By Editors at TheMassageSource.com
Migraine headaches are a major pain, in the most literal sense, but also in their capacity to bring normal, everyday activities to a screeching halt – sometimes for days on end. Migraine sufferers are besieged by the severity of the symptoms, from excruciating head pain, to debilitating nausea, to an absolute intolerance to light and noise.
If you are among the one-in-six Americans who experiences migraine headaches, you’ve most likely suffered through many attempts to relieve migraine symptoms with drugs. Although some drugs bring some relief, more and more of you are seeking non-pharmaceutical treatments because of the side effects that can be also be debilitating. In addition, for many people with health problemsm such as heart disease and ulcers, as well as pregnant and lactating women, drug treatment for migraine headaches is not an option.
What Triggers a Migraine?
Common triggers for migraine headaches are emotional stress, acute physical stress, and lack of sleep. Chemical imbalances, including reduced serotonin levels, as well as hormonal imbalances and toxin buildups can also cause migraines. Poor circulation is another cause of migraines due to the lowered oxygen levels in the blood. All of these causes can be addressed through massage therapy techniques that reduce pain, increase circulation, release harmful toxins and helpful endorphins, relieve muscle tension, and take pressure off nerves. In fact, a study conducted by the Department of Psychology at the University of Auckland found that massage therapy produced overall improvements in migraine sufferers by decreasing anxiety, heart rates and cortisol levels, as well as improving sleep patterns and relieving muscle tension and pain.
Types of Massage Therapy for Migraine Headache Relief
Massage therapy as a practice will relieve the muscle tension that aggravates migraine headaches. However, specific therapies target key issues behind migraines:
- Cranial-Sacral Therapy – This massage targets the skull and scalp to stimulate nerve endings. In turn, this decreases the nerve signals that result in pain, relieving a great deal of head pain.
- Trigger Point Therapy – This is a type of neuromuscular therapy that relaxes muscles and reduces overall tension by targeting trigger points in the body, which are points of a muscle that are painful to pressure or touch. By pressing on these painful areas, pain and tension are relieved in other areas specifically, in this case, the areas of head pain. Trigger point therapy is also believed to reduce nerve compression, which aggravates the pain from a migraine.
- Deep Tissue Massage – In a way, deep tissue massage acts the same as trigger point therapy, but it involves larger areas of the body and entire muscle groups. Deep pressure and slow strokes improve circulation and release tension in the muscles, which loosens their grip on nerves and releases endorphins (good, to relieve pain) and harmful toxins.
- Accupressure – For migraines, this is most effective when pressure points on the head are focused on. Steady pressure is applied to specific points of the skull, which releases tension in the areas of pain while increasing blood circulation. It is also believed that accupressure will help to balance the body’s energy and hormone levels to increase your body’s overall functioning, and decrease tension and pain.
- Reflexology – Reflexology addresses hormonal imbalances, which are known to aggravate migraine headaches. By using facial reflexology, which links to the intestinal system, hormone flow becomes more regulated by restoring homeostasis to the glands and encouraging regular functioning.
- Rolfing – Rolfing is an aggressive manipulation of the muscles to ease tension and increase stimulation. Some people suffering from severe migraine pain believe that this intensity is necessary, but others can’t tolerate the intensity.
Massage therapy will reduce the physical symptoms and pain caused by migraine headaches, but it will also help on an emotional level. This further ensures the body will return to a state of healthfulness and will improve health overall. Among the benefits associated with migraine headache relief, is reduced muscle tension, better sleep and less stress.
- Improved Sleep – As circulation increases, your muscles give way to the benefits of massage. You become more relaxed, the body and mind enjoy the relief, and tension continues to decrease. Sleep becomes easier and deeper, and the body uses this time to heal. Sleep is more restful because it’s not interrupted by body pain. The mind begins to relax as it is relieved from the dread of migraine pain, as well as other body pains and discomforts that many sufferers can’t identify, stemming from hormone imbalances, toxic buildup in the tissues, chemicals and side effects from pharmaceutical pain relievers. There is also better blood flow with higher oxygen levels.
- Decreased Stress –When your body is more rested and your muscles are less tense, overall stress goes down, both physically and mentally. Stress levels also decrease when circulation is improved and hormones are in balance. Just rewarding yourself with a massage and taking that time out can reduce daily stress.
Combining Massage Therapy with Other Therapies
If your migraines are especially intense and frequent, you can still avoid pharmaceuticals by combining therapies. Yoga can stretch muscles to help release toxins and loosen their grip on nerves. Yoga also prepares muscles for better reception to massage. A hot tub will also loosen muscles and relieve tension, and this is especially beneficial preceding a massage. Chiropractic is also very effective when combined with massage, especially for releasing tension and compression on nerves.
Keep in mind that stress in all forms is a major cause of migraine headaches. Pain can be treated by medications, and of course there are also medications that reduce anxiety and stress levels. However, the key to managing stress over a lifetime is to learn to treat your body well. Massage therapy fits well with any healthy regimen, but if you are a migraine sufferer you could enjoy the luxury of a total body massage alongside the relief from one of the most excruciating conditions any human being could go through.
You’ve Got Nothing to Lose But Pain
Massage therapy isn’t necessarily a miracle “insta-cure,” although some migraine sufferers report immediate relief. For the reduction or elimination of chronic migraine headaches, both in frequency and intensity, however, massage therapy is possibly the most effective and longest term natural remedy available. Incorporating regular massages is always recommended for achieving maximum health results. But in the case of migraine headache relief it is essential to follow up on initial massage therapy in order to increase the benefits and keep your body, mind and spirit functioning at its best.
References:
Livestrong (2011): “The Effects of Massage Therapy On Migraines”
http://www.livestrong.com/article/192375-the-effects-of-massage-therapy-on-migraines/
Stafford, Diane and Jennifer Shoquist, MD (August, 2006). “Massaging Migraines Away”
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/massaging-migraines-away.html
Williams, Maureen, ND. Bastyr University (Sept 14, 2006). “Fewer Migraines with Massage Therapy” http://www.bastyrcenter.org/content/view/1178/
Lawler, SP and LD Cameron. “A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Massage Therapy as a Treatment for Migraine.” Department of Psychology, The University of Auckland.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16827629
Migraine Treatment Group (2012). “Massage Therapy As A Migraine Treatment.”
http://migrainetreatmentgroup.com/migraine-treatment/massage-therapy-as-a-migraine-treatment#
Vignoli, Robert (June 28, 2011). “Pressure Point Therapy for Treating Headaches and Migraines” rpm-therapy.com/2011/massage-techniques-headaches-migraines/
Body-Wise Therapeutics (2012). “Headaches and Migraines”
http://www.body-wisetherapeutics.com/our-services/info-about-massage/headaches-and-migraines