Physiotherapy for Tension-Type Headaches in Glasgow

Many headaches have a musculoskeletal component with tight upper neck joints, trigger points in the surrounding muscles, and postural strain can all refer pain into the head. These are known as cervicogenic or tension-type headaches, and they often respond well to physiotherapy when other treatments haven’t.

Our physiotherapists assess whether your headache pattern fits the picture of a musculoskeletal cause, and importantly, recognise when it doesn’t. We don’t treat migraine, cluster headaches, or headaches with neurological warning signs; those need medical management. But headaches that are linked to the neck and shoulders are something we can directly help with.

Tension-type and cervicogenic headaches typically present as:

• Headache that starts at the base of the skull and spreads forward
• Pain across the forehead or behind the eyes
• Tight, band-like pressure around the head
• Headache that’s worse after long periods at a desk
• Pain that’s brought on by particular neck positions or movements
• Stiffness and tenderness in the upper neck and shoulder muscles
• Headaches that come on later in the day rather than first thing

Headache assessment includes cervical spine mobility (particularly the upper cervical joints which most commonly refer to the head), the strength of the deep neck flexors, posture during prolonged sitting and standing, jaw involvement (which can refer to the head), and any patterns in what triggers your headaches… work, sleep, stress, screen time.

Treatment focuses on manual therapy to the upper cervical spine to restore movement in stiff segments, soft tissue release of the suboccipital and upper trapezius muscles where trigger points commonly refer pain into the head, and posture-focused exercises to build the muscular control your head and neck need.

We’ll also work through ergonomic advice for your work setup, sleep position, and screen habits… these are often where the load is coming from. Where appropriate, laser therapy may be used to support recovery in irritable cases.