They sneak in during meetings. Hang around for hours. Sometimes it feels like a band is tightening around your skull. Other times, it’s more like a dull pressure behind your eyes that just won’t go away.
And yeah, stress can trigger them. But so can bad posture, screen time, jaw clenching, poor sleep, and muscle tightness that builds up over weeks. It’s not all “in your head.” It’s in your neck. Your shoulders. Your face. Even your scalp. Massage can help with that.
Where the Pain Really Starts
A lot of tension headaches trace back to tightness in the upper back, traps, and neck. That’s where your posture lives. And if your shoulders are constantly hunched or your chin juts forward while you’re on a screen, those muscles get stuck in overdrive.
Add in some jaw tension, maybe from grinding teeth or clenching, and things get even worse. Muscles pull on nerves. Blood flow gets restricted. You end up with a headache that painkillers barely touch.
Massage goes after the root. Instead of covering the symptoms, it releases the tension that’s causing the problem.
How Massage Therapy Eases the Pressure
It’s not just rubbing your temples. A good therapist will work into the base of the skull, loosen up the neck, and soften the shoulders. They’ll find the spots you didn’t even realize were sore, until they’re not.
In some cases, it’s light pressure. In others, it’s deeper work around the shoulders and upper back. It depends on what your body needs. The point is to get blood flowing, nerves calming down, and muscles letting go.
What to Expect in a Session
First, I’ll ask about your headaches. When do they show up? What do they feel like? How long do they last? That gives me a better picture of what’s going on in your body.
Then, once you’re on the table, I’ll work slowly and with focus. Expect attention to your neck, shoulders, scalp, maybe even the jaw.
Sometimes people feel relief right away. Other times it’s more gradual, especially if the headaches have been around for a while. But almost always, people say they feel lighter when they leave.
Let’s Get You Some Relief
Hi, I’m Geri León, BCMT. If you’ve been pushing through tension headaches and hoping they’ll pass, I’d love to help you take a different route. We’ll start with a short chat about what’s going on, and I’ll build a session that makes sense for your body. It doesn’t have to hurt to feel better and you don’t have to live with those headaches. Let’s get you some space to breathe again.
