Alison Odey

Headaches are an extremely common cause of distress for many people and one of the most common causes is tension in the neck and shoulder muscles.
This can occur for many reasons at any time.

Tension headachesare the most common type of primary headache. Up to 90% of adults have had or will have tension headaches. Tension headaches occur more commonly among women than men.

Tension headaches can sometimes be treated effectively by simple massage but more effectively by visiting an Osteopath who can gently release and decompress the cervical area as well as removing restrictions in the shoulder muscles and spine.
If the headache reoccurs then the cause of the restriction has to be sorted.
If you live locally then make an appointment.

Causes can be as simple as having to very slightly lift the shoulder when using the computer mouse, driving with one hand, sitting slightly slouched with the chin pushed forward when working or driving, sleeping on an incorrect pillow, plus a general stress reaction is to tension the shoulders. This very slight reaction puts a tension on the muscles of the shoulder which have an insertion into the base of the skull, this create an inflammatory reaction then a headache. It is important to find this cause and try to eliminate it in order to prevent further problems.

If the body is extremely tense or there is underlying stress then it may be helpful to supplement with Magnesium Glycinate or a herbal supplement such as Evening primrose oil, kavakava, valerian or similar.
See ‘Stress and how to deal with it’.

Migraine headaches are the second most common type of primary headache.
Migraine headaches affect children as well as adults. Before puberty boys and girls are affected equally by migraine headaches, but after puberty, more women than men are affected. It is estimated that 6% of men and up to 18% of women will experience a migraine headache in their lifetime.

These are often difficult to find the cause of. Diet needs to be checked.