There are a lot of factors that can contribute to headaches and migraines: it can be genetic, or caused by illnesses, a compressed spine, scoliosis, stress, dehydration, unpleasant odors and many more.  If you’ve already seen a doctor for your headache and they have ruled out the more serious causes then you may want to turn to some of the methods I’ll outline in this post.

First of all, are you getting enough sleep? Are you experiencing an overload of stress? Are you dehydrated? If the above are in check then it could be likely that neck and shoulder muscle tightness are the culprits. As a sports recovery therapist based in Hong Kong, I’ve got a few go-to stretches for the neck and shoulders to help you sort them out before it could lead to something more lasting and serious, like chronic, debilitating migraines.

Culprit behind Headaches and Migraines: Poor Posture!

Most of us experience very tight neck muscles due to our everyday habits and working positions.  For example, when we’re slouched over our computers or looking down at our phones, most of us tilt the head forward, making the neck muscles do all the work to support the head.  Our head weighs around 8 lbs, so that’s quite a heavy load!  

What’s more, when you’re not holding your spine tall, you are actually increasing the load on your neck depending on how slouched you are: 

Here are some easy stretches you can do to prevent headaches and migraines. Suggestion:  Every hour take a 5 minute break to do these stretches.

Warning: If you are already experiencing a headache or migraine, these will not work. 

Quick Summary: Stretches to Prevent Headaches and Migraines

• Lateral Neck Stretches
• Rotation Side To Side Stretches 
• Posterior Stretch 
• Anterior Stretch 
• SCM Stretch 

Who Can Do These? 

• Anyone who spends a lot of time on their phone or at the computer
• Anyone with poor posture
• Anyone who experiences frequent headaches and has already checked for underlying illness with a doctor

How to Prevent Headaches and Migraines Naturally – Best Relief Stretches with just a Towel

What is Stretching? 

Stretching is when you extend a muscle to its natural length. When we are seated for a long time, our joints are bent and our muscles shorten, causing us to experience all sorts of pain in our body.  The lengthening of our muscles creates a balance to our body making us pain free.

Best Stretch for Side of Neck: Lateral Neck Stretch 

This stretches the side of your neck. This muscle works overtime to hold your head back whenever you tilt your head forward, becoming extremely tight and leading to those side temple headaches. 

How to do it: 

1. Place towel/yoga strap around the crown of your head 
2. Bring both ends to right hand 
3. Depress the left shoulder down 
4. Pull gently downwards with your right hand 
5. Gently release and repeat 

Suggested: 10 times each side 

Equipment: towel or yoga strap

Why I like this: this simple movement stretches the side of the neck which gets fatigued from carrying the head’s weight, especially when it’s being pushed forward

Tip: Bring opposite shoulder downwards to increase the stretch 

Best Stretch to Keep Your Neck Soft and Supple: Rotation Side to Side 

Your neck is a very flexible muscle:it can stretch in different directions, so you should rotate it often to keep the muscles soft and supple.  Without movement, your muscles will harden like a door hinge that hasn’t been moved for awhile. Make this movement a daily habit to keep your neck mobile and pain-free. 

How to do it: 

• Put the towel at the base of your head
• Gently guide the towel to the left and then to the right 
• Inhale and exhale slowly each time to release the tension in the neck 

Suggested: 10 times each side 

Equipment: towel 

Why I like this: It’s easy and you can do it anywhere really quickly

Tip: If either rotation causes pain, stop and check it out with your health professional.

Best Stretch to Relax Neck and Shoulder: Posterior Stretch 

Here’s a relaxing stretch for your neck and shoulders that can also help relieve headaches and drowsiness.  When we cock our head forward we put a lot of strain in the back of neck, so stretching the back of neck will give it release.

How to do it: 

1. Put the towel around the crown of the head 
2. Gently guide the towel down 45 degree angle and tuck the chin 
3. Inhale and exhale slowly 
4. Release and repeat 

Suggested: 10 times 

Equipment: towel 

Why I like this: This is a great headache reliever and brings the blood to my head, giving me a boost of clarity

Tips: keep depressing the shoulder down away from the ears to get most of this stretch. If you don’t feel a stretch then this stretch is not needed for you. 

Best Stretch for All Locations: Posterior Neck Stretch 

This stretch will release the front of your neck, which gets tired after spending long hours in front of the computer. Take a break from work once in a while and do this! This will help in particular to give relief if you experience the type of headache that wraps around the skull (“crown headache”). 

How to do it: 

1. Put the towel on the back of your neck 
2. Gently lift the ends of the towel upwards 45 degree angle 
3. Tilt your head back gently and lift the neck like a giraff 
4. Inhale and exhale slowly 
5. Try to stretch the front of the neck by extending the neck long 

Suggested: 10 times 

Equipment: towel 

Why I like this: we are always looking down on our computer, our phone and even when I walk! The front of my neck is always tight due to this, this stretch will help you relieve some stiffness

Tip: Keep the neck long so you don’t push into your cervical spine

Best Stretch for Strap-like Muscles Relaxation: SCM Stretch 

The sternocleidomastoid stretch stretches the two long strap-like muscles on either side of the front of the neck. These muscles act as a hinge so it supports a lot of the weight when your head is not in its natural alignment. This often causes cluster headaches and strain on the TMJ muscles which activate your jaw. 

How to do it: 

1. Put the towel at the back of the neck 
2. Wrap one side of the towel on the chin
3. Wrap the other side of the towel on the forehead 
4. And pull gently to the opposite side so that the forehead side makes your head tilt to the side 
5. Hold for 5 sec 
6. Repeat on the other side 

Suggested: 10 times each side  

Equipment: towel 

Why I like this: If you are a person that spends a lot of time on the computer screen, this one is a great reliever and usually people that need it will be like “ahhhhhhhhhh!”

Tips: keep the neck long and shoulders down to get the best stretch 

FAQs: How to prevent headaches and migraines naturally with stretches

• Can stretching help headaches

Yes! Stretching reduces the tension of muscles that lead to the buildup of a headache. Often, headaches are caused by tight neck and shoulder muscles, so stretching these out can help prevent headaches.

• How do you stretch out a headache

Stretch your neck and shoulder muscles, which are tight due to bad posture and spending lots of time with head forward. Make you stretch the sides, front and back of your neck and use a towel or strap if needed.

• What are the pressure points to relieve a tension

• Why am I getting tension headaches everyday?

There are many potential causes of headaches, some of which are serious medical conditions. Rather than self diagnose, you should see your doctor first. If no underlying condition is found, you should consider your posture, in particular how you hold your neck and head in daily activities.

Final thoughts: 

I find using a towel helps me get deeper into the stretch because it adds a little bit of resistance.  It’s something that everyone can find lying at homee too!

Note that not all stretches may apply to you, depending on your postural alignment. If you don’t feel a stretch after following the instructions above, move on to the next one.  

If you find stretches that feel good, do more of them. Always do both sides: if you only stretch one side, the other one will tighten up. For trouble areas, feel free to do more on the side that needs it, but always do at least a set on the other side too.  

Now remember, these stretches are recommended to PREVENT headaches. If you are already feeling a headache or migraine, then it’s best to rest and check if you’re lacking water or sleep, and stay away from strong odors. If that doesn’t work and you’re experiencing headaches frequently, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention, as there may be an underlying medical issue underlying issue.  

We tend to turn to medication for our headaches, but know that you CAN prevent your headaches naturally. I don’t recommend overloading on Ibuprofen and painkillers, because as your body gets used to the medicine, it will dehydrate you, making your condition worse. It is also scientifically proven that too much ibuprofen can also give you headaches, which is the last thing you need now.

To conclude, take precautions and learn how your body reacts. Like I always like to say: Prevention is better than the cure.