If you suffer from frequent headaches, you’re not alone. Millions of people experience tension headaches, migraines, or cervicogenic headaches (those that originate from neck problems). While many reach for over-the-counter painkillers for temporary relief, few realize that physical therapy can offer a lasting, drug-free solution.
Here’s how working with a skilled physical therapist can help identify the root cause of your headaches—and provide you with a personalized plan to finally feel better.
Understanding the Link Between the Body and Headaches
Many headaches don’t actually start in the head—they’re often referred pain from muscle tension or joint dysfunction in the neck, shoulders, or upper back. These physical issues can lead to nerve irritation or restricted blood flow, triggering or worsening headaches.
Common causes treated in physical therapy include:
- Tight neck and shoulder muscles
- Jaw tension (TMJ disorders)
- Limited neck mobility
- Upper cervical spine dysfunction
When the underlying cause isn’t addressed, headaches keep coming back. That’s where physical therapy steps in. After a thorough assessment of your posture, movement, and muscle imbalances, they create a personalized treatment plan that may include:
1. Manual Therapy
Hands-on techniques to relieve tension in the muscles and mobilize stiff joints, especially in the neck and upper back. This often provides immediate relief. Here is a video example of one technique being performed.
3. Therapeutic Exercise
Targeted movements to strengthen weak muscles, improve flexibility, and support healthy movement patterns.
4. Trigger Point Release
Addressing myofascial trigger points—tight knots in muscles that can refer pain to the head and face.
5. Stress Management and Ergonomics
Guidance on managing stress, improving workstation ergonomics, and avoiding habits that lead to headache flare-ups.
Our clinicians at MEND Boulder and Lafayette are highly trained to diagnose and treat cervicogenic headaches in a natural manner without medications, injections, and other unnecessary medical interventions. We would love to help you get rid of that nagging headache and live to your full potential!
Jung A, Carvalho GF, Szikszay TM, Pawlowsky V, Gabler T, Luedtke K. Physical Therapist Interventions to Reduce Headache Intensity, Frequency, and Duration in Patients With Cervicogenic Headache: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Phys Ther. 2024 Feb 1;104(2):pzad154. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzad154. PMID: 37941472.
Demont A, Lafrance S, Gaska C, Kechichian A, Bourmaud A, Desmeules F. Efficacy of physiotherapy interventions for the management of adults with cervicogenic headache: A systematic review and meta-analyses. PM R. 2023 May;15(5):613-628. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.12856. Epub 2022 Aug 4. PMID: 35596553.