Headache That Won't Go Away — Could It Be Your Neck?
If you suffer with headaches, there are few things more disruptive than one that stops you in your tracks. Whether the pain sits at the back of the head, spreads to the front, settles around one eye, or leaves you feeling woozy and nauseous, the experience can be completely debilitating. Many people retreat to a dark room, reach for painkillers, or assume they're simply dehydrated.
And while dehydration, stress, and lifestyle factors absolutely play a role, one of the most commonly overlooked causes of recurring headaches is sitting right on top of your shoulders — your neck.
How the Neck Can Drive Headaches
The neck is a complex structure of muscles, joints, nerves, and connective tissue, and when things go wrong in this region, the pain doesn't always stay local. It often travels — and the head is one of its most common destinations.
Here are some of the key structures involved:
The Suboccipital Muscles At the very base of your skull sits a group of small but powerful muscles called the suboccipitals. When these become tight and sensitised — often from prolonged screen use, poor posture, or stress — they have a tendency to refer pain upward into the back of the head, producing a deep, aching headache that can feel almost impossible to shift.
The Greater Occipital Nerve Running through the suboccipital region is the greater occipital nerve, which supplies sensation to the back of the scalp and the area behind the ear. When the surrounding muscles become tight and compressed, this nerve can become irritated, producing a shooting, stabbing, or burning pain across the back and top of the head — a condition known as occipital neuralgia.
The Upper Trapezius The trapezius is the large muscle that spans your upper back, shoulders, and neck. The upper portion is notorious for harbouring trigger points — localised areas of muscular tension — that refer pain in a distinctive arc up the side of the neck and into the head and ear. If you've ever felt a dull, heavy ache at the side of your head after a long day at a desk, this is often the culprit.
The Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) This long muscle runs diagonally from behind your ear down to your collarbone and is one of the most trigger-point-active muscles in the body. SCM trigger points are particularly interesting because they can refer pain to the forehead, the eyebrow, and even around the eye — mimicking the presentation of a sinus headache or migraine. They can also contribute to dizziness and a sense of pressure in the face.
The Cervical Facet Joints The small joints between the vertebrae in your neck — known as facet joints — can become stiff, inflamed, or show signs of degenerative change, particularly in those over 40. When these joints are under stress or lack proper mobility, they can generate pain that radiates to the neck, shoulders, and head. This type of cervicogenic (neck-originated) headache is often one-sided and worsens with neck movement or sustained postures.
The Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) The jaw joint — where your lower jaw meets your skull just in front of your ear — is closely anatomically linked to the structures of the upper neck. Tension or dysfunction in the TMJ, often associated with teeth grinding (bruxism), jaw clenching, or dental misalignment, is a frequently missed contributor to facial pain, temple headaches, and earache.
How Osteopathy Can Help
Osteopathic treatment for headaches takes a whole-body approach — looking not just at the area of pain, but at all the structures that might be contributing to it. Treatment typically involves gentle, hands-on techniques to release tight muscles, restore mobility to stiff joints, and reduce irritation of the local nerves.
This might include soft tissue massage and stretching of the suboccipitals, trapezius, and SCM, articulation of the cervical facet joints to restore movement, and addressing any postural patterns in the thoracic spine and shoulders that place ongoing strain on the neck. Many patients find significant relief after just a few sessions, particularly those whose headaches have been written off as "just stress" or managed exclusively with painkillers.
Important Red Flags — When to Seek Urgent Help
While the vast majority of headaches are benign, it's important to know when a headache requires urgent medical attention. Please go to A&E or call 999 immediately if your headache is accompanied by:
A stiff neck, sensitivity to light, fever, or a non-blanching rash (these could indicate meningitis)
Sudden, severe onset — often described as a "thunderclap" headache unlike anything you've had before (this could indicate a bleed on the brain)
Weakness or drooping on one side of the face, difficulty raising one or both arms, or slurred speech (these are signs of a stroke — call 999 immediately)
Headache following a head injury
Progressive worsening over days or weeks with no clear cause
If any of these apply, please do not wait — seek emergency care straight away.
Still Struggling?
If you've been dealing with persistent headaches and the usual remedies — painkillers, hydration, rest — aren't making a lasting difference, it may be time to look more closely at what's happening in your neck and upper body.
At Evolve Osteopathy, I take the time to carry out a thorough assessment to identify the root cause of your headaches and put together a plan to address them properly. Book your first consultation at www.evolveosteopathy.co.uk and let's get to the bottom of it.