Tension headaches are one of the most common types of headaches people experience.
They’re the ones that feel like a tight band around your forehead, pressure behind your eyes, or a dull ache that starts at the back of your head and creeps upward.
And while people often blame stress or a long day at the computer, most don’t realize something important:
Tension headaches are often rooted in muscle imbalance, posture issues, and movement habits — all things physical therapy can treat extremely effectively.
If you’ve been relying on pain medication or “just waiting it out,” physical therapy offers a long-term, drug-free solution that addresses the actual cause of your headaches, not just the symptoms.
Let’s break down how PT helps, why tension headaches happen, and what treatment looks like.
Table of Contents
What Exactly Is a Tension Headache?
A tension headache happens when the muscles in your neck, jaw, shoulders, or upper back tighten or become irritated. That muscle tension sends pain upward into your head.
Typical symptoms include:
- A dull, squeezing, or pressure-like pain
- Tightness across the forehead or temples
- Pain at the base of the skull
- Sensitivity to stress, screen time, or poor posture
- Jaw tightness or clenching
Unlike migraines, tension headaches usually don’t cause nausea or visual changes. They’re more about tight muscles and irritated nerves — which is exactly why physical therapy works so well.
Why Physical Therapy Works for Tension Headaches
Tension headaches have a clear mechanical component. When your posture, muscle balance, joint mobility, or daily habits put stress on the neck and shoulders, the small muscles at the base of your skull begin to overwork. These muscles trigger referred pain into your head — often the same kind of pain people describe as “my daily headache.”
Physical therapy tackles each one of these underlying issues.
1. Physical Therapy Releases Tight Neck and Shoulder Muscles
Muscles like the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, suboccipitals (tiny muscles at the base of the skull), and jaw muscles often stay contracted throughout the day.
PT uses techniques like:
- Manual soft-tissue work
- Trigger point release
- Gentle joint mobilization
- Myofascial stretching
This helps the muscles relax and reduces the tension contributing to your headache.
2. Physical Therapy Corrects Forward-Head Posture
Most tension headaches start with posture.
Hours of looking down at a phone or leaning toward a screen can shift your head forward — sometimes by an inch or more. Each inch of forward-head posture adds up to 10 pounds of extra load on the neck muscles.
Physical therapy teaches you how to:
- Realign your head and neck
- Improve spinal mobility
- Strengthen the muscles that support healthy posture
When your spine is stacked properly, your neck muscles stop overworking — and your headaches ease up.
3. Physical Therapy Strengthens the Weak Muscles That Lead to Headaches
Tension headaches often come from a simple imbalance:
weak deep neck flexors + weak upper back muscles + overworked neck muscles.
Without strength in the right places, your body compensates by tightening muscles at the base of the skull — the classic “headache muscles.”
Physical therapy builds strength where you need it most, helping the neck and shoulders carry load without pain.
4. Physical Therapy Reduces Jaw Tension and TMJ-Related Headaches
If you clench your jaw at night or grind your teeth, you may be unknowingly triggering your headaches. TMJ (jaw joint) issues can refer pain to the temples, forehead, and even behind the eyes.
PT can treat these patterns through:
- Jaw relaxation techniques
- Trigger point work inside and outside the jaw muscles
- Postural and breathwork cues
- Gentle TMJ mobility exercises
This eases tension that radiates upward into the head.
5. Physical Therapy Improves Blood Flow and Calms Nerves
Gentle movement, stretching, and hands-on therapy improve circulation around the neck and scalp. Better blood flow means less inflammation and fewer irritated nerves — two major players in tension headaches.
Regular PT also helps your nervous system shift out of “stress mode,” making your muscles less likely to tense up in the first place.
6. Physical Therapy Helps You Fix the Daily Habits That Trigger Headaches
Tension headaches rarely come out of nowhere. They build from small, repetitive habits — the way you sit, how you sleep, how you breathe, or how long you spend on screens.
A PT will help you identify your personal triggers and adjust things like:
- Desk setup and ergonomics
- Sleep positions and pillow support
- Driving posture
- Phone/computer habits
- Stress-related muscle holding patterns
These small changes prevent headaches before they start.
When Should You Consider Physical Therapy for Headaches?
PT is a great option if you:
- Have headaches that come on during work or screen time
- Feel tightness in your neck or shoulders when the pain starts
- Have more than 1–2 headaches per week
- Notice jaw clenching or grinding
- Rely on pain medication often
- Feel headaches after stressful days
- Have poor posture or neck stiffness
If your headaches are affecting your work, sleep, or daily life — it’s time to get help.
FAQ
What foods trigger tension headaches?
Unlike migraines, tension headaches aren’t usually food-triggered. But dehydration, skipped meals, and caffeine withdrawal can make them worse.
What are the main causes of tension headaches?
Stress, poor posture, eye strain, jaw clenching, muscle tension, and neck stiffness are the most common causes.
What is the quickest way to get rid of a tension headache?
Heat or ice, stretching, gentle massage, hydration, posture correction, and a short screen break are the fastest relief methods.
What does a tension headache feel like?
A dull, pressing pain on both sides of the head, tightness around the forehead, or soreness at the base of the skull.
Get Relief For Tension Headaches with Physical Therapy
Tension headaches can drain your energy and make work, driving, and daily life much harder than they need to be. You don’t have to push through them — we can help you get to the root cause and feel better fast.
👉 Click here to schedule an appointment, or call 360 474 3274 and we’ll help you return to life!
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