Suboccipital muscle pain
Tight muscles at the base of the skull that can drive headaches and refer pain over the head.
By Andrew Ellis, AHPRA registered physiotherapist · Reviewed July 2026
What it is
The suboccipital muscles are a small group at the very top of the neck, where the skull meets the spine. They include rectus capitis posterior major and minor and obliquus capitis superior and inferior, and they do the fine work of holding your head steady and turning it.
When these muscles stay tight, often from long hours at a screen, driving, stress or a forward head posture, they ache at the base of the skull and can refer pain up over the head and behind the eye. They are a common driver of tension type and cervicogenic headaches, and they tend to respond well to focused physiotherapy and dry needling.
Signs and symptoms
Everyone is different, but these are common with suboccipital muscle pain. You may have some and not others.
How physiotherapy helps
These muscles sit deep in the upper neck and respond well to hands on care. We assess your neck movement, posture and trigger points first, then use trigger point dry needling, soft tissue release and gentle mobilisation of the upper neck, with posture and deep neck exercises so the relief holds.
- Upper neck and posture assessment
- Trigger point dry needling
- Soft tissue release and mobilisation
- Posture and deep neck exercises
How we treat it
The right mix depends on your assessment. These are the services we most often draw on for this.
Trigger point dry needling
Fine needles into trigger points to release muscle tension and ease referred pain. A core focus at PACT.
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Soft tissue release
Skilled hands on work through muscles, tendons and ligaments to ease tension and restore flexibility.
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Spinal and joint mobilisation
Gentle, controlled movement to improve a stiff joint and ease the pain that comes with it.
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What you pay, with or without cover
Every appointment is a full, unhurried session with the time to work through complex, persistent problems. The fee is $165 for an initial visit and $142 for a follow up, and if you have Medicare, private health extras or an accepted claim, here is what you pay.
Paying privately
No referral or paperwork needed. Every visit is a full, unhurried session with the time it needs.
With a Medicare plan
A GP Chronic Disease Management referral rebates $61.80 on every visit, up to 5 a year.
With private health extras
Claim on the spot through HICAPS. The gap depends on your fund and level of cover. See all health funds
Workers comp & CTP
Accepted workers compensation and CTP claims are billed straight to your insurer, and we handle the paperwork.
Every bar is drawn to the same scale, from $0 to the standard fee. Private health gaps vary with your fund and your level of extras cover.
Other problems we help with
Pain rarely sits in one neat box. These are commonly linked, and we treat them all.
Good to know before you book
Can dry needling help suboccipital muscle pain?
How much will it cost?
Do I need a referral?
Can it be managed by telehealth?
Read more on this
Plain English articles from our physiotherapist, written to answer the questions we get asked most.
Sources and further reading
Written and reviewed by Andrew Ellis, AHPRA registered physiotherapist. Last reviewed July 2026.
This page is general information about suboccipital muscle pain, not a diagnosis or a substitute for an assessment. If you are concerned about your symptoms, book an appointment or see your GP.
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Same day appointments often available at our Miranda clinic, or by telehealth across Australia.