Upper Back Pain and Headaches: What’s the Connection?
Upper Back Pain and Headaches: What’s the Connection?
If you regularly experience headaches along with tightness, aching, or discomfort between your shoulder blades, you may wonder whether the two problems are connected.
Sometimes they are.
The muscles, joints, and nerves of the neck and upper back work together whenever you move your head, shoulders, and upper body. When these areas become irritated or overloaded, it can contribute to pain that extends into the neck, back of the head, or shoulders.
This does not mean every headache comes from the upper back or neck. Headaches have many possible causes, and some require medical evaluation. But when headaches consistently occur alongside neck or upper-back discomfort, it may be worth looking at how these areas are functioning together.
At Rochester Sports Chiropractic in Mendon, NY, we evaluate the movement and musculoskeletal factors that may be contributing to neck, upper-back, and headache symptoms.
How Can Upper Back Pain Be Connected to Headaches?
Your upper back and neck are not separate systems.
The cervical spine, upper thoracic spine, shoulder blades, and surrounding muscles work together to support your head and upper body. Muscles such as the upper trapezius and other muscles around the shoulder blades also connect movement between these regions.
When one area becomes stiff, painful, or overloaded, other areas may compensate.
For example, spending several hours at a computer may leave you with:
Tightness across the upper shoulders
Aching between the shoulder blades
Neck stiffness
Reduced ability to turn your head comfortably
Headaches that seem to develop as the day progresses
In these situations, the headache may be related to the same mechanical and muscular factors contributing to the neck and upper-back discomfort.
What Is a Cervicogenic Headache?
A cervicogenic headache is a headache that originates from structures in the neck.
The pain is felt in the head, but the source is related to the cervical spine or surrounding tissues. Cervicogenic headaches can sometimes begin around the back of the head and may spread toward the forehead, temple, or behind the eye.
They are different from other common types of headaches, including migraine and tension-type headaches.
Because different headache conditions can have similar symptoms, it is important not to assume that every headache is cervicogenic simply because you also have neck or upper-back pain.
A thorough history and examination can help determine whether the neck and upper back appear to be contributing to your symptoms.
Common Upper-Back and Headache Triggers
Several everyday factors can place additional stress on the neck and upper back.
Prolonged Sitting
Sitting for long periods can reduce movement throughout the upper back and place sustained demands on the muscles supporting the neck and shoulders.
This is particularly common for people who work at a computer, drive frequently, or spend much of the day at a desk.
Looking Down at a Phone
Frequently holding your head in a downward position can increase the demand placed on the muscles of the neck and upper back.
The problem is not necessarily one particular posture. More often, it is spending too much time in the same position without enough movement.
Stress and Muscle Tension
Stress can contribute to increased muscle tension, particularly around the neck and shoulders.
If you regularly notice that your shoulders feel tight when you are stressed, that tension may be part of the overall pattern contributing to your discomfort.
Upper-Back or Neck Injury
A sports injury, fall, collision, or sudden movement can affect the muscles and joints of the neck and upper back.
Even after the initial pain improves, changes in movement or muscle function may sometimes persist.
Repetitive Activity
Activities involving repeated arm, shoulder, or upper-body movement can place additional demands on the upper back.
This can be particularly relevant for athletes, active adults, people who perform physical work, and anyone whose daily activities involve repetitive movement.
Why Does Upper-Back Tightness Sometimes Feel Like Head Pain?
Pain does not always stay exactly where the underlying problem begins.
The neck and upper back contain many muscles, joints, and sensory structures that communicate with the nervous system. Irritation in these areas can sometimes contribute to pain being perceived elsewhere, including the head.
This is one reason a person may notice a pattern such as:
Upper-back tightness → neck stiffness → pain around the back of the head or headache
The exact pattern varies from person to person.
That is also why simply treating the location where you feel the pain may not address all of the factors contributing to it.
How Posture and Movement May Contribute
"Bad posture" is often blamed for headaches, but the relationship is more complicated than simply having a good or bad posture.
Your body is designed to move through many positions.
Problems can arise when you spend long periods in one position without enough movement, or when certain areas lack the mobility, strength, or endurance needed for your daily activities.
For example, someone who spends eight hours at a computer may develop stiffness in the upper back while the muscles around the neck and shoulder blades work continuously to maintain the position.
Improving movement throughout the day may be more useful than trying to maintain one "perfect" posture all day.
Simple strategies can include:
Taking regular movement breaks
Changing positions throughout the workday
Adjusting your workstation
Performing appropriate upper-back mobility exercises
Building strength and endurance in the muscles supporting the neck and shoulder blades
Gradually returning to normal activity after an injury
What Can Help Upper Back Pain and Headaches?
Treatment depends on what is contributing to your symptoms.
If an examination identifies restricted joint movement, muscle sensitivity, reduced mobility, or movement-related factors, care may include a combination of:
Chiropractic adjustments when appropriate
Soft-tissue treatment
Upper-back and neck mobility exercises
Strength and endurance exercises
Postural and ergonomic recommendations
Activity modification
Education about managing aggravating activities
The goal is not simply to treat the location of the pain.
The goal is to understand why the symptoms are occurring and determine what approach is appropriate for your individual situation.
If your headaches appear to be closely associated with neck symptoms, you can learn more about the broader relationship between these problems on our Neck Pain page.
When Should You Have Headaches Evaluated?
Occasional headaches are common, but recurring or changing headaches should not automatically be attributed to muscle tension or the spine.
You should seek appropriate medical evaluation for a headache that is:
Sudden and extremely severe
New and unusually different from your typical headaches
Associated with weakness, numbness, confusion, difficulty speaking, fainting, or other neurological symptoms
Associated with significant vision changes
Accompanied by fever and significant neck stiffness
Associated with a recent significant head injury
Becoming progressively more frequent or severe
If you are unsure whether your symptoms are appropriate for chiropractic care, an evaluation can help determine the next step. Referral to another healthcare professional may be appropriate when your symptoms fall outside the scope of chiropractic care.
Upper Back Pain and Headaches in Mendon, NY
If you live in Mendon, Pittsford, Victor, Honeoye Falls, Rush, or the surrounding Rochester area, upper-back tightness and headaches can interfere with work, exercise, driving, sleep, and everyday activities.
At Rochester Sports Chiropractic, we start with an examination rather than assuming that every headache or upper-back problem has the same cause.
Your evaluation may include your health history, orthopedic and neurological testing, movement assessment, and an examination of the neck, upper back, and surrounding areas.
If your symptoms appear appropriate for conservative musculoskeletal care, we can develop a treatment plan based on your findings and goals.
Ready to Find Out What's Contributing to Your Symptoms?
If upper-back pain, neck stiffness, and recurring headaches are interfering with your day, the first step is understanding what may be contributing to the problem.
Rochester Sports Chiropractic is located at 10 Assembly Drive, Suite 105, in Mendon, NY.
Call or text (585) 497-7078 or schedule your first visit online.
