Headaches - types, causes, migraines, treatment and prevention

Why your headaches might be coming from your neck ? And what you can do about it!

Headaches are common, especially among office workers and people who spend long hours at a desk. Most of us take painkillers when we experience headache, but do you know that many headaches actually start in your neck or back? These are known as musculoskeletal type headaches, and they’re something physiotherapy can treat, often with lasting results.

Where Headaches Really Come From: Understanding the Type and Cause

The head, neck, jaw, and upper spine are all closely connected. If something is not moving well in your upper neck, especially the joints near the base of your skull, it can cause pain that feels like it’s in your head, face, or even your ears. This is called a cervicogenic headache. It means the pain comes from your neck but shows up somewhere else.

Also, the muscles around your neck and shoulders often get overworked, especially from stress or poor posture (like hunching over your laptop). These tight muscles can irritate nerves and limit how well your neck moves, which triggers headaches too.

There are also tension-type headaches, which usually feel like a band of pressure across your forehead or around your head. These often come from tight muscles caused by stress, sitting too long, or bad posture.

Why Posture and Daily Habits Matter

One of the biggest causes of headaches we see in clinic is poor posture. Office workers and students often develop what’s called a “forward head posture”, where your head juts forward over your shoulders. This puts extra strain on your neck and leads to tight muscles and fatigue in your upper back and shoulders.

Even if your posture isn’t that bad, sitting for hours every day in one position can still create problems. Combine that with lack of sleep, stress, or too much screen time, and your nerve can become extra sensitive, leading to more frequent or intense headaches.

Common Headache Signs We See in the Clinic

Here are some headache patterns that may sound familiar:

• Pain at the base of your skull that gets worse after sitting at a desk or using screens

• Headaches when you wake up (often from jaw clenching or poor sleep posture)

• Pain behind your eyes or at your temples, especially when you’re stressed

• Headaches that come on with certain movements, like turning your head while driving

• Neck stiffness, shoulder tension, dizziness, or general fatigue along with the headache

  
  

How We Check What’s Really Going On

When you visit a physiotherapist for headaches, here’s what we usually look at:

• How your neck joints move, especially the ones at the top of your spine

• Muscle strength and endurance in your neck and upper back

• Your posture while sitting, standing, and doing your daily tasks

• Whether certain positions or movements bring on your headache

• If touching certain areas of your neck or shoulders reproduces your headache

This helps us figure out whether your headache is coming from your neck or from other causes like stress or jaw clenching.

How Physiotherapy Can Help in the Treatment of Headaches

The goal isn’t just to get rid of your pain temporarily, it’s to fix the root cause and prevent it from coming back. Your treatment plan may include:

• Hands-on therapy to loosen stiff joints and release tight muscles

• Dry needling or trigger point therapy (similar to acupuncture) to ease muscle tension, especially around the back of your neck or jaw

• Posture and desk setup tips to reduce strain throughout your day

• Exercises to retrain your muscles, especially the deep muscles in your neck that help keep your head stable

• Strengthening exercises for your back and shoulder muscles

• At-home exercises to help you keep making progress between sessions

  
  

What About Painkillers?

Pain medications can help in the short term, but they don’t fix what’s causing your headache. In some cases, if there’s inflammation or nerve involvement, a doctor might recommend medication. But for long-term relief, it’s important to deal with the physical causes, like joint stiffness, weak muscles, or poor posture.

Long-Term Recovery: What to Expect

We usually break treatment into two key phases:

1. Stability and control – first, we focus on getting the right muscles working again and improving how your body moves.

2. Strength and endurance – once your pain is under control, we help you build strength so your body can handle daily life without falling back into bad patterns.

   
   

Final Thoughts

Headaches can be draining, but they’re often treatable, especially if they’re linked to posture, muscle tension, or neck issues. At Physio K, we help you figure out what’s really causing your headaches and guide you through a recovery plan that works, not just short-term relief, but real long-term change.

If you’re tired of the cycle of headaches and medication, we’re here to help you get to the root of the problem and feel better for good.