Tension Headaches: What They Really Are and How Myotherapy Helps You Find Relief
Tension headaches are one of the most common complaints I treat as a clinical myotherapist—and if you’re someone who frequently feels that dull ache at the base of your skull, behind your eyes, or wrapping around your forehead like a tight band, you’re definitely not alone.
The good news? These headaches are highly treatable. And more often than not, the key to lasting relief isn’t in your head—it’s in your neck and shoulders.
What Is a Tension Headache?
A tension headache typically feels like a steady pressure or tightness on both sides of your head. It can last from 30 minutes to several hours—or even days. Some people feel it as a dull ache behind their eyes, others get pain that radiates across the forehead or down into the neck.
These types of headaches aren’t caused by structural issues in the brain. Instead, they’re most often the result of:
- Muscle tension
- Trigger points (tight knots in muscle tissue)
- Poor posture
- Stress and anxiety
- Lack of movement or prolonged positions (like sitting at a desk all day)
So, while you feel the pain in your head, the real problem might actually be further south.
The Muscles Involved in Tension Headaches
There are several key muscles that are often the hidden drivers of tension headaches. These muscles can develop trigger points, which refer pain into the head and face.
Here are the main culprits:
1. Upper Trapezius
These muscles run from your shoulders to the base of your skull. When they’re tight or overloaded, they can send pain to the temples and back of the head.
2. Sternocleidomastoid (SCM)
This neck muscle is often overlooked, but it can cause referred pain to the forehead, behind the eyes, around the ears, and even contribute to dizziness or blurry vision when irritated.
3. Suboccipitals
A group of tiny muscles at the base of your skull. When these are tight or strained, they often cause that “vise-like” feeling around the head and can trigger pain behind the eyes.
4. Levator Scapulae and Splenius Capitis
These muscles run from the upper back and shoulder blade into the neck and skull. Trigger points here can refer pain to the top and side of the head and make turning your neck difficult.
It’s not just about the pain—when these muscles are tight, they also restrict movement, irritate nearby nerves, and feed into a cycle of chronic discomfort.
How Myotherapy Helps
As a clinical myotherapist, I don’t just treat where it hurts—I look for the source of the problem. With tension headaches, that usually means targeting the neck, shoulders, and upper back with specific techniques to release the tight muscles and restore proper movement.
Here’s how we do that:
✅ Dry Needling
One of the most effective ways to release deep-seated trigger points. It helps reduce referred pain and improve mobility—especially in the suboccipitals and SCM.
✅ Massage & Soft Tissue Therapy
Targeted massage techniques release tension, calm the nervous system, and improve circulation—reducing pain at its source.
✅ Cupping Therapy
Decompresses tight muscle tissue, boosts blood flow, and breaks up stubborn tension—perfect for the traps and shoulder blade region.
✅ Joint Mobilisation
Restores movement in the neck and upper spine, easing pressure and helping the surrounding muscles work more efficiently.
Tension headaches can feel relentless—but they don’t have to be part of your everyday life. By treating the muscle tension, trigger points, and joint stiffness that often cause these headaches, myotherapy provides a practical and effective way to relieve pain and prevent it from returning.
Whether you’re dealing with a mild ache or chronic head pain that affects your work and sleep, myotherapy can help you feel like yourself again.
📅 Ready to feel like yourself again? Book a myotherapy session today and let’s get started.