QuestionHi,
I have been having this unusually uncomfortable headache for about 10 days now. I don't think it is stress related as I haven't got much going on at the moment and I feel quite content with my life. Before the headache started I went away for a few days for a relaxing trip.
One day after my trip, I returned to work ( office based) and this is when the headaches started. The pain is mainly at the back of my head. Sometimes it moves up to the front and to my scalp. It can be very uncomfortable especially when sitting at a desk in front of PC for 8 hours.
The headache is accompanied by shoulder and neck tension/pain. The pain and tension in those parts only started a few days ago. I went for a 30min deep tissue massage yesterday. It felt good and relieved some of the pain for a while.
I am wondering whether this pain is simply tension related and will go away soon or perhaps it is something I should go see a doctor about.
Is there any advice you could give me as to how to relieve this pain?
Thanks
AnswerHello Anna,
If your head pain is increasing in intensity, please see a doctor for an evaluation. If she finds nothing, that is good news because then it is muscles.
Most headaches are caused by muscle tension. Muscle tension could be from sitting in a new or unusual position, perhaps with your head turned to the side. It could happen from sleeping in a strange position with your head tilted. It could be from a different chair or car or pillow.
Headaches in the back of your head can be caused by muscles in your upper shoulders. They can also be caused by muscles in the back of your neck, at the base of your skull, and by the SCM muscles which stem from the notch between your collar bones to the skull bone behind your ears.
If the massage helped only for a little while, I would suggest asking the therapist to work more deeply unrolling the upper trapezius muscles (they prefer unrolling to pressing) and to treat the SCM (sternocleidomastoid) muscles with finger pressure.
You can also use heat on the tops of your shoulders, wrapping around to your collar bones. You can use either ice or heat at the base of your skull. If the heat doesn't feel "right", use ice there.
Here's info on using heat and cold:
http://simplepainrelief.com/category/ice-heat/
Here's more info on headaches:
http://simplepainrelief.com/2007/08/27/does-massage-help-tension-headaches/
http://simplepainrelief.com/category/headaches/ (several articles)
If squeezing your shoulder blades together and lifting your breastbone feels like it's what you need, that's a good clue! It means you need to strengthen your back and work on your posture.
I am truly biased about the value of massage therapy for getting rid of muscle tension headaches quickly. Perhaps your therapist needs a longer session or a few sessions or you might need a referral to a therapist who understands trigger point work or who works with headaches.
I hope this helps and thank you for writing.
Best,
Kathryn
Kathryn Merrow
The Pain Relief Coach
