03/09/2026
I will admit that headaches are complicated and have many causative factors. However, one of those factors is musculoskeletal issues, and this is most likely the most common factor and present in the most cases.
So, yeah, working on your neck, mid-back, and shoulders is a very good place to work with headaches.
One of the most common findings I find with my patients dealing with headaches is severe muscular tension, not tightness.
Tension and tightness are not the same thing.
Tension means your muscles are working harder than they should, but motion and strength are all normal. Tightness means your tissues can move, but motion is restricted.
This distinction is vital because I treat tension and tightness differently and often find that patients who have not had success with manual therapy or rehab for their headaches were treating tightness when their problem was tension.
Tension responds better to pressure, and tightness responds better to stretching/lengthening.
The gold standard for treating tension is dry needling. The needling triggers a twitch response in the muscle that I tell patients is similar to resetting your router.
The trigger point doesn’t fire as hard after needling, and this reduces tension, which alleviates pain, stiffness, and lets you move easier.
If this message found you at the right time, you’re exactly who I created for. Come along for the ride!