Osteopathy for Headaches and Migraines: What to Know
If you live with frequent headaches or migraines, you may have stopped talking about them altogether.
Headaches have a way of quietly reshaping your days. You start pushing through work with a constant pressure behind your eyes. Mornings begin with a quick internal check, how does my head feel today, and decisions get made accordingly. Over time, it stops feeling like an occasional symptom and starts influencing how you plan, work, and conserve your energy.
Many clients who come for treatment say they’ve tried everything: medication, posture fixes, massage, new pillows, stretching apps. Some have been told their imaging results are “normal,” while their pain very much isn’t, or that there’s little that can be done beyond surgery or other more invasive options. Others are hesitant to rely on medication long-term, but don’t know what else to do.
What often gets overlooked is that head pain rarely starts in the head alone.
Headaches Are Rarely “Just a Head Issue”
In clinical practice, headaches and migraines are often influenced by a combination of factors rather than a single cause. Tightness through the neck, jaw, shoulders, and upper back can play a significant role. So can nervous system overload, chronic stress, long hours at a computer, poor sleep, or emotional strain that the body has been holding onto over time.
Many clients are surprised to learn how often symptoms like face tension, ringing in the ears, neck stiffness, shoulder tightness, or sensory overload are connected to their headaches. Others describe the constant anticipation, the fear of when the next headache might arrive, as almost as exhausting as the pain itself.
This is why a whole-body, individualized approach matters.
How Manual Osteopathy Can Help
Manual Osteopathy is a hands-on therapy that looks at how the body functions as a whole: structurally, neurologically, and emotionally. Rather than chasing symptoms, osteopathy focuses on understanding why the body is under strain and how different systems are interacting.
For headaches and migraines, treatment may involve:
addressing restrictions in the neck, jaw, and upper spine
working with muscles, fascia, and connective tissue
supporting circulation and drainage in the head and neck
calming an overactive nervous system
The goal is not forceful correction, but finding the least forceful, most effective approach for your body on that day.
Ritu Kaushik, DOMP
Doctor of Osteopathy and Doctor of Naprapathy (Spain)
Registered Manual Osteopath-DOMP (Canada)
Masters of Physiotherapy-Orthopaedic,BPT(India)
What Makes Ritu’s Approach Different
What sets Ritu’s work apart is her ability to adapt treatment to the individual, rather than applying a standard or routine approach.
Her clinical training allows her to work across multiple layers of the body, combining whole-body osteopathic principles with connective-tissue-focused techniques drawn from Naprapathy. In practice, this means she can address both the broader system patterns and the deeper muscular and fascial restrictions that often contribute to persistent head pain.
Rather than treating one area in isolation, Ritu continually assesses tissue response, breathing patterns, muscle tone, and nervous system state throughout the session.
If a client’s body needs very gentle, indirect work, she stays there. If it responds better to more direct or structural techniques, she can shift, sometimes within the same session. This flexibility is especially important for people with migraines, sensitivity, anxiety, or a history of chronic pain.
Supporting the Nervous System and Stored Tension
An important part of Ritu’s approach is her work with the connection between stress, emotions, and physical symptoms.
Many people with chronic headaches or migraines are living in a state of ongoing nervous system overload. Over time, this can show up physically as jaw clenching, neck and shoulder tension, shallow breathing, or a body that never fully relaxes.
Through psychosomatic techniques such as gentle craniosacral work, rhythmic joint techniques, connective tissue release, and facial work, Ritu helps the body release patterns of tension it may be holding unconsciously.
This process isn’t about talking through past experiences, it’s about allowing the nervous system to settle and the body to let go of protective patterns that are no longer needed.
For many clients, this nervous system calming is a key reason headaches become less frequent, less intense, and easier to recover from.
Thoughtful care for complex bodies.
Gentle craniosacral work as part of a headache & migraine treatment plan to support nervous system regulation.
What Clients Often Notice With Treatment
With consistent treatments, clients commonly report:
reduced frequency, duration, or intensity of headaches or migraines
a feeling of lightness through the head, neck, and shoulders
improved mood and emotional regulation
better sleep
greater confidence in handling stress without triggering symptoms
Many people notice changes not just in pain, but in how calm and regulated they feel overall.
Is This Approach Right for You?
This work may be a good fit if you:
experience tension-type headaches or migraines
notice jaw, neck, or shoulder tightness alongside head pain
feel overstimulated, anxious, or mentally overloaded
have tried massage or other therapies without lasting relief
want a more individualized, whole-body approach
Osteopathy works best as part of a thoughtful, client-specific plan, and Ritu is always mindful of when collaboration with other healthcare providers is appropriate.
If headaches or migraines have been quietly (or loudly!) limiting your life, manual osteopathy may offer a different path forward, one that looks at your body as a whole and meets you where you are.
You don’t need to wait until symptoms are constant or overwhelming. Often, earlier care helps prevent patterns from becoming more deeply ingrained.
If you’re curious but unsure, starting with an assessment is a supportive first step.
“I came in for frequent headaches and constant neck and jaw tension that I’d been dealing with for years. What surprised me most was how calm and settled I felt after my sessions, not just less pain, but a real sense that my body could finally relax. Over a few weeks, my headaches became less frequent and much easier to manage. Ritu is incredibly attentive and adapts the treatment each time based on how my body responds. I’ve tried other therapies before, but this felt different in the best way.”
“I booked with Ritu because my migraines were starting to affect my work and sleep, and I didn’t want to rely on medication alone. She took the time to really understand what was going on. The treatments were gentle, thoughtful, and very effective. I’ve noticed fewer migraines, better sleep, and I feel much more resilient overall. I finally feel like I’m addressing the root of the issue.”