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Osteopathy takes a holistic approach and can effectively treat musculoskeletal dysfunction. Research suggests that manual therapy can help with certain types of headaches. Manual therapy is shown to be effective to help with symptom reduction of tension and cervicogenic headaches.
Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are one of the most common types of headaches in the world, with a higher prevalence in women. A tension headache is described as feeling like a tight band around the head. The causation is still very poorly understood despite how common it is (Sharath et al., 2024), but can be driven by tight muscles, trigger points or tense fascia.
Symptoms include:
- Dull, aching head pain
- Tightness and pressure around the forehead, sides, and back of the head
- The scalp, neck, and shoulder muscles can feel particularly tender
Manual therapy is commonly used to treat tension headaches. Tension headaches can be episodic or chronic, and osteopathy helps to reduce tension by decreasing the tightness in the muscles in the back of the head, neck, and shoulders and by mobilizing neck joints (Sharath et al., 2024).
Cervicogenic Headaches
Cervicogenic headaches are secondary headaches because the actual problem is usually in the neck, and the pain you feel in your head is a referred pain (Klemm et al., 2026). Symptoms include:
- It is usually a one-sided pain travelling from the back of your head radiating to the front
- Restricted movement in your neck and neck movement may sometimes intensify your headache
- It is possible that you may or may not experience neck pain along with head pain at the same time (Cleveland Clinic, 2024)
How Osteopathy Can Help With Headaches
According to research, osteopathic treatment is helpful in decreasing cervicogenic headache frequency, intensity, and duration. Osteopathy can help to relax tight upper back and neck muscles by stimulating blood flow and calming down the nervous system. In addition, it can help by restoring normal movement in your neck. Osteopathic Manual Practitioners use various techniques to help reduce symptoms of tension and cervicogenic headaches (Sharath et al., 2024). Usually, treatment will include soft tissue work on the neck and upper back muscles, as well as mobilization and manipulation techniques of spinal joints in the neck and upper back (Klemm et al., 2026). In addition, the current research supports a holistic approach for treatment of cervicogenic headaches. It means that manual therapy in combination with exercises and ergonomic changes can make a significant difference to your symptoms.
Osteopathy in Toronto
Come in to Ace Sports Clinic Toronto today and experience the benefits of osteopathy. Osteopathy recognizes that the body’s structure and function are interrelated and with gentle hands-on treatments can encourage healing and relaxation of the body. Our internationally trained Ace Osteopathic Manual Practitioners have extensive training spanning a 5-year master’s degree and can help you feel great and headache-free! Book online or call 1-833-266-5223 to get started.
By Anna Minajeva, Osteopathic Manual Practitioner
References
Cleveland Clinic (2024). Cervicogenic headache: What it is, symptoms & treatment. [online] Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/cervicogenic-headache [Accessed 15 Oct. 2026].
Klemm, S.T., Klemm, W., Semmler-Ludwig, R. and Witt, M. (2026). Osteopathic manipulative treatment and cervicogenic headache: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. doi:10.1515/jom-2025-0019.
Sharath, H.V., Nadipena, P.T., Qureshi, M.I. and Phansopkar, P. (2024). A review on osteopathic manipulation in patients with headache. Cureus. doi:10.7759/cureus.66242.