How to Treat Neck Headaches with Massage & More

Neck Headache Treatment: Self-Massage & Stretches

If you get headaches that seem to start at the base of your skull and creep up over your head, you might not be dealing with a typical tension headache or migraine. You could have a cervicogenic headache — a headache caused by an issue in your neck, not your head.

The good news: because the source is mechanical (nerves, bones, and muscles in the neck), it often responds well to targeted self-massage and a few simple daily exercises. Bob and Brad break down exactly how to treat it at home, no equipment required except a towel.

What Is a Cervicogenic Headache?

Cervicogenic headaches feel like head pain, but they don't start in the head. They're referred pain, your brain registers the discomfort up top, but the real problem is irritation in the neck's joints, muscles, or nerves. That's why headache treatments aimed at "the head" so often fall short: you're not treating where the problem actually lives.

Step 1: Self-Massage the Base of the Skull

Using just your fingers, massage the area where your neck attaches to your skull. Use circular motions and a "splaying" motion to release tension in that spot.

One important safety note: this is a finger-only massage. Avoid using a massage gun or therapy cane in this area — the vertebral artery runs close by, and you never want to apply targeted pressure or vibration directly onto an artery.

Step 2: Four Targeted Exercises for Lasting Relief

Self-massage feels good in the moment, but pairing it with these exercises addresses posture and mobility patterns that feed the headache in the first place.

1. Chin Tucks A simple, frequent movement — aim for 6–8 times throughout the day. This retrains the neck out of the forward-head posture that aggravates cervicogenic headaches.

2. Chin Tucks with Overpressure Add gentle pressure with your hand or a towel, holding 30–45 seconds. If you have no increase in pain, you can build up to holding for 2 minutes.

3. Towel Rotation Place the woven edge of a towel against the back of your neck (around the C1 level), hold an end in each hand, and rotate gently toward the side that feels tight or restricted. Keep the movement pain-free — if it hurts, stop. Aim for 5–10 reps per side, repeated 6–8 times a day, keeping shoulders still throughout.

4. Flexion Stretches Two variations: a gentle hands-behind-the-head forward stretch (held a few seconds, repeated 3 times), and a fist-under-the-chin version where you create light resistance while pulling the head forward with your other hand (hold 10 seconds, repeat 3 times).

Why This Approach Works

Cervicogenic headaches are a mechanical problem, so they respond to a mechanical solution: loosen the tight tissue at the base of the skull, then retrain the neck's positioning and mobility so the irritation doesn't return. Done consistently throughout the day, these five minutes of self-massage and stretching can meaningfully cut down on headache frequency and intensity — all without medication.

Watch the Full Demonstration

Bob and Brad walk through every technique step-by-step in the video above, including hand placement and pacing for each exercise.