Headaches don’t always come from your head. For a lot of people, it starts with tight shoulders, a stiff neck, or tension from clenching the jaw. Those muscles attach to the base of your skull, and when they stay tight, that pressure builds until it feels like a band wrapping around your head. Sometimes it’s stress, sometimes posture, sometimes both. The pain shows up as a headache, but the real problem sits in the muscles.
How Massage Makes a Difference
Massage works by giving your muscles a chance to release and your nervous system a chance to slow down. I usually start with the shoulders and upper back because that’s where most of the tension hides. Once the bigger muscles start to soften, the smaller ones in the neck and scalp follow. For headaches that come with jaw tension or teeth grinding, I’ll also work around the jaw. A lot of people don’t realize how much pressure they carry there until it’s gone. The goal isn’t to dig hard or chase every knot. It’s about helping your body loosen up in a way it can handle.
Choosing the Right Approach
No two people feel headache pain the same way. Some need slow, gentle work that helps their body calm down. Others need deeper pressure to reach the muscles that have been locked for years. There’s no single fix as the session changes depending on what your body needs that day. Sometimes a lighter scalp massage helps calm the nervous system after a migraine. Other times, focused work around the shoulders gives more relief.
What a Session is Like
Before I start, we talk about what kind of pain you’re dealing with and what seems to make it worse. That conversation matters. Massage should never feel like guessing. You’ll stay covered and supported the whole time, and I’ll check in about pressure and comfort so your body can relax without tensing back up. Some clients feel the pressure in their head lift right away; for others, it happens the next day after the muscles have had time to adjust. Either way, the goal is steady progress that lasts longer each time.
Keeping the Relief Going
Massage helps, but what you do outside of the session matters too. Staying hydrated, stretching gently through the neck, rolling your shoulders a few times a day, and paying attention to how you sit at your desk. All of these help keep tension from building again.
Call to Schedule a Session Today
Headaches and migraines can take over your days, but they don’t have to. With the right kind of massage work, your body can start to reset. I work with clients from San Leandro who deal with this kind of pain every week. The focus is always on what you need that day, not a routine that looks the same for everyone.
I’m Geri León, BCMT, a Board Certified Massage Therapist. If you’d like to talk about how massage could help you, please reach out. Call me at (510) 409-8598 or write to info@gerileon.com.