Tension Headache Treatments Melbourne

Relieve the Pressure with Advance Osteopathy Tension Headache Treatments in Melbourne!

Tension-type headaches are one of the most common types of headaches people experience — but they’re not any less disruptive. They’re often termed a dull, squeezing or tight sensation that feels like a band around the head. Unlike migraines, they don’t usually include visual disturbances, nausea or dense throbbing pain. But they can stick around, come back often and impact your daily life more than you might realise.

These headaches are typically related to muscular tension, poor posture, stress, or fatigue. They often creep in at the end of a long day or after a few hours spent at a desk, and most people have their own way of working through them. Others say they hit when they’ve been clenching their jaw, not eating or not sleeping well.

YTension-type headaches can be episodic or chronic, and although they are not a sign of serious trouble, that doesn't mean you should ignore them. But if they’re chronic or hindering your ability to focus, unwind or sleep, it’s time to examine what’s fueling them.

They’re also extremely common — affecting as many as 80 per cent of adults at some point. Just because they’re common doesn’t mean they’re something you have to “live with.” At Advance Osteopathy, we work to reduce pain holistically. We look not just at the pain but at how your body is moving, how your muscles are working and how your lifestyle could be a factor. Through hands-on treatment and practical advice, we help solve the root causes—not just the symptoms—so you can get through your day without a headache getting in your way.

What are the Symptoms of a Tension Headache?

Tension headaches can sneak up on you. Suddenly, it’s game over again. It’s not sharp or pounding like a migraine — it’s more of a persistent, dull ache that won’t go away.

The most common feeling is a sense of tightness or pressure. It generally feels like a band tightening around your head, particularly across the temples or the back of your head. Others feel heaviness behind their eyes or tension in their neck and shoulders that climbs upward.

These headaches can persist for 30 minutes to several hours — or, in some instances, days. They may pop up randomly or come like clockwork (especially if they’re triggered by stress, bad posture, or long stretches without a break).

Other symptoms can include:

• Intolerance to light or sound
• A feeling of cognitive fog or difficulty concentrating
• Tenderness of the scalp or when pressure is applied to the head
• Tightness in the jaw, especially after clenching or grinding during the night

For some people, tension headaches are mild and controllable. For many, they settle in as a chronic part of life — an unwelcome companion that sucks energy and focus. It may not prevent you from accomplishing things, but it certainly makes doing anything more difficult.

We observe all the subtle signs that lead to the patterns in Advance Osteopathy. When do you get your headaches? What is happening in your body when they do? By investigating those answers, we can work to resolve the tension that is creating the pain — not simply mask the symptoms.

What Causes Tension Headaches?

Tension headaches sometimes seem to arrive from nowhere — but there’s typically something happening beneath the surface. These headaches are usually associated with tight muscles in the neck, shoulders and scalp and are commonly activated by stress, strain or posture.

Sitting at a desk for hours on end, craning your neck to look at a screen, grinding your teeth without even noticing — these are daily habits that can slowly accumulate tension. Factor in mental stress, dehydration or overlooking meals, and you have the perfect recipe for a tension-type headache.

Other common sources are:

• Not getting enough or even good sleep
• Eye strain from using your phone or reading
• Assuming the same position of your neck or jaw for extended periods
• Using one side to haul heavy bags
• Emotional stress or anxiety

Sometimes, the source is not muscular but neurological. The brain registers specific signals from the body as pain, even when there is no physical damage to the tissue. That’s why these headaches may become chronic, occurring even when there’s no obvious physical trigger.

Everyone’s different. For others, headaches reportedly appear after a stressful conversation. For some, it’s at the end of a physically taxing day. This is why treatment can’t be “one size fits all.”

But at Advance Osteopathy, we don’t just ask where it hurts—we ask why it hurts. To get a complete picture of what’s happening, we assess your posture, muscle tension, movement patterns, and stress levels. From there, we help free up tight areas, restore balance, and provide you with tools to minimise chances for repeat episodes.

Types of Tension Headaches

Tension-type headaches might feel similar in the beginning, but they fall into two groups: episodic and chronic. Understanding what you have can help steer the most useful treatment and prevention methods.

Episodic tension headaches are the more frequent of the two. These crop up now and then—about once a fortnight or several times a month. Often, they’re connected to certain triggers such as stress, fatigue, dehydration, or long hours at a desk. Although they can still be unpleasant and annoying, they usually resolve with rest, hydration or short-term treatment.

Chronic tension headaches, on the other hand, are more constant. They take place on fifteen or more days per month, frequently for multiple months in a row. The pain is usually less severe than a migraine, but because they occur so often, they can have a greater effect on quality of life. Chronic headaches are often caused by muscle tension, stress, and lifestyle habits that have gone unaddressed over the long-term.

At Advance Osteopathy, we personalise tension headache treatments. Whether you suffer from the odd headache or they’ve become a strain on your daily life, we look at what’s behind your symptoms and how we can help your body work a little less hard.

You don’t have to “superficially deal with it.” Whatever the cause, episodic or chronic, there are ways to alleviate that tension and reclaim your headspace.

When to See a Doctor

Tension headaches are common — and there’s no need to panic in most instances. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore them, particularly if they’re beginning to disrupt your daily routine or if you’ve tried self-care and they persist.

If you experience headaches more than a few times a week or they are starting to last longer and feel more intense, it’s worth talking to a health professional. Recording when your headaches happen, how long they last, and what seems to bring them on can assist with diagnosis and treatment.

You also should get to a doctor urgently if your headache:

• Strikes suddenly and very severely (such as a “thunderclap” headache)
• Is brought on by vision changes, confusion, or difficulty speaking
• Is accompanied by weakness, numbness or difficulty walking
• Comes after a head injury
• Does not feel like your normal headache

It might not be tension headaches at all, but it could be something more serious for which you need to see a doctor.

You also want to consider your quality of life. If headaches are interfering with working, sleeping, or relaxing, it’s time to ask for help. Headaches may be common, but they’re not normal.

At Advance Osteopathy, we partner with other healthcare professionals to ensure our patients receive appropriate treatment for their individual circumstances. If we think your headache requires further investigation, we’ll have no hesitation in referring you to your GP or a specialist.

Visit our website for the most up-to-date information. When in doubt, it’s always best to verify.

How Advance Osteopathy Can Help You

We at Advance Osteopathy treat tension headaches using a whole-body approach. We don’t treat symptomatically—we consider what’s behind the symptoms. This requires that you examine your posture, neck and shoulder tension, stress levels, and daily habits.

Using gentle, hands-on treatment, we help release tight muscles, improve joint movement, and decrease the strain that may be contributing to your symptoms. We also provide customised advice on posture, stretching, and stress management so that headaches don’t recur.

We want you to get through your day without an aching shadow in the background. Tension headaches don’t have to be a burden—we can help you manage them.