Do have a pain your……
That "headache" behind your eyes? It might not be starting where you think.
A lot of tension that creeps up behind the eyes actually begins lower — at the base of the skull, where your head meets your neck. That's home to the suboccipitals: tiny muscles that work overtime when your head drifts forward (hi, phone).
Here's the part people tend to miss 👇
Stretching can help the muscle side of things. But if your nervous system is sitting in a protective, bracing pattern, the tightness often just creeps back in. The muscle isn't the whole story.
Something gentle you can try right now:
→ Find the base of your skull, right under that bony ridge → Slow breath in through your nose → As you breathe out, let your chin do a tiny "yes" nod — small, no pushing into pain
That's it. Notice how it feels.
I put together a free 2-minute Neck Reset that works on both the muscle side and the nervous system side. It's on my site — drmegryan.com 🔗
#tensionheadache #neckpain #techneck #headache #healthy @DrMegRyan
Many people struggle with recurring headaches that feel like pressure or pain behind the eyes, often attributing them solely to eye strain or sinus issues. However, from my personal experience, the root cause frequently lies deeper—specifically in the tiny suboccipital muscles located at the base of the skull where the head connects to the neck. These muscles can become chronically tight from poor posture habits, such as leaning forward to look at phones or computers, commonly referred to as 'tech neck.' What’s often overlooked is that simply stretching these muscles is only one part of the solution. When the nervous system is locked into a protective, bracing state, the muscles tend to re-tighten quickly, causing persistent discomfort. A key to lasting relief is addressing both the muscular tension and the nervous system's protective pattern. One effective technique I find helpful starts with locating the base of the skull below the bony ridge. Taking slow, mindful breaths while allowing the chin to gently nod a small “yes” movement (without pushing into pain) helps relax the muscles and calms the nervous system simultaneously. I incorporated this into my daily routine, and it significantly eased the tension and reduced annoying headaches. Additionally, incorporating a brief, focused practice like the 2-minute Neck Reset—designed specifically to target these suboccipital muscles and the nervous system—can offer portable and quick relief. Over time, these gentle resets help restore healthier neck alignment and reduce referred pain behind the eyes. If you spend long hours on screens or notice frequent tension headache symptoms, exploring these gentle, nervous-system-aware techniques may be a game changer. Remember, the goal isn’t just to stretch but to reset your muscles and nervous system to break the cycle of pain. For anyone dealing with tech neck, neck pain, or tension headaches, this approach provides a practical and accessible solution that can be done anywhere, anytime.
