Recurring headaches can feel like a mystery. They creep into your day, disrupt your focus, and leave you reaching for painkillers. But what if the root cause isn’t just in your head? One often-overlooked trigger lies in the muscles and alignment of your neck and upper back.

Whether it’s long hours hunched at a desk or poor posture while scrolling through your phone, your cervical spine may be quietly contributing to your discomfort—until the pain becomes impossible to ignore.

Tension-Type Headaches vs. Migraines: What’s the Difference?

Before diving into posture and alignment, it’s important to understand the kind of headache you’re dealing with. While both tension-type headaches and migraines cause significant discomfort, they differ in origin and symptoms:

Tension-Type Headaches often feel like a band of tightness around the head, especially across the forehead or at the base of the skull. These headaches are commonly caused by stress, poor posture, or muscle tension in the neck and shoulders.

Migraines, on the other hand, are typically more severe and may include nausea, light sensitivity, and throbbing pain on one side of the head. Migraines can be triggered by various factors, including hormonal shifts, sleep disturbances, and yes—even neck problems.

If your headaches often begin after a long workday, during times of stress, or after sleeping in a strange position, the culprit could be musculoskeletal tension.

 

The Cervical Spine’s Role in Headache Patterns

The cervical spine—the portion of your spine that makes up your neck—is made up of small bones (vertebrae), muscles, and nerves. When these structures become misaligned or tense, it can lead to referred pain in the form of headaches.
Here’s how:

• Tight suboccipital muscles (located just below the skull) can compress nerves and restrict blood flow.

• Poor posture (forward head position or rounded shoulders) places chronic strain on your neck muscles.

• Limited mobility or stiffness in the cervical spine can alter nerve signals and lead to persistent headaches.

This is why headaches related to posture or desk work tend to feel like they originate in the base of the skull and radiate forward.

 

How Osteopathy Gently Releases Neck and Cranial Tension

Osteopathy is a manual therapy that focuses on restoring alignment, improving movement, and releasing tension in the body without drugs or invasive procedures.

Through techniques such as:

• Soft tissue release

• Gentle joint articulation

• Cranial osteopathy

…osteopaths can target the subtle tensions in your neck, jaw, and upper back that may be contributing to your headaches.

Many patients are surprised at how light touch techniques—especially around the skull and neck—can bring relief. Osteopathy works to treat the cause, not just the symptom.

 

Ergonomic Tips to Support Your Neck at Work

Since so many headache triggers are related to posture, a few simple changes in your daily habits can go a long way. Try these ergonomics tips:

Monitor at Eye Level: Your screen should be directly in front of you with the top third at eye level.

Elbows at 90 Degrees: Adjust your chair and keyboard so your arms form a right angle.

Take Movement Breaks: Stand, stretch, and move every 30–60 minutes to reset your posture.

Use a Supportive Chair: Ensure your lower back is well-supported to take pressure off your neck.

Avoid Cradling Your Phone: Use headphones or speakerphone instead of pinching your phone between shoulder and ear.

Little shifts like these can reduce cumulative strain that contributes to tension headaches.

✅ Call to Action: Don’t Just Mask the Pain

If you’re tired of managing headaches with temporary fixes like medication or ice packs, it may be time to look deeper. Osteopathy offers a holistic way to assess how your whole body—especially your spine, jaw, and neck—might be contributing to pain patterns.

Book a full-body posture and tension assessment with our osteopaths today.
Let’s get to the root cause of your headaches and help you feel better—long term.

📞 Call us now or 📅 book online to schedule your first appointment.