What Type of Headache Do You Have? – Part 2: Tension Headaches
In Part 1 of this series, we covered migraines, the most common type of headache. So what’s the second most common? Meet the tension-type headache—a headache that feels very different from a migraine, but can be just as disruptive to your day.
📖 Missed Part 1? Catch up on our migraine breakdown to see how it compares to what you're feeling.
2. Tension-Type Headaches
Unlike migraines, tension-type headache pain is usually bilateral, meaning it occurs on both sides of your head instead of just one. The pain typically follows a band-like pattern across the forehead and temples—right in the area you’d cover if you were wearing a sports headband.
The pain itself feels like pressing or tightening pressure rather than throbbing or pulsating, and it can last anywhere from several minutes to several days. People who suffer from tension-type headaches often experience frequent episodes, and unlike migraines, there is no nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, or sound sensitivity associated with this type of headache.
🧠 Does this sound like your headache? A quick assessment can confirm whether it's tension-type and point you toward the right treatment.
How Chiropractic Care Helps
Chiropractors can successfully treat tension-type headaches by releasing tight muscles and mobilizing the joints in the neck. This combination addresses two of the biggest contributors to tension headaches: muscular tightness and restricted joint movement in the cervical spine.
Evidence shows that treating this type of headache can take up to six months. Why so long? Because people are often unknowingly aggravating the headache every single day through poor posture or ongoing stress. Correcting a habit that’s been reinforced for months or years simply takes consistent, sustained care.
🩺 Ready to break the cycle? Book an appointment and start a treatment plan built around your posture, stress, and daily habits.
More Than Just Adjustments
Beyond hands-on treatment, chiropractors can also give you practical tips on how to maintain good posture while working, along with targeted exercises to help you control the pain between visits. This combination of in-office care and at-home strategy is often what makes the biggest difference over time.
Key Takeaways
Tension-type headaches cause band-like, pressing pain on both sides of the head, without the nausea or sensitivity symptoms seen in migraines. Chiropractic care—through muscle release, neck joint mobilization, posture coaching, and targeted exercises—is an effective treatment, though consistent care over several months is often needed to fully address the underlying habits driving the pain.
Ready to Get Rid of Your Headache?
If you want to get rid of your headache, give Dr. Jen a call today and take the first step toward lasting relief.
Stay tuned for Part 3, where we’ll cover the third most common type of headache.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tension headaches cause pressing, band-like pain on both sides of the head with no nausea or light/sound sensitivity, while migraines typically cause throbbing, one-sided pain often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light or sound.
Because tension headaches are often reinforced daily by poor posture or ongoing stress, resolving them usually requires consistent care over time—often up to six months—to correct the underlying habits, not just the symptoms.
Yes. Your chiropractor can provide posture tips for work and targeted exercises to help manage and reduce pain between visits.
Chiropractors treat tension headaches by releasing tight muscles and mobilizing the joints in the neck, which helps relieve the pressure and restriction contributing to the pain.
If your pain is on both sides of your head, feels like pressure or tightness rather than throbbing, and isn’t accompanied by nausea or sensitivity to light or sound, it may be a tension-type headache. A chiropractor can confirm the diagnosis and recommend treatment.
