Tension Headaches. What Can You Do About It?

By Chan Yin Keen | Principal Chiropractor

One Spine Chiropractic, D27, 3rd Floor, Centre Point Sabah.

Headaches are a common malady that afflictsthe general populace. Half of us will experience headaches in a given year, while a large number of us will have a lifelong history of headaches. There are several types of headaches out there, ranging from things like migraines, tension type headaches, sinus headaches, all the way to severely debilitating cluster headaches.

Some of these headaches can be caused by complex genetic factors and can be a bit more troublesome, like migraines which come with a slew of symptoms such as throbbing pain, nausea and photosensitivity. The vast majority of headaches out there though, are tension type headaches. Tension type headaches are headaches caused by stress or tension(!) that one experiences in their daily life. Typically, removing ourselves from external stressor stimuli should suffice in reducing that headache, but in some cases it remains or we cannot exactly tear ourselves away from our primary stressor stimuli (work or school for instance).

The reason such external stimuli causes headaches is because a lot of stress and tension gets built up in our muscles. The muscles on our scalp and neck tighten up from such stress and we start getting that feeling of pressure around the head. Neck and shoulder stiffness, feeling a bit tired are also features that can crop up with tension headaches.

The buildup of tension in our muscles is the main mechanism of how we get tension headaches, but the “why” we get tension in our muscles is not limited to just the feelings of tension and stress. Poor ergonomics or working posture can also cause muscular tightness which leads to headaches. Lack of sleep prevents the body from getting enough rest and allowing muscles to relax and unwind. Feelings of anxiety or emotional stress can translate to a lot of muscular tension as sits bundled inside. A poor diet unsurprisingly, can also be a cause for headaches and muscle tension.

So how does one resolve their tension headache woes?

As briefly mentioned before, removing ourselves from noxious stimuli should relieve that tension headache immediately. If you are mentally overexerted, or say you have been sitting too long in front of your laptop, getting some rest will help your headache. To note, headaches should not be something that keeps occurring to the point of being a chronic problem. Headaches are the way your body tells you that something is not right. So if you are finding yourself having tension headaches regularly, you might want to consider a mild lifestyle change with less stress or less sitting down in front of a laptop.

Something else to think about would be picking up some form of sport or exercise. Yoga has shown to be effective for pain relief in the low back, but the slow pace and calmness inherent in yoga and meditation can help ease tension and relieve stress too. It can be a bit daunting for some who have never joined a class or considered yoga before, in which case general exercise may be more your speed. Getting your heart rate up from exercise, whether it be a jog or weights at a gym, is known to improve mood and sleep which are factors in tension headaches.

If you spend a lot of time in front of a laptop or a computer, ergonomics of how you sit and view your screen can help ease tension in and around your neck, or at the very least, not make it worse. Keeping the top of your screen at or just below eye level and about an arm’s length away will help ease the strain in your eyes. At the same time it will also ensure you’re not tilting your head back to look at the screen and shorten your posterior neck muscles, causing uncomfortable tightness in the back of your head.

To note, the position of the keyboard matters too. Too far forward, you are leaning over your desk and basically hunching. Too high up and it’s incredibly uncomfortable to type. You want to be as comfortable as possible when working in front of a computer so generally you’d want your keyboard to be at the same height as your elbows, and near enough to you that your elbows form a 90 degree angle.

Also remember to take lots of breaks. Sitting in a similar position for extended periods of time, even if incredibly comfortable, can lead to muscle fatigue. Have a bit of a stretch, a walk and some water after an hour of sitting in front of your laptop.

Speaking anecdotally, what I typically find in patients who complain of tension type headaches is a lot of muscles around the neck area with a palpable tightness to it, that when stimulated (say, pressed on) can produce localised pain to the area as well as referred pain towards the head, reenacting the headache-like pain. These localised areas of tenderness are called trigger points and are small bands of tightly constricted muscle that have in a way, forgotten to turn off and relax. Having a qualified massage therapist, chiropractor, or physiotherapist work on your muscles will provide a definite sense of relief as they will likely knead the tension out of the muscles.

That said, the hot tip here for those who are keen to do some self remedying, self massage is a definite option. The muscles just under the back of the skull, known as the suboccipital muscles are prime spots that can get a fair bit tight and give you tension headaches.

Applying pressure over the area with your fingers, or gently lying down face up, with a tennis ball just under that muscle group can give you plenty of relief. Follow it up with some neck stretches just to loosen up the neck or even a bit of heat will help. Your temples also have a muscle that is prone to being a source of pain itself. You can tell it is there by putting your fingers on your temples, clenching your teeth, and feeling it pop out at you. Giving that a bit of a rub is something you may have seen other people do, and they do for a reason. It works!

The takeaway here is that tension headaches are easy to resolve when you know where your source of stress is coming from. If in doubt, visit a medical professional who can give you their advice on what is the best course of action for your headache.


For more information about this topic, you may get in touch with Chan Yin Keen from One Spine Chiropractic at 013-8100373 or visit them at Centre Point Sabah.

SCOLIOSIS: Early Detection in Adolescents

BY DR. CHAN YIN KEEN, DC | B.HSci (Chiro), M.Clin.Chiro | ONE SPINE CHIROPRACTIC

Scoliosis (pronounced SkoleeOHsis), is a condition where in the spine curves side to side. On an xray radiograph the spine may look like it’s shaped like the letter S or C, rather than in a straight line. We will find there are several causes for scoliosis such as congenital spine deformities (where it is present at birth), neuromuscular conditions or even genetic conditions which could cause it. By far the most common form to walk through a doctor’s office though is Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS).

AIS is a form of scoliosis that tends to start in and around the ages of 10 to 18 years of age. The word idiopathic, aside from being quite a mouthful, means that the cause is unknown. The literature out there will tell you that anywhere from 65% to 80% of scoliosis cases are idiopathic in nature and that AIS affects anywhere from 0.475.2% of all adolescents. The curves themselves are measured using a method called the Cobb angle, and any curves to the left or right that are over 10° would be classified as scoliosis.

That is all fine and well, but what does it all mean practically for us parents and what are we supposed to look for in our kids? Generally speaking, you’re looking for things like a shoulder sitting higher than the other, or an arm hanging a little lower than the other, the hips not sitting evenly, a bit more muscle bulk on one side of the spine, or even ribs being more 
prominent on one side. There’s also the more general signs and symptoms like back and shoulder pain and/or decreased 
amount of mobility like difficulty flexing or bending their bodies. A more serious case would be say if the child has breathing difficulties due to the rib cage impeding normal lung function.







There are several questions that will likely go through your mind when your primary care practitioner tells you your son or daughter has scoliosis. Questions like;
~ Will it get better?
~ Will it get worse??
~ Can we do something about it?
~ What happens if we do nothing?

To better answer these questions, one needs to understand that progression of a curve is dictated by several factors, such as bone maturity (age), how big the curve is, gender and even familial history. The ratio for girls and boys needing treatment for AIS is skewed to girls 10:1, thus you will almost always see it in girls rather than boys. The size of the curve and age of the child are inversely related when it comes to progression of the condition. That is to say, the older the child, the less likely for the curve to increase in size, while the smaller the curve the less likely of it progressing too.

So for instance if a girl in the age range of 13 to 15 years old were to have a curve of less than 20° when first diagnosed, there’s a 10% chance of progression of the scoliotic curve. If we have another girl in the same 13 to 15 age range but her curve is sitting at around 50° then the chance of progression jumps from 10% to 70%. Whereas a girl in the age range of 10 to 12 with a Cobb angle of under 20° would have a risk of progression at around 25%. If another girl of the same age had a curve of over 40° she would have a 90% risk of progression.

In short, if a child has a scoliotic curve early on they do have a risk of it worsening over time, and if the curve is greater the poorer the prognosis. Thus early detection is key to ensuring a favourable prognosis as you are in a better position to apply early intervention before the scoliosis curve has progressed.

Pertinently, early detection allows us more options in terms of what kind of intervention can be done compared to a later discovery with a more serious curve where surgery to install steel rods and perform spinal fusion might be the only option left.

Which brings us to what kinds of interventions are out there. As mentioned briefly, if the scoliotic curve is progressing rapidly and other factors such as degenerative instability are present, surgery may be the recommended procedure of correction. Preference should always be to less invasive methods of correction if possible. The traditional approach to a scoliosis curve when it’s under 20° is observation, or to “wait and see”. Your doctor will periodically monitor the progression and make a decision as to whether intervention is required or not.

Should they recommend that intervention is required but not to the point of surgery, you will find that noninvasive methods available include bracing, physical therapy or even chiropractic care. These methods of intervention are easy to incorporate into a child’s lifestyle, allowing a measure of care that can help stem the progression of their curve without resorting to surgery.

In conclusion, treating scoliosis, in particular Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, is a matter of detecting it early to be able to make an informed decision as as to how to proceed. That way the child has the best chance of maintaining a low level of curvature without resorting to surgery. If you notice any changes about your child’s back, or something does not seem quite right about it, consider having your child assessed by your doctor or chiropractor.

One Spine Chiropractic offers chiropractic solutions for people with musculoskeletal problems. For more information about Scoliosis: Early Detection in Adolescents, please contact One Spine Chiropractic at 088-210 373. Find them at Centre Point Sabah on the 3rd Floor.






For the complete article about this subject can be read on this July to September issue of Parents Avenue Magazine. *Disclaimer: All information is for your general reference only. We do not accept any responsibility whatsoever in respect of such information.