Headaches Caused by Muscle Tension: Understanding the Role of Skeletal Collapse
Do you ever notice that your headaches get worse after a long day at your desk or scrolling on your phone? It’s not just the screen time; it’s your posture.
Research is showing that the way we hold our head and neck can actually create tension in the tissues surrounding our spinal cord and brain. That tension might be a hidden trigger for both migraine and tension-type headaches. Let’s explore how it all connects, and what can be done about it.
The Meninges: Your Nervous System’s Internal Support
Protecting your spinal cord are three layers of tissue called the meninges: the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.
You may have never heard of the meninges, but perhaps you’ve heard of meningitis. Think of them as the elastic suspension of your nervous system, like the flexible shielding around the end of a power cable.
The outer layer (dura mater) is a tough, fibrous sheath that attaches to the inside of your skull, the upper part of your neck (around the top two vertebrae), and even the base of your spine (Kahkeshani & Ward, 2012; Mitchell et al., 1998).
Because of these connections, tension in your neck or back can literally pull on this protective layer, kind of like tugging on the fabric of a tent. That mechanical tension can ripple through your nervous system, sometimes resulting in pain or pressure sensations.
How Meningeal Tension Can Lead to Headaches
When the dura mater is stretched or irritated, it can affect blood flow, pressure, and even the pain-sensitive nerves surrounding the brain. The dura is innervated by the trigeminal nerve: the same nerve that plays a big role in migraines, cluster headaches, and the suitably named trigeminal neuralgia.
Studies show that inflammation or mechanical irritation of the dura can activate pain pathways similar to those seen in migraine attacks (Levy, 2012). And the small muscles at the base of your skull (the suboccipitals) have tiny connective bridges to this same dura layer, forming what researchers call the myodural bridge (Hack et al., 1995; Scali et al., 2011).
So, when those neck muscles tighten up (say, from forward posture), they can tug on the dura and set off a cascade of discomfort that may manifest as tension or migraine headaches.
The Modern Posture Problem: Forward Head Carriage
Most of us spend way too much time leaning forward while staring at phones, laptops, or tablets. This forward head posture (FHP) shifts the head in front of the shoulders and puts extra strain on the neck.
For every inch your head moves forward, the muscles at the base of your skull have to work harder, sometimes doubling the load on your neck (Kapandji, 2008). These suboccipital muscles tighten up, and because of their connection to the dura, they can pull on it and create meningeal tension.
Research backs this up: people with chronic headaches tend to have more pronounced forward head posture than those without (Fernández-de-las-Peñas et al., 2006; Nesbitt et al., 2020; Cho et al., 2023).
The Chain Reaction From Posture to Pain (When Muscles Do the Skeleton’s Job)
Your bones are meant to be the “structure” that holds you upright, while your muscles fine-tune movement and balance.
But when you spend hours (or decades) hunched over a laptop or looking down at your phone, your head drifts forward, your shoulders round, and your spine compresses.
When that happens, your muscles have to take over the job of holding you up. They tighten, brace, and basically become overworked scaffolding. After a while, that constant tension builds up (especially in the neck, shoulders, and jaw).
When your head shifts forward:
- The suboccipital muscles tighten to hold it up.
- That muscle tension pulls on the dura mater through the myodural bridge.
- The dura and spinal cord experience mechanical tension and altered fluid movement.
- This can activate pain pathways and trigger or worsen headaches.
That’s why many people notice headache relief after physio, chiropractic, or targeted stretching. At Standwell Chiropractic, we combine the best of all worlds into our comprehensive approach.
How Standwell Can Break the Cycle
We address tension on the meninges by stretching them directly on most visits. The next step isn’t about loosening the muscles or compensating for your poor alignment with rigid effort and discipline. It’s about re-stacking your skeleton so your muscles and nerves can relax on their own. Your sessions at Standwell are not finished until your relaxed posture is as upright as possible.
Click HERE to schedule a consultation and let us demonstrate how easy standing well can be.