first hear about our approach. We rely heavily on our patient testimonials and empathizing with those that are experiencing headaches and migraines as they often feel like they are unique in their story and without hope. We also work directly with the patients as a direct pay practice. This is another hurtle as culturally there is a large percentage of people that don’t want to work outside of insurance. Unfortunately the reality is that the in-network options have failed them and left them feeling hopeless, when we can build trust we get to infuse hope and people are happy to pay for our services.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Novera: Headache Center, our mission is simple—we help people break free from a life controlled by headaches and migraines. Too often, patients are left with only one option: medication to mask the pain. We specialize in a different approach—identifying and treating the root cause of headaches and migraines through a highly personalized, non-invasive treatment process.

What sets us apart is that we’re not just treating symptoms. Our team is trained to look deeper, understanding the underlying physical, neurological, and lifestyle factors that contribute to headaches. This allows us to create a plan that empowers our patients to take back control of their lives and finally find lasting relief.

Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the hope and confidence our name has come to represent. We regularly hear from patients who say, “I wish I found you sooner,” because they’ve tried everything else and almost lost hope. Seeing someone reclaim their work, family time, and joy in daily life—that’s what fuels our work and defines our brand.

What I’d love readers to know is that there is another option. You don’t have to settle for “managing” headaches or living in fear of the next migraine. At Novera, we walk alongside you with a clear process, individualized care, and a focus on freedom—not dependence.

What are your plans for the future?
I would love to continue opening up offices in the Denver and surrounding areas. Every week we will have several patients that travel from 2+ hours or out of state to access our practice. The need for this type of treatment is great and I would love to continue to expand so that a greater number of people can find the relief they are searching for.

Pricing:

• Free discovery visit (we start here with most of our. new patients to ensure they are a good fit. This can be virtual or in-person)
• We then move into the initial evaluation and start with 4 sessions that are risk free. If you get to the end of 4 treatment sessions and don’t feel like you are in the right place, we give you your money back.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.noveraheadachecenter.com
• Instagram: @noveraheadachecenter
• Facebook: @noveraheadachecenter
• Youtube: @theheadachedoctorpodcast
• Other: the headache doctor podcast on spotify and apple podcast. @theheadachedoctor on tiktok