How Corrective Exercise Relieves Headaches: Chad Gossen's Approach
Corrective exercise can relieve a headache by releasing tension in the chest, lats, and neck muscles that pull the head forward, addressing a common root cause of head and neck pain. At Function Thru Fitness in Green Bay, WI, corrective exercise specialist Chad Gossen uses a light, targeted workout to help clients find headache relief in a single session — a service available to clients throughout Green Bay and the surrounding Brown County communities of Northeast Wisconsin.
In our video, Chad Gossen, CPNMT, LMT, NASM-CPT, CES, shares what he does when a client shows up dealing with a headache severe enough that they nearly canceled their session.
A Headache That Almost Canceled a Session
Chad hears it often: a client walks in and says they were just about to cancel because of a bad headache. Instead of sending them home, Chad takes them out onto the workout floor for a light corrective exercise session built specifically around what's driving the headache.
It's a moment that could easily go the other way — most people assume a headache means they should skip their session and go home to lie down. Chad's approach flips that assumption: rather than being a reason to cancel, the workout floor becomes the place where the headache actually gets addressed.
What's Actually Causing the Headache
Many of the headaches Chad sees come down to the same root cause: tightness in the chest and lats that pulls the head forward, along with tension through the neck. That pattern shows up after a bad night's sleep or a long day spent at a desk, and it tends to build gradually — most people don't notice their posture shifting until the headaches start showing up on a regular basis. Rather than treating the headache directly, Chad's corrective exercise workout targets the muscles pulling the head and neck out of position.
What a Session With Chad Actually Involves
A session with Chad starts with a quick, functional look at how a client is holding their head, shoulders, and spine — not a generic questionnaire. From there, he identifies which specific muscles are pulling the body out of alignment and builds a short, targeted sequence around exactly those areas, rather than a generic stretching routine pulled from a handout.
That individualized starting point matters because two people with the exact same headache symptom can have two completely different root causes — one might be chest and lat tightness from years at a desk, another might be neck tension from stress or sleep position. Chad's corrective exercise background means he's assessing for the specific pattern in front of him, not applying a one-size-fits-all fix.
How the Workout Works
The session is light, not intense, focused on loosening the chest, the lats, and anything else contributing to a forward head posture. By about three quarters of the way through, most clients notice their headache has resolved.
The exercises themselves are straightforward stretches and mobility drills, but the sequence and target areas are anything but generic — they're selected based on what Chad identifies during the initial assessment, which is why the same workout doesn't get handed to every client walking through the door.
A Repeatable Tool for Ongoing Relief
Chad prints the workout so clients can take it home and repeat it whenever a headache shows up again. Over time, that gives clients a way to manage recurring headaches without relying on ibuprofen or aspirin every time. For clients who deal with tension headaches regularly, that printed routine becomes a genuine self-management tool — something they can reach for at the first sign of tightness rather than waiting for the headache to fully set in.
Beyond Headaches: Chad's Broader Approach to Corrective Exercise
While this story centers on headache relief, Chad's corrective exercise work extends well beyond it. The same root-cause, assessment-first approach applies to a wide range of chronic pain and movement restriction issues — anywhere tightness, poor posture, or muscle imbalance is limiting how a client moves or feels day to day. Clients throughout Green Bay and the surrounding Northeast Wisconsin area work with Chad for everything from desk-related neck and shoulder tension to longer-standing movement restrictions.
Chad's dual background in corrective exercise and neuromuscular therapy also means he can move between a light, active workout and hands-on manual therapy depending on what a client's body needs that day — giving clients more than one path to relief under the same specialist.
Finding a Corrective Exercise Specialist Near Me in Green Bay
For clients dealing with recurring headaches, a corrective exercise specialist near me search often leads people to Function Thru Fitness, where Chad Gossen and the rest of the team build sessions around the actual cause of pain, not just the symptom — serving clients in Green Bay and throughout the surrounding Brown County communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a corrective exercise specialist
A corrective exercise specialist identifies the movement patterns and muscle imbalances behind pain, then builds a targeted plan to address them. Chad Gossen, CPNMT, LMT, NASM-CPT, CES, uses this approach at Function Thru Fitness to help clients with issues ranging from chronic pain to recurring headaches, starting with a functional look at how the body is actually moving rather than a generic checklist.
Common conditions treated by corrective exercise specialists
Corrective exercise specialists work with a wide range of conditions, including chronic pain, movement restrictions, and issues like recurring headaches caused by tight chest and lat muscles pulling the head and neck forward. Posture-related neck and shoulder tension from long hours at a desk is another common issue clients bring to Chad.
Impact of corrective exercise on chronic pain
For clients dealing with chronic pain, including headaches tied to posture and muscle tension, corrective exercise addresses the underlying cause rather than just managing symptoms, often producing relief within a single session and giving clients a repeatable tool to manage flare-ups going forward.
What to expect during a corrective exercise consultation
Clients can expect a specialist like Chad Gossen to assess what's driving their pain, then walk them through a light, targeted workout. For headache clients, that often means loosening the chest and lats and releasing tension pulling on the neck — and leaving with a printed routine to repeat at home.
How to choose a corrective exercise specialist near me?
Look for a specialist who addresses the root cause of pain rather than just the symptom. Chad Gossen at Function Thru Fitness in Green Bay, WI, builds each session around what's actually causing a client's pain, whether that's a chronic issue or a headache that showed up that day, and serves clients throughout Green Bay and the surrounding Brown County area of Northeast Wisconsin.
Do I need to be an athlete to work with a corrective exercise specialist?
No. Corrective exercise is built around everyday movement patterns and muscle imbalances, which makes it just as relevant for someone dealing with desk-related posture issues or recurring headaches as it is for an athlete recovering from injury. Chad's clients range widely in age and activity level.
If headaches are something you deal with on a regular basis, book a session with Chad Gossen at www.ftfpt.com/chad and start finding relief without relying on medication.
Looking for the right place to start? Download our free guide: Essential Exercises for Lifelong Mobility and Independence — designed to improve strength, mobility, and balance at any age, no equipment required.
www.ftfpt.com/essential-exercises
At Function Thru Fitness, we're not your typical gym. As a trusted Fitness Center Green Bay WI, we specialize in personalized care through:
✔ Personal Trainer Green Bay programs tailored to your goals
✔ Corrective Exercise Specialist Near Me sessions to restore pain-free movement
✔ TPI Golf coaching and Golf Trackman Simulator training for performance and mobility
✔ Neuromuscular Therapy and Soft Tissue Therapy to relieve pain and restore function
✔ Athlete Recovery and Green Bay Personal Training solutions to keep you strong for the long term
Discover why so many choose Function Fitness and our Functional Fitness Gym approach to live healthier, more active lives.
Visit us at 801 Hoffman Rd. Suite 103, Green Bay, WI
www.ftfpt.com | info@ftfpt.com | 920-610-0004