Being seated in an uncomfortable posture during your 9-to-5 may be usual for you. But when you pair it with elevated stress levels & a lack of movement, the results can be concerning.
According to a study published on the National Library of Medicine website, there is a 40% to 80% prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the shoulder & cervical spine area for office workers which experts believe to be a result of uncomfortable postures & a sedentary lifestyle or repeated motions.
Tension builds, muscles tighten, and the spine suffers strain — which makes it difficult for your body to support your head, leading to recurring headaches. For this reason, headache treatment is needed for persistent fatigue, poor sleep, and reduced productivity.
The Connection Between the Neck, Shoulders, and Headaches
There’s nothing wrong with being curious. If you frequently experience cervicogenic or tension headaches, you should know one thing. The current health of your neck & shoulders plays an important role in the intensity & occurrence of headaches.
Slouching or keeping droopy shoulders while walking can compromise their health. Not just that, the spinal misalignment also adversely affects how you move by exerting stress on unintended areas. Consequently, when neck & shoulder muscles tighten, they irritate nerves & radiate pain all the way up to your head.
6 Common Causes of Neck and Shoulder-Related Headaches
It would be a mistake to think that there’s only one probable cause behind neck & shoulder-related headaches. As a matter of fact, there are many ways you can get a headache. While muscle tension, poor posture, & spinal issues are the main reasons, there are 6 distinct causes below, for which many opt for headache treatment.
- Poor Posture and Forward Head Posture: Slouching & leaning forward add significant weight to your neck & spine, making muscles overwork.
- Stress and Muscle Tension: Involuntary tensing & tightening in the trapezius & occipital muscles lead to painful knots.
- Long Hours at a Desk or Screen: Sitting in a hunched position or tilting the chin down to check mobile devices causes muscle fatigue, leading to ‘tech neck’ headaches.
- Sports Strain and Physical Overuse: Intense physical activities, improper lifting, and sudden jarring movements induce microscopic tears in the neck & shoulders.
- Sleeping Position and Pillow Support: Sleeping face down on the bed or using an elevated pillow results in neck strain & stiffness.
- Spinal Misalignment: Bulging discs, osteoarthritis, and age-related degradation irritate or compress nearby nerves, sending sharp pain signals to the neck & shoulders.
Can Poor Posture Really Cause Chronic Headaches?
Often, people think that if a position seems comfortable, it’s good for their body. But reality proves otherwise. Incorrect posture for prolonged periods disbalances your spine, and leads muscles in the neck & shoulders to overcompensate to support your head.
Commonly prevalent among office-going workers, cervicogenic headaches are a direct result of neck stiffness & upper back tension, better known as having a ‘tech neck’. Due to a sedentary lifestyle, the natural curve of their cervical spine is altered, triggering discomfort in the neck & shoulder.
How Stress and Muscle Tension Trigger Head Pain
Your mental and physical well-being have always been interconnected. What you feel affects your body & how your body feels affects your mind. So if you’re caught up in a never-ending loop of emotional or mental stress, you’re likely to experience clenched jaws & hunched shoulders.
At the same time, the stress tightens up the muscles supporting your head, neck, and shoulders — developing ‘taut knots’. Famously known to work as trigger points, these knots project pain onto different parts of your head, inducing a tension headache or a migraine. As a result, the quality of your sleep & daily life activities is compromised.
5 Signs Your Headaches May Be Coming From the Neck and Shoulders
The human mind can be quick to guess what’s wrong with their health. So, it might be that your headache springs from dehydration or an empty stomach but that’s not always the reason. A study published in the National Library of Medicine (among many others) suggests that a sedentary lifestyle leads to cervicogenic/tension headaches.
Here are 5 signs to help identify if your headache is coming from the neck & shoulders and whether you should seek a reliable headache treatment for that.
- Pain Starting at the Base of the Skull: The pain begins as a deep, aching pressure that radiates towards your temples, forehead, and the area behind your eyes.
- Tight Shoulders with Headache Symptoms: The area connecting your neck & shoulders has tender knots — with such muscular tension that it induces a headache.
- Reduced Neck Mobility: Your head feels stiff, restricted, and/or painful when you move it side to side or up & down, which increases the intensity of the headache.
- Headaches After Sitting or Working Long Hours: Your headache’s intensity gradually progresses throughout the day due to overworked muscles & cervical joints.
- One-Sided Head Pain Connected to Neck Stiffness: You feel a throbbing pain in only one side of your head, which typically is the side with the most neck or shoulder stiffness.
Natural Ways to Relieve Neck and Shoulder Tension Headaches
The intensity of your pain & your tolerance ultimately determine the approach you’d trust. Naturally, people suffering from headaches start by trusting remedies & changing lifestyle habits to overcome the pain. Here are 5 ways you can relieve neck & shoulder-based headaches from the comfort of your home.
- Stretching and mobility exercises
- Ergonomic workstation adjustments
- Heat therapy and relaxation techniques
- Improving posture during daily activities
- Hydration and recovery habits
Ways Professional Headache Treatment Can Help Address the Root Cause
When you’ve tried every possible remedy and the headache still doesn’t budge, consider it a sign. Through a chiropractic professional, you can get the right treatment for your headache. Instead of simply masking the pain, a chiropractic approach addresses the root causes of your headache with:
- Chiropractic care for spinal alignment
- Posture correction therapy
- Muscle tension relief techniques
- Holistic wellness approaches
- Personalized treatment plans
If You’re Having Consistent Headaches, Explore Professional Headache Treatment!
Your mornings deserve to start with a well-rested sleep & a relaxed body. So before you begin to go about your day, it’s important to steer clear of a headache. The thing is, consistent ones caused by postural issues affect more than just your productivity at work. They:
- Restrict your movement
- Significantly reduce the quality of your life
- Prevent you from getting a restful night’s sleep
So if nothing has worked out for you so far, it’s high time you consider a professional headache treatment from a chiropractor. At Dr Sandhar Wellness, we treat the root cause of your headache by correcting spinal misalignment & alleviating muscle tension through a personalized plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Why does my headache start from my neck?
Your headache originates from the neck area either because the nerves are irritated, the muscles are tightened, or the spinal joints are compressed. Common causes triggering this headache include poor posture, stress, and underlying neck injuries.
Q2. How to know if a headache is from bad posture?
A good way to know if you are experiencing a cervicogenic headache is observation. Check for signs of pain starting at the base of the skull, tight shoulders, reduced neck mobility, prolonged sitting, or stiffness in the neck.
Q3. Can you correct years of bad posture?
Yes, it’s absolutely possible to correct years’ worth of bad posture problems. Chiropractic care is highly effective for realigning your spine, addressing joint stiffness, and retaining muscle memory to reduce the intensity & frequency of headaches.
Q4. How do you get rid of tension headaches in your neck and shoulder?
It depends on the approach you trust best. You can start by stretching & keeping yourself hydrated. However, if none of the remedies work out, it’s important to consider consulting an experienced chiropractor.
