Tension Headaches
5 Neck Exercises That May Help
by Tim Keeley23 Aug 2026
As featured in The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun and other News Corp publications around Australia.
Do you regularly finish a long day with a stiff neck and a tight, pressure-like headache?
Tension-type headaches are one of the most common forms of headache and are often described as a dull, pressing or tightening sensation around the head.
It is important to understand that tension-type headaches are multifactorial. There is not necessarily one tight muscle, one poor posture or one problem in your neck that is responsible for your headache.
Stress, sleep, prolonged static positions, physical activity levels, sensitivity around the neck and shoulders, and reduced muscular endurance may all contribute in different people.
There is also no single “perfect posture” that you need to maintain all day. For many people, the bigger issue is spending too long in the same position without moving.
The following five exercises are simple starting exercises that may help improve neck and upper-back mobility, strength, muscular control and endurance.
1. Cervical Retraction
Cervical retraction helps restore movement through the neck by gently bringing the head backwards so it sits more in line with the shoulders.
This can be useful after prolonged periods with the head held forwards, such as working at a computer, looking at a phone or driving.
The aim is not to force yourself into a rigid “perfect posture”. It is simply to move the neck in the opposite direction after spending a long time forwards.
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How to do it
- Sit or stand upright and look straight ahead.
- Keep your eyes level.
- Slowly draw your head backwards, creating a gentle double chin.
- Keep your chin level rather than tipping it towards your chest.
- Move into a comfortable range, pause briefly, then relax forwards and repeat.
Repetitions: 8–10 repetitions. This can be repeated several times during the day, particularly after prolonged sitting.
What you should feel: A gentle stretch or pressure through the back of the neck. It should remain comfortable.
Common mistake: Do not force your chin down towards your chest. The movement should predominantly be backwards, not downwards.
2. Neck Rotation
Neck rotation helps maintain comfortable movement through the cervical spine.
After spending prolonged periods facing a screen or working in one position, the neck can start to feel stiff when turning from side to side.
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How to do it
- Sit or stand upright with your shoulders relaxed.
- Start facing straight ahead.
- Slowly turn your head towards one side.
- Use the opposite hand to gently overpress the movement without forcing it.
- Pause briefly, return to the centre and repeat to the other side.
Repetitions: 5–10 each side.
What you should feel: A mild stretch through the top of the neck.
Common mistake: Avoid rotating your whole trunk. Keep the movement predominantly through the neck.
3. Supported Neck Extension
Supported neck extension helps restore movement through the neck and upper back in the opposite direction to the prolonged forward position commonly used while working on computers or looking at phones.
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How to do it
- Sit or stand upright.
- Place your hands behind the back of your neck for support.
- Start with your neck in a comfortable neutral position.
- Gently extend through your upper back and neck while allowing your eyes to look upwards.
- Use your hands to support the movement rather than force it.
- Return slowly to the starting position.
Repetitions: 6–10 repetitions.
What you should feel: A comfortable movement through the neck and upper back rather than a strong stretch or compression.
Common mistake: Do not throw your head backwards or force the neck into maximum extension.
4. 1 Arm Scapula Row
Neck and headache management should not only focus on stretching.
Strength and endurance around the shoulder blades and upper back can also be important, particularly if you spend long periods sitting or working at a desk.
This exercise targets the muscles that draw the shoulder blades backwards while keeping the elbow straight.
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How to do it
- Secure a resistance band around approximately chest height.
- Hold the band with your arm extended and stand upright.
- Gently brace through your trunk.
- Keeping the elbow straight, draw your shoulder blade backwards.
- Pause briefly, then slowly allow the shoulder blade to move forwards again.
Repetitions: 10–15 repetitions for 2–3 sets.
What you should feel: Muscular work around and between the shoulder blades.
Common mistake: Do not bend the elbow or shrug the shoulder. Keep your neck relaxed and concentrate on moving the shoulder blade backwards.
5. Scapula Press in 4 Point
Scapula presses progress neck and shoulder control into a weight-bearing position against gravity while also strengthening the muscles that stabilise the shoulder blades.
This can help develop muscular control and endurance rather than simply relying on passive stretching.
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How to do it
- Start on your hands and knees with your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips.
- Keep your upper back in a comfortable neutral position.
- Keeping your elbows straight, slowly allow your chest to lower towards the floor so your shoulder blades move together.
- Then press through your hands and push your upper spine back towards the ceiling as the shoulder blades move apart.
- Keep the movement controlled throughout.
Repetitions: 8–12 repetitions for 2 sets.
What you should feel: Gentle muscular work through the shoulders and upper back.
Common mistake: Do not aggressively arch the upper back or allow your head to drop lower than your shoulders. The aim is controlled movement, not maximum range.
Do You Need to Strengthen as Well as Stretch?
Mobility exercises can be useful when your neck feels stiff, but they are only one part of the picture.
For people who regularly develop neck fatigue or discomfort during prolonged work, progressively improving the strength and endurance of the neck, shoulder and upper-back muscles may also be important.
Depending on the individual, later-stage rehabilitation may include:
- Heavier resistance-band exercises
- Progressive upper-back strengthening
- Shoulder external-rotation strengthening
- Deep neck-flexor strengthening
- Neck isometric exercises
- Progressive resisted neck strengthening
The appropriate progression depends on your symptoms, strength, irritability and the underlying factors contributing to your headaches.
When Should You Seek Medical Assessment?
Most headaches are not caused by a serious medical condition, but a new or unusual headache should not automatically be assumed to be coming from your neck.
Seek appropriate medical assessment if you develop:
- A sudden and extremely severe headache
- New neurological symptoms such as weakness, numbness, confusion or difficulty speaking
- Visual changes or loss of vision
- A new or progressively worsening headache pattern
- Headache following significant head or neck trauma
- A headache that is significantly different from your usual symptoms
The Bottom Line
If your tension headaches tend to occur after long periods of sitting, computer work or sustained positions, simply trying to hold yourself in a “better posture” all day may not be the answer.
Regular movement, improving neck mobility and progressively building the strength and endurance of the neck, shoulders and upper back may be more useful.
The five exercises above provide a simple starting point, but recurrent or persistent headaches should be properly assessed rather than relying on exercises alone.
A Physiotherapist can assess your neck movement, strength, muscular endurance and other contributing factors, then determine whether your rehabilitation needs to progress beyond these introductory exercises.
About Tim Keeley
Tim Keeley, B.Phty, Cred.MDT, APAM, is the founder and Principal Physiotherapist of Physio Fitness, a sports injury and rehabilitation clinic in Bondi Junction, Sydney.
With more than 27 years of clinical experience and over 20,000 treatments performed, Tim specialises in sports, fitness and post-operative rehabilitation.
He is also the founder of Physio Rehab, an online platform providing structured injury and surgery rehabilitation programs, professional education and an extensive Physiotherapy exercise-video library used by people around the world.
Disclaimer: These exercises provide general information only and are not a substitute for individual medical or Physiotherapy advice. Stop if an exercise causes sharp or increasing pain. Anyone recovering from an injury or operation should follow the advice of their treating Physiotherapist, doctor or surgeon.
👉 Book your consultation today or call us on (02) 9389 9100 to start your recovery.
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