Tension Headache Relief: Stretches, Strengthening and Posture Exercises That Work
An all-encompassing routine that may help relieve tension headaches — combining stretching, strengthening, and posture exercises — demonstrated by a chiropractor with over 24 years of clinical experience. Research suggests combining stretching with strengthening gives the best long-term result.
Tension headaches are the most common type, making up around 78% of all headaches, and they’re more common in women. They often feel like a tight band around the head, come on in the afternoon or evening, and are relieved by pain medication. They’ve become far more common with home working — unergonomic setups, dining chairs, and long stretches of screen time and video calls without getting up.
Our chiropractor Jasper Hulscher first covers the triggers worth addressing (including too little sleep or water, missed meals, alcohol — and, importantly, medication overuse, where the very painkillers taken to relieve a headache can start to cause it). He then demonstrates four stretches (suboccipital, levator scapula, upper trapezius), a self-massage technique, a simple neck-strengthening exercise, and two posture exercises (YWTL and the Brügger technique).
The common thread: tight muscles at the base of the skull compress the nerves in that area, and releasing and strengthening them relieves the headache.
Related Reading
Headaches and the spine: can chiropractic care help tension and cervicogenic headaches?
Is chiropractic safe? What patients in Bury St Edmunds should know
Questions
What exercises relieve tension headaches?
What causes tension headaches, and what triggers should I avoid?
Can headache medication actually cause headaches?
How do I stretch the suboccipital muscles at the base of the skull?
Why does posture matter for tension headaches?
What is the best long-term treatment for tension headaches?
Key Takeaways (timestamped)
[00:00] Signs of a tension headache — a tight band-like tension around the head, often at the back of the skull, temples, and forehead; typically worse in the afternoon/evening and eased by medication.
[00:49] Triggers to address — tension headaches make up ~78% of headaches and are more common in women. Common triggers: poor home-working posture, too much screen time and back-to-back video calls, too little sleep or water, alcohol, missed meals, and medication overuse.
[00:49] Medication can cause headaches — the ibuprofen, aspirin, or paracetamol taken to relieve a tension headache can, with prolonged use, actually induce it. Worth reviewing.
[02:04] Suboccipital stretches (×2) + self-massage — the muscles at the base of the skull compress nearby nerves when tight; a double-chin stretch and a self-massage of the two bony lumps at the skull base release them. Heat (a hot water bottle) also helps.
[05:51] Levator scapula stretch — runs from the shoulder blade to the neck; stretched with the shoulder fixed, a double chin, and the head turned 45°.
[08:01] Upper trapezius stretch — tends to give temple-area headaches; stretched by tilting the ear to the shoulder with the shoulder depressed.
[10:35] Neck strengthening — simple isometric holds with a towel (pull to each side and backward, never forward), 8/6/4 reps, just twice a week.
[12:42] Posture — YWTL and the Brügger technique — poor posture is a very common cause; these open up the base of the skull and reduce pressure on the nerves.
Transcript
Introduction
Do you suffer regularly from headaches at the back of your skull, over your temples, and your forehead? Does it feel like a tight cap or band around your head? Do they come on in the afternoon and evening and ease with pain medication? If so, you’re most likely suffering from tension headaches. I’ll share effective stretching and strengthening exercises — and combining the two is, according to science, the best treatment plan to get rid of them.
Triggers to Avoid
Tension headaches are very common, making up about 78% of all headaches, and are more common in women, who tend to hold tension in the neck. We’ve seen an explosion in tension headaches with home working — dining chairs, unergonomic equipment, and lots of video calls without getting up. Other factors: not enough sleep or water, too much alcohol, missed meals, and too much medication. The ibuprofen, aspirin, or paracetamol you take to reduce the headache can actually induce it, so it’s worth reviewing your medication. Science shows combining stretching and strengthening really reduces tension headaches.
Suboccipital Stretches and Self-Massage
The first muscles to stretch are the suboccipitals, connecting the base of the skull to the top of the neck. So many nerves run here that when these muscles tighten, they compress the nerves and cause a headache. Sit upright, place two fingers on your chin to make a double chin (not chin-to-chest), and accentuate by placing a hand above the upper lip to push back — not on the jaw, to avoid the TMJ. The other hand goes on the back of the skull, pulling straight down in line with the forearm. Hold 10 seconds, five reps, three sets. A variation: chin in, interlock the fingers on top-back of the head, and pull forward.
Self-massage: with a double chin exposing the skull base, feel the two bony lumps, drop just below where the skull ends, and rub back and forth through those muscles for about five minutes. You can do this all day. Applying a little heat with a hot water bottle also relaxes them.
Levator Scapula Stretch
The levator scapula runs from the shoulder blade to the top of the neck, again crossing that nerve-rich area. To stretch the right one: sit on your right hand (under the left buttock) to keep the shoulder down, make a double chin, turn the head 45° to the left, place the other hand on the back of the skull, and pull in line with the forearm. Feel it on the outside of the bony bit at the back. Hold 10 seconds, five reps. Repeat on the other side.
Upper Trapezius Stretch
The upper trapezius runs from the base of the skull to the shoulder and tends to give temple-area headaches. To stretch the right: sit on your right hand to depress the shoulder, tilt your left ear to your left shoulder, drop the head forward a little, turn towards the right, place the hand mid-back of the skull, and pull in line with the forearm. Play with the amount of head turn until you feel it. Hold 10 seconds, five reps. Repeat the other side.
Neck Strengthening
For a long-term solution, combine the stretches with strengthening — simple and done twice a week with just a towel. Wrap the cloth around your head, sit upright with a double chin, and pull to the right, keeping the head still (an isometric hold), 10 seconds. Do 8 reps, break, 6 reps, break, 4 reps. Repeat pulling to the left, and pulling backwards. Don’t pull forwards. Twice a week is all you need.
Posture — YWTL and Brügger
Poor posture is a very common cause. The YWTL exercise: standing, palms forward, form a Y, then W, then T, then L, pulling the arms back and holding each 10 seconds, straightening the area between the shoulder blades. The Brügger postural relief technique: stable base, arch the lower back, lift the chest, breathe in, then breathe out turning the thumbs outward and squeezing the shoulder blades together. Both open the base of the skull and reduce pressure on the nerves. Do them throughout the day.
Closing
I hope this helps with your tension headaches and posture. Take care of yourself, take care of someone else if you can, and bye for now.
Summary
Tension headaches are the most common headache type — around 78% of all headaches — and often feel like a tight band around the head, worse in the afternoon or evening. They’ve surged with home working and long periods of poor posture and screen time. This video takes a combined approach that research links to the best long-term results: stretching plus strengthening plus posture. It first addresses triggers — sleep, hydration, alcohol, missed meals, and notably medication overuse, where painkillers taken for the headache can start to cause it — then demonstrates four stretches (two for the suboccipital muscles at the base of the skull, plus the levator scapula and upper trapezius), a self-massage technique, a simple twice-weekly isometric neck-strengthening routine, and two posture exercises (YWTL and the Brügger technique). The unifying idea is that tight muscles at the base of the skull compress the nerves gathered there, and releasing and strengthening them relieves the headache. Posture work reduces the ongoing pressure that keeps them coming back. Persistent or severe headaches, or any change in their pattern, should be professionally assessed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes tension headaches?
They’re largely driven by tight muscles at the base of the skull and neck, which compress the many nerves gathered in that area. Poor posture is a very common contributor — especially rounded shoulders and a forward head from long periods at a computer. Other triggers include too little sleep or water, alcohol, missed meals, and stress. Tension headaches make up around 78% of all headaches and are more common in women.
Can headache medication actually cause headaches?
Yes — this is medication-overuse headache. The ibuprofen, aspirin, or paracetamol taken to relieve a tension headache can, with prolonged or frequent use, start to cause the headache itself. It’s worth reviewing your medication use to see whether reducing it makes a difference, ideally with guidance from a pharmacist or doctor.
What's the best long-term treatment for tension headaches?
Research suggests the strongest long-term results come from combining stretching with strengthening, rather than doing either alone. Stretching releases the tight muscles compressing the nerves; strengthening (simple twice-weekly isometric neck holds) builds lasting support. Adding posture work reduces the ongoing pressure that brings the headaches back.
How do I stretch the suboccipital muscles?
These small muscles connect the base of the skull to the top of the neck. Sit upright, place two fingers on your chin and make a “double chin” (not chin-to-chest), then gently accentuate it by pushing just above the upper lip while the other hand pulls the back of the skull straight down in line with the forearm. Hold about 10 seconds, five reps, three sets. You should feel it just below the base of the skull. A self-massage of the two bony lumps at the skull base, and a little heat, also help.
Why does posture matter for tension headaches?
Sitting slouched with rounded shoulders and the head tilted back for long periods puts continuous pressure on the nerves at the base of the skull, which drives tension headaches. Posture exercises like the YWTL sequence and the Brügger relief technique straighten the upper back, open the space at the base of the skull, and reduce that pressure — done throughout the day, they help prevent the headaches recurring.
Which neck-strengthening exercises help, and how often?
Simple isometric holds using a towel around the head: pull gently to the right, to the left, and backwards (never forwards), keeping the head still, holding each about 10 seconds. Do 8, then 6, then 4 repetitions with short breaks — and only twice a week. Strengthening is what turns short-term relief into a lasting solution.
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