The 5 Biggest Mistakes People Make Relieving Neck Tension and Headaches

By Dr. Robert Delgado

It’s 3:00 PM. You’re glued to your screen, feeling that familiar tightness creeping up your shoulders and gripping the base of your skull. A dull ache transforms into a sharp throb behind your eyes.

What do you do? Rub your neck, pop a painkiller, drink more coffee, and push through.

But let’s face it: if you’re like most professionals, the pain will return tomorrow. Why? Because you’re treating the symptom, not the cause.

After years of working with corporate teams and high performers, I’ve identified the 5 biggest mistakes people make when trying to relieve neck tension and headaches—and how to finally break this cycle!

1. Treating the "Check Engine Light" Instead of the Engine

When your car’s oil light flashes, you don’t just cover it up and keep driving. You check the engine!

Shift Your Mindset: Pain is a signal, not the problem. It’s your body’s way of saying, “Hey, something’s off!” Masking pain with medication only allows the underlying issue to fester.

2. Ignoring the "Bowling Ball" Physics

Your head weighs about 4-5 kg. When it’s aligned over your shoulders, your spine can handle that weight easily. But with every centimeter your head moves forward (hello, "Tech Neck"), you add an extra 4 kg of strain on your neck!

Action Step: Correct your posture. Slouching over a laptop can feel like holding up a bowling ball all day!

3. Blaming "Bad Luck" or "Stress"

We often shrug off pain with excuses like, “I’m just stressed” or “I’m getting older.” This is the "Boiling Frog" syndrome-gradually declining health until it's too late.

Change Your Perspective: Don’t accept low energy and pain as normal. Your body is designed to feel good! If it doesn’t, something’s wrong.

4.Starving the Brain of "Charge"

Your spine isn’t just a stack of bones; it’s a battery charger for your brain! Proper movement sends vital signals to your brain. Staying still for hours or having locked spinal joints starves your brain of these essential signals.

Get Moving: You don’t just need to relax; you need to recharge through movement!

5. Focusing on the Hardware, Ignoring the Wi-Fi

You can massage your muscles all day, but if the nervous system’s signal is distorted, tension will return. Think of your spine as the "Wi-Fi Router" for your body. Misaligned vertebrae create static, hindering communication between your brain and body.

The Solution: Clear the static. Chiropractic care isn’t just about adjustments; it’s about restoring communication for a strong, stable signal.

The Bottom Line

You don’t have a headache from a lack of aspirin; rather, it’s often due to toxicity (like bad posture) or deficiency (lack of movement).

To thrive instead of just survive, stop acting like a firefighter (putting out crises) and start being a handyman (fixing the wiring before the fire starts).

Ready to uncover the root cause? Don’t guess with your health. If you’re ready to transition from managing symptoms to restoring function, let’s check your connection!

About Dr. Robert Delgado: A chiropractor and corporate wellness strategist, Dr. Delgado helps professionals shift from surviving to thriving.