Tension Headaches:
Why They Start in Your Neck, and What Actually Helps

 

That band of pressure around your head by mid-afternoon, the ache behind the eyes, the tightness at the base of your skull? For a huge share of people, that headache doesn't start in the head at all. At Diverse Myotherapy in Pascoe Vale South, tension headaches are one of the most common things we treat, and the cause usually lives somewhere surprising: your neck, shoulders and jaw.

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Tension headaches are the most common headache type there is. They typically feel like a dull, steady pressure on both sides of the head, a tight band rather than a throb, sometimes with a sore scalp or tight neck to match. The trigger is usually muscular, overworked muscles in the neck, shoulders and jaw referring pain up into the head, which is why tablets often dull the symptom without touching the source.

 

 

Hold your head slightly forward of your shoulders for eight hours, and the muscles at the back of your neck work overtime all day. Add a clenched jaw during a stressful week, shoulders creeping up toward your ears, and long stretches without movement, and you have the exact recipe we see behind most recurring tension headaches. Tradies and drivers get their own version, hours of load and vibration through the neck and shoulders.

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We treat the muscles doing the referring. That means releasing the neck, shoulder and jaw muscles that drive the pattern, hands-on massage, trigger point therapy, and dry needling where it's appropriate, then giving you simple strategies to stop the pattern rebuilding between sessions. Because jaw tension and headaches are close cousins, we often work the jaw too, you can read more in our guide to jaw pain and TMJ.

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Most headaches are benign, but some need medical attention before anything else: a sudden, severe headache unlike any you've had, headache with fever and a stiff neck, headache after a head knock, or headache with confusion, vision changes, weakness or numbness. If any of those apply, see your GP or emergency care first. We'll always assess honestly and refer you on when that's the safer path.

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Break up long sitting every 30 to 45 minutes. Ten minutes of heat on the upper shoulders and neck in the evening. Screen raised to eye level. And notice your jaw during stressful moments, unclenching it is free medicine.

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Diverse Myotherapy is an award-winning clinic on Bell Street, Pascoe Vale South, with 140 five-star Google reviews and seven consecutive Word of Mouth Service Awards. Private health rebates are available with all major funds, and no referral is needed.

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Yes, when the headaches are muscular in origin, which most tension headaches are. Releasing the neck, shoulder and jaw muscles that refer pain into the head addresses the source rather than masking the symptom, and many clients notice the difference after the first session.

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Tension headaches usually feel like steady pressure on both sides, without nausea or light sensitivity. Migraines tend to throb on one side, often with nausea, aura or sensitivity to light and sound. Plenty of people have both, and neck tension can trigger migraines too, so treating the muscular side often helps either way.

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It depends how long the pattern has been building. Recent, desk-driven headaches often ease within a few sessions, while long-term patterns usually need a short series plus the self-care strategies we give you, so the muscles stop rebuilding the tension between visits.

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Tired of treating the symptom? Sessions from $85, private health rebates available with all major funds.
Or call us on 0431 223 417.