Many recurring headaches do not start in the head at all. They start in the neck — and that makes them treatable.
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, and the most underestimated. The name already hints at the cause: tension. Specifically, muscle tension in the neck, upper back and the muscles at the base of the skull that, when chronically tight, create pressure on nerves and blood vessels. The result is a familiar feeling — a band around the head, pressure behind the eyes, pain in the temples.
The small muscles between the base of the skull and the upper cervical vertebrae — the suboccipitals — are chronically tight in many people. It happens without noticing: hours at a screen, stress, a slight forward head posture. Over time, that tension becomes the background noise of your day. And at some point, it becomes a headache. Migraine has a more complex origin, but for many migraine sufferers, neck and shoulder tension acts as a trigger or amplifier.
By releasing muscle tension in the neck, shoulders and upper back, the pressure driving the headache decreases. It does not always work after one session for long-standing complaints, but most people notice a difference. A relaxation massage targeting the upper back, neck and shoulders is the standard approach. Where there are deeper adhesions or myofascial tension, cupping massage can be added.
Severe migraine, cluster headaches or headaches with neurological symptoms are not something massage addresses. Joost always discusses this during the intake. But for the everyday tension headache that most people know — that is exactly what massage is for.
A session lasts 55 minutes and costs €60. The practice is at Crommelinbaan 29H in Hoofddorp, with free parking. Book via WhatsApp or the online booking system.