When a client tells me they’ve been getting headaches, I’m always interested in what else has been going on.
Has their neck been sore? Have they been spending more time at a computer? Are they stressed? Sleeping badly? Training more than usual? Clenching their jaw?
And for women going through perimenopause, have the headaches appeared or changed alongside other symptoms?
There are lots of reasons why we get headaches, so we shouldn’t automatically blame the neck. But headaches, neck tension, tight shoulders and stress can certainly be connected.
Not all headaches are the same
Tension headaches often feel like pressure or tightness around the head and can appear alongside an uncomfortable neck and shoulders.
Sometimes the neck itself can contribute to a headache. You might feel discomfort around the base of the skull that travels upwards, or notice that your headache seems to appear when your neck is particularly stiff or sore.
Migraine is different and is much more than simply a bad headache. It can involve nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, visual changes and other symptoms. Some people also experience neck discomfort with migraine, which is another reason we shouldn’t assume every headache will disappear if we massage a few tight muscles.
Look at what’s been happening
This is where I think it helps to look at the bigger picture.
Perhaps you’ve had a particularly stressful week and spent most of it with your shoulders somewhere near your ears. Maybe you’ve been working at a laptop for hours, sleeping badly or simply haven’t been moving as much as you normally would.
All these little things can add up.
For women, hormones can be another part of the picture. Headaches and migraines can change during perimenopause, while disturbed sleep and increased stress can make everything feel that little bit harder to manage.
But, as with neck pain, this certainly isn’t just about women. Men experience headaches, stress and neck tension too.
Can massage help?
If neck and shoulder tension is part of what’s going on, sports massage can certainly be useful.
Working through tight or tired muscles around the neck, shoulders and upper back can help things feel more comfortable, but I’m also interested in what happens when you leave the treatment room.
Do you need to move more during your working day? Would strengthening your upper back and shoulders help? Are you clenching your jaw when you’re stressed? Do you need to look at your sleep or give yourself a bit more recovery?
We want to work on the reason things keep becoming uncomfortable rather than simply waiting for the next headache to arrive.
Know when a headache needs checking
It’s also important not to assume every headache is muscular.
A sudden, extremely severe headache needs urgent medical attention, particularly if it comes with weakness, numbness, problems speaking, confusion, fainting, significant changes to your vision or a seizure.
If your usual headaches have suddenly changed, you’ve started experiencing headaches regularly when you didn’t before, or they’re becoming more frequent or severe, speak to your GP.
For recurring headaches, it can also be useful to keep a simple note of when they happen. What had you been doing? How had you slept? Were you stressed? Was your neck sore? For women, where were you in your menstrual cycle?
You may start to spot a pattern
Your neck won’t be responsible for every headache you ever have. But if headaches regularly appear alongside a stiff neck, tight shoulders and stressful days, it’s certainly worth paying attention to what your body is telling you.
If you need to chat about your neck pain and or headaches, and work out whether it is muscular or something else, please do get yourself booked in for an appointment at www.astralfitness.co.uk
Thank you for reading this weeks blog, Is Your Neck Causing Your Headache?
Thanks for reading,
Chloe