Is muscle tension causing the headache in the back of your head?
If your head pain
- came on suddenly
- is rapidly increasing in intensity
- is a type that you have never had before
- and is very painful, please go to the emergency room right away.
If the doctor finds nothing, that is good news because it is most likely muscles. And muscles are treatable naturally. 🙂
Most headaches are caused by muscle tension. They are called tension headaches or, more accurately, muscle tension headaches.
Migraine headaches often start out as tension headaches for migraine sufferers.
What causes muscle tension?
- Sitting in a new or unusual position, perhaps with your head turned to the side.
- Sleeping in a strange position with your head tilted.
- Using a different chair or car or pillow.
Any prolonged position can cause muscle strain and tension in the muscles around your head, shoulders and neck. And that causes head pain for the people who have that tendency.
What causes headaches in the back of your head?
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 and go to the skull bone behind your ears.
How about massage therapy–does it help?
Massage can be really helpful, depending on the skill, training and education of the practitioner. It can be really helpful to interview the massage therapist first so you can get an idea of their skill level.
If you had a massage but it helped only for a little while, here are some suggestions:
Ask the therapist to work more deeply unrolling the upper trapezius muscles (they prefer unrolling to pressing) but only to your level of discomfort. (Tight muscles tend to be uncomfortable when pressed on or into.) The upper ‘traps’ are a common cause of head pain.
Also ask her or him to treat the SCM (sternocleidomastoid) muscles with finger pressure. A skilled therapist can actually lift the SCM muscles and roll them like a piece of rope rather than just pinching or gliding on your skin. The SCM’s often cause head pain.
If massage hasn’t worked for you, perhaps you need to find a therapist who understands trigger point work or who works with headaches. Every massage therapist has different training and some have excellent skills for helping you have natural relief for headaches in the back of your head.
Does massage help muscle tension headaches? I truly believe in the value of massage therapy for getting rid of muscle tension headaches quickly.
Heat or cold?
Use heat on the tops of your shoulders, wrapping it 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)
How about posture–does it matter?
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. That will reduce your muscle tension.
Headaches in the back of your head are usually caused by muscles. The good news is that muscles can be treated naturally!
6 replies on “What Causes The Headache In The Back Of Your Head?”
I just got glasses Monday and I have been have headaches in the back of my head above my ears. What could this be?
It gets bad in the afternoon and when I take them off at night. And the doctor said I was near sided that’s why I had to have glasses
Hi Crystal,
It could be the prescription is causing you to hold your head in a different position as you try to adjust to them. Or it could be that the ear pieces are a bit too tight and are pressing on the muscles on the side of your head. The glasses may need to be adjusted to fit you better.
Take care,
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach
Hi Crystal,
I’m going with the fit of the ear pieces. There are muscles on the sides of your head above your ears. They complain when they get pressed for long times.
Kathryn
I have been having headaches in the back of my head now for about 3 days. I got them once before but now they are worse. They go down into my shoulders and really have me worried, What should I do next?
Hi Sandra, I’m sorry to hear about your headaches. I think you may have it backward: Your head pain may be coming from your shoulders.
Do the tops of your shoulders (upper trapezius muscles) feel tight or hard like a tennis ball is inside? If yes, that means the muscles are very tight and are causing your headaches. Heat or ice packs will help relax the muscles there. If it feels a bit worse after heat, that means it’s the wrong treatment and switch to cold packs.
If the muscles on top of your shoulders aren’t particularly tight then the headache may be coming from the muscles at the bottom of the skull on the back side. Press into them–are they tender? If yes, you can hold the pressure for several seconds and work your way around the whole tender area. You can also use ice packs or cold packs instead of pressure from your hands or thumbs.
Also, if it’s more behind your ears than across the whole back of your head there are other muscles that cause that issue. Let me know if it feels like large dots on each side.
Muscle-caused headaches can be very persistent. Posture or position is often at the root of the pain. But if you can figure out or find the muscles, posture or position that is at fault, it can be corrected.
Try lifting your breastbone and lift the top of your head toward the sky. Does that take away a bit of the discomfort? If yes, that’s a good sign.
NOTE: If this is a totally different type of headache than you have ever had before or if it’s getting more severe, see a doctor asap. But most often muscles cause headaches in this area.
I hope this gives you some ideas to help you get rid of the miserable headache in the back of your head.
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach