• 25 Jun, 2026
• UnityPain
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Tension Headache Trigger Points | Unity Pain Modesto

When Your Head Won’t Stop Hurting

If you have ever felt a tight band squeezing around your head, or a dull ache that just won’t go away, you are not alone. Tension headaches are one of the most common types of headaches in the world. For some people, they come and go. For others, they show up almost every day. Living with that constant pressure can make it hard to work, sleep, or enjoy time with the people you love.

One important piece of the tension headache puzzle is something called trigger points. These are small, tight knots in your muscles that can cause pain — not just where the knot is, but in other places too, like your head. Understanding trigger points may help you and your care team find better ways to manage your headache pain.

What Are Trigger Points?

A trigger point is a tight, sensitive spot inside a muscle. When you press on it, it can hurt right there — and it can also send pain to a different part of your body. This is called referred pain. For example, a trigger point in your neck or shoulder might actually be causing part of your headache pain.

Trigger points form when muscles are overworked, held in one position too long, or stressed. Things like poor posture, sitting at a desk all day, clenching your jaw, or carrying tension in your shoulders can all lead to trigger points. Over time, these knots can stay active and keep sending pain signals to your brain.

It is important to know that trigger points are not the same thing as a pulled muscle or a pinched nerve. They are their own kind of problem, and they respond to their own kind of care. A trained provider can feel for these spots during a physical exam and help figure out if they are part of what is causing your headaches.

Which Muscles Are Most Often Involved?

When it comes to tension headaches, a few muscles tend to be the biggest troublemakers. The trapezius muscle runs along the back of your neck and across your shoulders. Trigger points here often send pain up the side of the neck and into the head. Many people do not realize their shoulder tension is connected to their headaches.

The suboccipital muscles are a small group of muscles at the base of your skull. Trigger points in this area can cause a deep, aching pain that spreads over the top of your head or behind your eyes. The sternocleidomastoid, a long muscle on the side of your neck, is another common source. Trigger points there can cause pain around the eye, the forehead, and even the ear.

The temporalis muscle runs along the side of your head above your ear. If you clench your teeth or grind them at night, this muscle often holds a lot of tension. Trigger points here can cause pain along the side of the head and temple area, which feels very similar to a classic tension headache.

Why Do Trigger Points Cause Headaches?

Your nervous system is always listening to signals from your muscles. When a trigger point is active, it keeps sending irritating signals to your brain. Over time, your brain can become more sensitive to pain overall — a process sometimes called central sensitization. This means that even small things that would not normally hurt can start to feel painful.

For people with frequent tension headaches, this cycle can be hard to break. The muscles stay tight, the trigger points stay active, and the headaches keep coming back. This is why treating just the headache pain itself — without looking at the muscles — may only give short-term relief.

Research suggests that people with chronic tension-type headaches often have more active trigger points in their head and neck muscles than people without headaches. Addressing those trigger points directly may be an important part of a complete treatment plan.

What Can Be Done About Trigger Points?

The good news is that there are several options for treating trigger points. Physical therapy is often a great starting place. A physical therapist can use hands-on techniques like massage, stretching, and dry needling to help release tight muscle knots and reduce referred pain. They can also teach you exercises to improve your posture and strengthen the muscles that support your head and neck.

Trigger point injections are another option. In this procedure, a provider uses a small needle to inject medication directly into the trigger point. This can help relax the muscle, reduce inflammation, and break the pain cycle. Many people notice relief after just a few treatments. Like any medical procedure, results can vary, and a proper evaluation is needed to see if this approach is right for you.

Lifestyle changes can also make a real difference. Improving your posture, taking regular breaks from screens, managing stress, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep all support healthier muscles. These changes work best when paired with professional care — they help keep trigger points from coming back.

When to Seek Professional Help

If your headaches are happening more than a few times a month, lasting for hours, or getting in the way of your daily life, it is worth talking to a pain specialist. You should also see a provider if your headaches are getting worse over time, or if over-the-counter pain relievers have stopped working the way they used to.

At Unity Pain Management in Modesto, the care team can evaluate your headache pattern, check for trigger points, and work with you to build a treatment plan that fits your life and your insurance. Whether that means trigger point injections, a referral to physical therapy, or medication management, the goal is to find what helps you most.

You do not have to keep pushing through headache pain on your own. Reaching out to a knowledgeable provider is a strong and hopeful first step.

A Hopeful Path Forward

Tension headaches — especially those tied to trigger points — can feel overwhelming. But understanding what is happening in your muscles is powerful. It means the pain has a source, and sources can be treated. Many people find real improvement when they get the right combination of care, movement, and support.

If you are ready to learn more about your options, consider scheduling an evaluation at Unity Pain Management, where compassionate, insurance-friendly care is available to patients across the Modesto area. You deserve to have fewer headaches — and more good days.

References

• Fernández-de-las-Peñas, César, and Lars Arendt-Nielsen. “Myofascial Trigger Points: Peripheral or Central Phenomenon?” Current Rheumatology Reports. 2016.
• Bendtsen, Lars, and Rolf Jensen. “Tension-Type Headache.” Neurologic Clinics. 2009.
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “Headache: Hope Through Research.” National Institutes of Health. 2023.
• Simons, David G., Janet G. Travell, and Lois S. Simons. Travell and Simons’ Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual. Williams and Wilkins. 1999.
• Mayo Clinic Staff. “Tension Headache.” Mayo Clinic. 2023.