Tension Headaches from Your Neck: How Physiotherapy Helps

When the Headache Starts in Your Neck

Not all headaches come from inside the head. A large proportion of the day-to-day “tight band” headaches — especially the ones that build through a desk-bound day and sit at the back of the head or temples — are driven by the neck and upper-trap muscles. Hours of forward-head posture overload the muscles and the small joints at the top of the neck, which refer pain upward into the head.

The good news: when the neck is the driver, addressing the neck reduces the headaches.

Daily Release

• Upper-trap stretch — ear toward shoulder, 30 seconds, 3 times each side.
• Levator scapulae stretch — “nose toward armpit” direction, 30 seconds each side.
• Sub-occipital release — gentle pressure with fingers or a ball at the base of the skull, ~60 seconds.
• Chin nods — small slow nods to free the top of the neck, 10 reps.

Strengthen the Postural Muscles

• Chin tucks (gentle double-chin) — 10 reps, holding 3–5 seconds, several times a day.
• Shoulder-blade squeezes and wall angels to support an upright posture.

Fix the Drivers

Set the screen top at eye level, change position every 30–45 minutes, hydrate, and watch for jaw clenching and stress — all common contributors to tension headaches.

Headache Red Flags — Seek Urgent Care

• A sudden, severe “worst headache of my life”.
• Headache with fever and a stiff neck.
• Weakness, numbness, vision or speech changes, or confusion.
• A headache that follows a head injury, or a new headache pattern in later life.

These need medical assessment, not exercises. For ordinary neck-driven tension headaches, an online consultation can confirm the neck is the source and build your release-and-strengthen plan. This is general information, not a diagnosis.