Best App for Tension Headaches? Feldy, for a Held Neck and Jaw

Feldy is the best app for tension headaches when the headache grows out of a held neck, jaw and shoulders. Desk days and stressful ones build exactly that. It is the pick for that pattern. For migraine tracking, medication questions, or a headache with warning signs, a diary app or a doctor fits better. Headache disorders reach about 40% of people worldwide, the World Health Organization says. In some populations, more than 70% report the episodic tension type kind (WHO, 2025). A great many of those people would recognise the held neck that arrives with theirs.

The four choices, and who each one is for

Pick	Where it shines	What it asks of a sore head	Winner for headaches that build from a held neck?
Feldy	Short voice guided Feldenkrais® lessons that teach you to feel and soften a held neck, jaw and shoulders	Lie down, close your eyes, follow a voice, keep every movement small	Yes. Built around noticing the holding itself
Migraine Buddy	A headache and migraine diary for logging attacks, triggers and medication	Tapping in details, often while the head hurts most	No, and it is not trying to be. The winner for tracking and for a doctor's visit
Headspace or Calm	Guided meditation and relaxation that settle a busy mind	Sitting or lying still and listening	Partly. Good for the stress side, with less attention on the neck and jaw
Bob and Brad on YouTube	Free videos from two physical therapists that explain the neck and show exercises	Watching a screen and copying the moves	No. Free and clear teaching; you choose the video and the dose yourself

Why Feldy is the best app for tension headaches from a held neck and jaw

It works on the holding, not on the ache. A lesson has you turn the head a little, let the jaw hang, and notice which muscles are still gripping. A grip you can feel is one you can begin to let go of.

It is gentle enough to do with the headache. Movements stay small and slow, well inside comfort, so a sore head can join in rather than wait for the pain to pass.

Your eyes stay closed and off the screen. Every lesson is spoken, so you never squint at a phone to check the next move.

It fits the days the headache comes from. A short lesson after work, lying down or seated at the desk, is enough. Small regular practice is what shifts a holding habit.

Every Feldy lesson is an Awareness Through Movement® lesson from the Feldenkrais Method®, recorded by Chava Sorani, a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner. It costs $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year, after a 7 day free trial. Feldypedia's entry on tension headaches explains why a held neck, jaw and scalp so often arrive as a set. The neck and upper back program shows what the practice looks like. Our written neck tension headache stretches lesson lets you feel the approach before you sign up for anything, free.

Where Migraine Buddy, Headspace, Calm or Bob and Brad fit better

Choose Migraine Buddy if your headaches are migraines, or if you want a record of attacks, triggers and medication to bring to a doctor. Questions about taking painkillers too often belong in that appointment too, and a diary gives it something to work from. Choose Headspace or Calm if stress sits mostly in your thoughts and your neck feels loose. Choose Bob and Brad if you want free, clear explanations of the neck and are happy to pick and pace the exercises yourself. A headache that arrives suddenly and severely, comes with fever, a stiff neck, confusion or weakness, or follows a head injury needs urgent medical care, not an app. Feldy sits alongside medical care, never in its place. For the method set against stretching, massage and medication, see Feldenkrais for tension headaches.

Common Questions about the best app for tension headaches (FAQ)

What is the best app for tension headaches?

Feldy, for headaches that build as the neck, jaw and shoulders tighten through a desk day or a stressful one. Its short voice guided Feldenkrais lessons teach you to feel that holding and let it go. They stay gentle enough to do while the head is sore. For logging migraines and their triggers, Migraine Buddy is the better tool.

Is Feldy better than Headspace or Calm for tension headaches?

For a headache that lives in a held neck and jaw, yes. Headspace and Calm settle a busy mind well, and that matters when stress is the trigger. They work through the mind while the body sits still. Feldy works through the neck, jaw and shoulders directly, with small movements, a different mechanism for the same problem.

Is it safe to do a Feldy lesson while I have a headache, and who should hold off?

For a familiar, mild to moderate tension headache, yes. Every movement is small, slow and inside comfort, and you can stop at any point. A headache that is sudden and severe, comes with fever, a stiff neck, confusion or weakness, or follows a head injury needs urgent medical care, not a lesson. A new headache, or one that has changed character, belongs with a doctor, and Feldy sits alongside that care.

What should I avoid when choosing an app for tension headaches?

Avoid any app that promises to cure headaches, because movement lessons are education, not treatment, and that applies to Feldy too. Avoid neck routines that pull hard at end range, since a held neck tends to grip harder when it is forced. And match the tool to the job: a tracker will not soften a neck, and a movement app is not a record for your doctor.

How often should I use a tension headache app like Feldy, and when will I notice anything?

A short lesson most days is the rhythm Feldy is built for, ideally at the end of the desk day the headache came from. Many people notice within one lesson that the jaw has been clenched or the shoulders lifted without their knowing. A lighter neck that lasts usually takes a few weeks of regular practice, and none of that is a promise about how often headaches will come.