How to Fix Headaches From Too Much Computer Work

Headaches are serious business. In fact, they are the second most common complaint I hear from desk workers in my Toronto clinic, right behind low back pain.

Not every headache is a desk headache. Stress, dehydration, and sleep can all be factors. But a significant number of the headaches my patients are dealing with are coming from one specific place: the back of the neck. And the good news is those ones are very fixable.

Why your desk is giving you headaches

When you spend hours looking at a screen, especially a screen that is too low or too far away, your head gradually drifts forward. It does not happen all at once. It is a slow creep that you do not notice until your neck is sore and your head is pounding.

Here is the anatomy of the problem. At the base of your skull, where your head meets your neck, there is a group of small muscles called the suboccipitals. Their job is to control the fine-tuned movement of your head. When your head juts forward, these muscles get compressed and stay that way for hours.

That compression triggers headaches. Specifically, what is called a cervicogenic headache. One that originates in the neck and radiates upward into the back of the skull, sometimes wrapping around to the temples or eyes.

The fix is not painkillers. The fix is releasing those muscles and teaching your head to sit back where it belongs.

Three things you can do right now

1. Release the suboccipitals with a double ball

Take two tennis balls and put them in a sock, or tape two lacrosse balls together. You want a peanut-shaped tool.

Sit back in your chair. Place the ball tool at the base of your skull, right where the head meets the neck. There will be a natural groove on each side of the spine where the balls will sit. Hold it in place with your hands.

From there, slowly tuck your chin down toward your chest and then lift it back up. Repeat this 10 to 15 times. You are gently compressing and releasing the suboccipital muscles against the balls.

You should feel the muscles relax and the base of your skull open up. Start gently. These muscles can be quite tender when they have been compressed all day.

Sets and reps: 2 sets of 10 reps, twice a day if needed.

2. Neck lateral stretch (the armpit stretch)

Place one hand on top of your head. Gently pull your ear toward your shoulder on the same side. As you do, reach the opposite arm down toward the floor and slightly behind you.

You will feel a stretch along the side of your neck and down into the shoulder blade area. These are the muscles that also attach near the base of the skull and contribute to headache pain when tight.

Hold 15 to 20 seconds. Switch sides. Do not crank it or force it. Gentle, steady tension is all you need.

Sets and time: 3 holds per side, 15-20 seconds each.

3. Chin tucks (turtles)

This one looks ridiculous. Do it anyway.

Sit up straight. Draw your chin back, like you are making a double chin. Hold for 3 seconds. Release. Repeat.

What you are actually doing is retraining the deep neck flexors, the muscles at the front of your neck that should be holding your head over your shoulders. When these weaken from years of forward head posture, everything else compensates and tightens up.

Do these at your desk throughout the day. Every time you notice your head drifting forward, do five chin tucks. Make it a habit.

Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10, throughout the day.

The bigger picture

These techniques give you relief. But the real fix is addressing why your head keeps drifting forward in the first place.

Usually it comes down to monitor height (too low), chair setup (too reclined), or upper back stiffness that keeps pulling you into a rounded position. If you are doing these exercises and the headaches keep coming back, book a session and we can look at the whole picture.

If you are not sure about how to set up your desk correctly, start there. A lot of headache problems get resolved when the screen is at the right height.

Mitchell Starkman is a Registered Physiotherapist (FCAMPT) with clinics in Toronto (Danforth) and Thornhill (Vaughan). He specializes in desk worker injuries. Book a session.