Headache Treatment & Relief in Central & East London.
Osteopathy London: Expert Care Since 2001.
Osteopathy London: Expert Care Since 2001.
Headaches can significantly impact your daily life, making it harder to think clearly, work, sleep, or enjoy time with family and friends. At Osteopathy London, we understand the effect this has on your comfort and wellbeing. Our highly experienced osteopaths for Central & East London are dedicated to helping you understand what’s driving your headaches and guiding you towards lasting relief, so you can get back to feeling yourself again.
Does this describe you?
- Do you wake with a tight band of pain across the forehead or at the base of your skull?
- Do long hours at a screen leave you with a heavy, throbbing head and neck stiffness?
- Do your headaches get worse when you drive, look down at your phone, or clench your jaw?
- Do bright lights or busy days trigger recurrent headaches that stop you sleeping well?
- Have over-the-counter painkillers helped less over time or only given short-term relief?
Understanding your headache: causes & contributing factors
Common causes of headache pain
Headaches often have more than one cause. Muscles and joints of the neck, upper back and jaw commonly contribute, and day-to-day habits can keep the cycle going.
- Tension-type headaches: Often linked to muscle tightness and trigger points in the neck, shoulders, and jaw, plus long periods of sitting or screen work. Typically a dull, pressing pain—like a band around the head.
- Cervicogenic headaches (neck-related): Irritation of joints, discs, or soft tissues in the neck can refer pain to the head—commonly one-sided, starting at the base of the skull and moving to the temple, forehead, or behind the eye.
- Migraine: Moderate to severe throbbing pain that can be accompanied by nausea and light/sound sensitivity. Triggers can include stress, hormonal shifts, certain foods, dehydration, or disrupted sleep.
- Jaw/TMJ dysfunction: Clenching, grinding, or jaw asymmetry may create facial tension and headaches around the temples and ears.
- Sinus-related pain: Congestion and pressure around the cheeks, eyes, and forehead can contribute to headache patterns.
Contributing & Risk Factors
- Poor posture: Rounded shoulders and forward-head posture increase load through the neck and upper back.
- Repetitive positions: Long drives, laptop work, or looking down at a phone can provoke neck and jaw tension.
- Stress & sleep: High stress and disrupted sleep reduce your system’s ability to settle pain.
- Muscle weakness: Weak deep neck flexors and mid-back muscles make it harder to hold healthy posture.
- Previous injury: Past whiplash, sports, or work-related strains can set up recurrent headache patterns.
How Osteopathy Helps Alleviate Headaches
Our approach is gentle and highly targeted to the drivers of your headache—neck, jaw, upper back, and postural strain.
- Hands-on treatment: Soft tissue techniques to ease tight muscles; joint mobilisation/manipulation (where appropriate) to restore healthy neck and rib movement; gentle work around the jaw and base of the skull.
- Medical/Western acupuncture (dry needling): Can be used to calm overactive trigger points and reduce muscle guarding.
- Breathing & relaxation strategies: Help dial down tension and support better sleep quality.
- Home plan: Simple exercises to build strength, mobility, and resilience—so relief lasts.
Your Path to Lasting Relief: Osteopathy London's 3-Part Headache Pain Programme
1. Your New Patient Appointment. What can I expect during an osteopathy consultation for headaches
Case History:
We start with a thorough case history to understand your headache pattern, triggers, previous episodes, medical history, and lifestyle factors that may be relevant.
Physical Examination:
A comprehensive assessment includes your posture and neck/jaw mobility, muscle tension, and tests that clarify whether neck, jaw or shoulder mechanics are driving your headaches. Where indicated, we include a basic neurological screen.
Your diagnosis & treatment plan:
We’ll clearly explain the likely sources of your headache and outline a personalised plan designed to bring rapid and long-term relief.
2. Hands-on treatment for headache pain
At your New Patient Appointment and further visits, you’ll receive hands-on treatment designed to bring rapid pain relief, tailored to you and your condition.
Osteopathy uses a combination of skills, including soft-tissue massage, joint mobilisation and stretching. Where appropriate, osteopaths may use techniques that create a brief “pop” from a quick opening of the joint; this can relax surrounding muscles and improve mobility.
As well as osteopathy, all of our osteopaths are trained in the use of medical acupuncture in the treatment of headache-related neck and jaw tension. Gentle cranial osteopathy can be used by John & Gervais to complement your care.
3. Breaking the headache cycle
Advice and exercises—both at your new patient appointment and follow-up visits—help reduce your pain and prevent its return
To break the cycle you can expect:
• Postural and ergonomic coaching for laptop/monitor height, keyboard/mouse setup, and reading position.
• Targeted stretches and strength work for deep neck stabilisers, shoulder-blade control, and jaw relaxation strategies.
• Sleep position and pillow guidance; pacing, hydration and caffeine review tailored to your pattern.
• Simple stress-management tools (e.g. micro-breaks, breath pacing) to prevent headache occuring.
By combining these steps, we’ll work to build long-term resilience and reduce the likelihood of future headache episodes.
Success Stories: Headache Relief
"He helped ease a persistent headache I get whenever my shoulders become tense. I felt much better after. He also recommended a series of stretches which feel amazing and have helped keep the tension at bay. I'm only going back because the treatment felt so good!
"John has been patient and brilliant - a safe and reassuring pair of hands."
"I've seen Gervais for a few months now and he helped ease a persistent headache I get due to my neck pain. He used a variety of techniques including acupuncture, which is firstly very relaxing but also very beneficial for my body. He is very knowledgeable on the topic and explains the medical reason behind any pain in the neck/head area that I get. Would highly recommend Gervais and the clinic in general!
How many osteopathy treatments will I need for headache relief?
Duration varies person to person, depending on cause, severity, and how long you’ve had the problem. Some people may feel improvements from the treatment received as part of their new patient consultation and follow-up; longer-standing or more complex patterns may need a longer course.
Our customised treatment plans are designed to provide fast relief while building long-term comfort and preventing recurrence. We’ll review your progress each visit and adjust your plan to keep you moving in the right direction.
Ready for Relief? Book Your Appointment
Click below to book your first step towards relief from headaches online or by phone.
If you’re unsure whether osteopathy is right for you, you can arrange a free 15-minute chat with John.
Osteopathy London's Osteopaths with expertise in headache treatment
John (Clinic Director)
John provides Osteopathy, Cranial & Baby Osteopathy, and Medical Acupuncture
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Gervais (Osteopath)
Gervais provides Osteopathy, Cranial Osteopathy, and Medical Acupuncture.
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Osteopathy London, 31 Roman Road, Bethnal Green, East London E2 0HU
© John Mallinder