When you thought it was just your neck and shoulders, but now your head hurts too

What follows combines several patients' visits into one composite story. It is not about any one person, and anything that could identify someone has been removed.

⚠️ Is there anything you should check first?

If you have a sudden, severe headache unlike anything you've had before, a fever with a stiff neck, or weakness in your arms or legs or slurred speech, go to the emergency room or see a neurologist first.

Many people come to us after those checks, still without a cause. What we look at comes after that.

How do patients usually come to us?

Patients tell us that by afternoon the back of the neck gets stiff, the head feels heavy, and their eyes feel like they're going to pop out, so it's hard to look at a screen for long.

At first they assumed it was just fatigue and pushed through. They took supplements and rested on weekends, but nothing changed.

They also mention that even a little alcohol gives them a splitting headache, and they don't feel refreshed even after sleeping.

Why does it spread from the neck to the head?

When the neck loses its curve, the weight of the head is carried by the muscles instead of the bones. If those muscles can't rest all day, even the small muscles under the back of the skull stiffen, and that shows up as headache.

This kind of headache is called a tension-type headache.

That's why treating only the head means it keeps coming back. The structure that's carrying the weight has to change.

What do we look at?

We look from the side at the curve of your neck. We also check whether the first and second neck bones, which hold up the head, are twisted to one side.

We look at the upper back too. If the back is rounded, even if we treat the neck, it gets pulled forward again.

How do we treat it?

We start with the upper neck bones that hold up the head. When these settle into place, many people say their neck feels lighter.

For the back of the neck and shoulders, stiff as stone, we use pharmacopuncture (herbal acupuncture). The aim isn't to suppress the pain but to get the muscles to a state where they can loosen.

We also agree on your posture during the day. Screen height and break intervals — without these, what we do in the treatment room won't last long.

What are the limits of this approach?

Headaches have many other causes. What we look at is one path, where tension in the neck and shoulders is involved.

If the pattern of your headaches changes or they become more frequent, we'll guide you to get tested again.

To people with the same symptoms

1. A sudden, severe headache or weakness in the arms or legs means the ER or a neurologist first.
2. When the neck loses its curve, the muscles take on the weight of the head.
3. Treating only the head means it keeps coming back.
4. We start with the upper neck bones that hold up the head.
5. Without the right screen height and regular breaks, it won't last long.

We look at the neck, jaw, and back all together. Only by finding where it started can we keep the same spot from stiffening up again and again.

If the same spot keeps stiffening, or pain starts in your neck and climbs up into your head, come in once to get measured. Finding where it started doesn't take long.

There are many possible causes, so the same treatment can lead to different courses for each person.