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Can Chiropractic Care Help With Tension Headaches?

  • August 12, 2026

Episode Notes:

If you’ve ever felt that tight, squeezing pressure around your head, you know how debilitating tension headaches can be. In this episode, Dr. Luong from Resilience Chiropractic in San Leandro breaks down what tension headaches actually are and why so many people experience them regularly.

Rather than simply reaching for ibuprofen and pushing through the day, Dr. Luong explores how chiropractic care may address the root causes of tension headaches — offering a drug-free path to relief.

Whether you’re a long-time sufferer or just starting to notice recurring headaches, this episode offers valuable insight into how your spine and nervous system may be connected to your symptoms. Contact Resilience Chiropractic and Dr. Ernest Luong to learn more about your options.

Hey there, and welcome back. I’m Doctor Luong from Resilience Chiropractic here in San Leandro, and today we’re talking about something that affects so many people I see in my practice every single week — tension headaches.

Now, if you’ve ever had that tight, squeezing feeling around your head — like someone wrapped a band around your skull and just kept tightening it — you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not fun. And a lot of people just reach for ibuprofen, push through the day, and hope it goes away. But here’s the thing… if those headaches keep coming back, there’s usually a reason. And that reason is often something we can actually do something about.

So today I want to answer a question I get all the time — can chiropractic care actually help with tension headaches? And the short answer is yes, for a lot of people, it really can. But let me explain why.

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache out there. Unlike migraines, they usually don’t come with nausea or light sensitivity. They feel more like pressure or tightness — around the forehead, the temples, or the back of the head and neck. And here’s what’s interesting — they almost always have a strong connection to the muscles and joints in your neck and upper back.

When the muscles in your neck and shoulders get tight — whether from stress, long hours at a desk, or just poor posture — they can pull on the base of your skull and create tension that radiates up into your head. The joints in your upper cervical spine, which is just a fancy way of saying the top part of your neck, can also get stiff and restricted. And when those joints aren’t moving the way they should, the surrounding muscles work harder to compensate. That creates more tension. More tension means more headaches. It becomes this cycle that just keeps going.

Now here’s where chiropractic care comes in. What we do is look at how your spine is moving — specifically that upper neck region — and identify areas that are restricted or not functioning well. When we adjust those joints and restore normal movement, it takes pressure off the surrounding muscles and nerves. A lot of patients tell me that after an adjustment, they feel this almost immediate release of tension through their neck and head. Not everyone experiences that right away, but many do.

We also work on the soft tissue side of things — helping those tight muscles around the neck and shoulders relax. And we look at what’s driving the problem in the first place. Because if you’re spending eight hours a day looking down at a screen and your head is jutting forward, no amount of adjustments will fully solve it unless we also address those habits.

So here’s some practical advice you can start with today. First, take a look at your posture, especially if you work at a desk. Your ears should be roughly over your shoulders — not in front of them. Second, take movement breaks every thirty to forty-five minutes. Just stand up, roll your shoulders back, do a few gentle neck stretches. It sounds simple, but it makes a real difference. Third, pay attention to how you’re sleeping. Sleeping on your stomach with your head cranked to one side is one of the most common things I see that contributes to neck tension and morning headaches.

And if those headaches are showing up more than once or twice a week, or if they’re affecting your work, your sleep, or your quality of life — please don’t just keep masking them with pain relievers. Come in and get evaluated. We can look at what’s actually going on with your neck and spine, figure out if chiropractic care is the right fit for you, and put together a plan that makes sense for your life.

You deserve to feel good. Not just okay — actually good. And a lot of the time, these headaches are very treatable when we get to the root of what’s causing them.

Alright, that’s a wrap for today’s episode. Thank you so much for listening. If you’re dealing with tension headaches and you’re in the San Leandro area, we would love to help you out at Resilience Chiropractic. You can find us online or just give us a call. Doctor Luong and the whole team are here for you. Take care of yourself, and we’ll talk again soon.