Understanding Tension Headaches: A Family Guide to Relief This September
By mid-afternoon, you feel it: a dull, tight pressure creeping around your head, like a band slowly tightening.
That's usually not a migraine or a sinus headache - it's a tension headache and every September we see a noticeable spike in patients dealing with them. New backpacks, new desks, new schedules and more hours hunched over a screen all show up around the same time. Back to school turns out to be hard on necks, not just on routines.
Here's what's actually causing it, how it shows up differently in kids and adults and what you can start doing about it.
What Is a Tension Headache?
A tension headache typically feels like a dull ache wrapping around the head or soreness that radiates up from the neck and shoulders - different from the throbbing or eye pressure associated with migraines.
The most common triggers are muscular and postural:
Tight neck and shoulder muscles
Hours spent hunched over a screen
A desk or backpack setup that isn't working in your favour
Everyday stress
All of these tend to increase in September, which is exactly why this is the season we see it most.
How It Shows Up in Kids
Kids don't always say "I have a headache." More often, you'll notice:
Increased irritability after school
Avoiding screens in the evening
Complaints of a "sore neck" or "tired eyes" rather than head pain
Trouble focusing on homework
Common culprits include a backpack that's too heavy, worn too low or worn with one strap instead of both, a new desk or chair that doesn't fit their height and a jump in screen time for schoolwork. Most of the time, small adjustments resolve it but, frequent, severe headaches or ones paired with vision changes or fever, warrant a conversation with your doctor.
How It Shows Up in Adults
For adults, it's usually long hours at a desk, driving, or looking down at a phone, sometimes called "text neck." Combine that with the general stress of settling back into a fall routine with extra hours driving kids to school or extracurriculars causing neck and shoulder tension to build up gradually, often without much notice until the headache sets in.
Where Chiropractic Care Fits In
Tension headaches are frequently linked to how well the neck and upper back are moving. When those joints become restricted which happens easily with poor posture and repetitive positioning, it can directly affect how often headaches occur and how long they last.
A chiropractic assessment looks at posture, spinal alignment, and muscle tension in the neck and upper back to identify what's driving the headache pattern, rather than just addressing the pain in the moment. That's a meaningfully different approach than reaching for ibuprofen or "drinking more water," which may offer temporary relief without addressing the underlying cause.
Practical Steps You Can Take
Fix your setup: Monitor at eye level, feet flat on the floor, elbows close to the body - for school desks and home workstations alike
Check the backpack: Both straps on, bag centered on the back, weight capped around 10–15% of body weight
Take screen breaks: Stand and stretch every 30–45 minutes
Build a family habit: A minute of shoulder rolls and neck stretches together before bed
Try This at Home: The Suboccipital Release
At the base of the skull sits a small group of muscles called the suboccipitals that tighten quickly from screen time, jaw clenching and slouching. When they're tight, they can compress the nerves and blood flow running through that area, which is a common contributor to tension headaches.
To try it: lie on your back, place your fingertips (or a small massage ball) at the base of the skull on either side of the spine and let the weight of your head rest into gentle, sustained pressure for 30–60 seconds. No aggressive rubbing - just steady, gentle pressure while the muscles soften.
It's a simple technique to use between visits and it complements the postural work a chiropractic assessment addresses at the source.
When to Book an Assessment
If tension headaches are becoming a regular part of your week or your child's, it's worth identifying what's driving them rather than simply managing around them. A chiropractic assessment can pinpoint the underlying cause and build a plan to address it.
At Urban Health Group, chiropractic care is where we'd start - assessing posture, spinal alignment, and neck mobility to get to the root of the headache pattern. For some patients, we also draw on our craniosacral therapy, acupuncture and physiotherapy services alongside chiropractic care, depending on what your assessment reveals and what best supports your recovery.
Book an assessment with our team to talk through your (or your child's) headache patterns and find out what's contributing to them.
Dr. Natasha Gandhi
Chiropractor, Urban Health Group
