Tension Headaches

We’ve all experienced it: the headache that manifests during a long day of work, after falling asleep on the couch, or after an emotionally draining situation. Tension headaches generally curl around or behind the eyes, sit on our temples, or make the base of our skull ache. These are unpleasant, but by educating ourselves and releasing muscle tonicity – they’re often preventable.

If your headaches do not go away, get worse after a few days, or are accompanied by a change in behavior or nausea – they most likely are not caused by tension and I encourage you to visit your health professional.

What Causes Tension Headaches?

Poor Body Alignment

With many jobs revolving around a monitor, we often spend our days hunched in a chair avoiding Zoom calls and answering emails. Our bodies were meant to move, so a more stationary lifestyle puts strain on our muscles, specifically our neck and head. When we don’t have good posture, our muscles do one of two things: they either remain shortened, or they are held in a lengthened position. You can’t have one without the other, and neither is optimal for your well-being!

So what does proper posture look like? Ideally, we want our spine resting against the back of a chair, shoulders back and down, and chin level. Most of the time… this isn’t the case. Below is a diagram depicting the alignment of our head and neck. If you’re feeling up for it, I encourage you to take a picture of your side profile to get an understanding of where your alignment is at. It probably won’t look perfect – that is fine! Your body is doing the best it can to adapt to an ever-changing world; remember to view your body with appreciation rather than frustration.

Emotional Impact

Our bodies tell a story, and often that story is driven by emotions. When we experience a highly charged emotion, our body often goes into a sympathetic state (fight, flight, or freeze). During moments of stress, our body tenses up – shoulders raise, jaw clenches, and our muscles prepare to spring away from danger (even if that danger is the ring of a Zoom call). When our body is constantly in a heightened emotional state, the muscles in our head and neck can develop trigger points and become restricted. These create headaches! 

What Muscles are Involved?

Do you remember the saying “Your foot bone is connected to your toe bone”? Turns out, your whole body is connected and intertwined! Due to this, many muscles can cause a tension headache. Below I’ve listed the most common antagonists:

• Upper Trap: Your trapezius runs from the base of your skull to the tip of your shoulder, down to your mid-back (creating a rough trapezoid). The upper portion makes up the fibers running from your occiput to the shoulder.
• SCM: The Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) connects behind your ear and runs to your clavicle and breast bone. It helps rotate and flex your head/neck.
• Posterior neck muscles (splenius capitis/cervicis, erector spinae, paraspinals): These make up the back of your neck and run close to your spine. They help maintain posture and rotate your head.
• Suboccipitals: Remember the end of your massage when the therapist cradles your head and curls their fingers under the base of your skull? These are the muscles we are working on. 4 different muscles run from your first 2 vertebrae to the base of your skull. 

Self-Massage Techniques

Below I’ve listed 3 different techniques to help release tension in your head/neck and prevent tension headaches. Please begin working very lightly until you understand the proper pressure your body needs! Reference the tutorial video for a demonstration.

Upper Trap focus:

1. Gently shrug one shoulder, and grasp the muscles underneath using a cupping motion with your hand
2. While grasping the muscles, gently lower your shoulder and turn your head the opposite direction
3. Move slowly and repeat 3-4 times on each side

SCM & Fascial Release:

1. Gently place your finger tips directly under your clavicle and on either side of your sternum
2. Apply light pressure in and down while tilting your head upwards; You should feel a gentle pulling from your collarbone to your jaw
3. Slowly look to the right and left to change the location of the stretch
4. Repeat this 3-4 times until you feel your muscles release

Suboccipitals and Posterior Neck Muscles

1. Find the base of your skull where the occiput bone ends
2. Gently scrub this area with your fingertips, as if you’re washing your hair. Move back and forth from the midline to behind your ear
3. Sink your middle or pointer fingers right underneath the bone, and apply gentle circles along the muscles
4. Envision a “V” shape running from your spine to the base of your skull. Using 1-2 fingers, trace this V, being careful not to apply pressure directly on your spine. Be gentle as you learn the pressure your body needs.