5 Ways Massage Can Relieve Your Migraines & Headaches
We have all been there… we work hard all day and as soon as we get home our energy is zapped and that tension headache kicks in, or even worse, a severe migraine. Leaving us with the prospect of having to spend our hard earned free time holding our heads beneath a pillow in a dark room and full of self pity after scrambling for the ibuprofen and pain killers.
Sound familiar? It probably does, as the average person is known to get at least 10 headaches per year. That’s just under one per month. If it doesn’t sound familiar… we hate you. But for our fellow sufferers out there, we have some good news!
Next time those migraine symptoms kick in, (usually after a stressful drive home from work, or from gazing at that computer screen for so long) don’t reach for those painkillers, instead, try a little massage? Believe us, massage works wonders for treating that sore head and it could end your pain and change the rest of your life. Here is how…
Massages for Migraines – Prevention is better than Cure
Let’s face it, we don’t want to wait for the migraine symptoms to kick in before we start treating it, that still hurts and it still affects our day. So luckily for you massage can prevent those headaches from ever getting close. In fact, it’s actually easier to prevent a tension headache that it is to treat it when it starts.
You will learn from our Physology treatment that we look at your body as a whole, as one organism. So while you may think your tension headache is coming from the strain on your eyes or too much brain activity, the root cause may actually be somewhere else.
Here are some top tips for preventing headaches and migraines:
1) Relax and Release tightness in the Neck
The head may rule all but it is nothing without the neck. Your neck provides your head with the full range of movement to allow us to get on with everyday activities. From looking left and right to simply standing up, if your neck muscles are tight they will pull on your head causing more pain.
This restricted blood flow and movement causes stress which of course results in tension headaches. A regular neck massage to ensure that the muscles and connective tissue, fascia, is released will allow full and efficient range of movement in the neck and will prevent future headaches from occurring.
2) Massage Those Hips
Your neck isn’t the only group of muscles and connective tissue that needs massaging, relaxing and even realigning. Your hips are one of the main body areas that causes much of your pain.
As the central point of our bodies they pull our muscles and spine before reaching our neck and the skull. This of course affects our posture and the way we hold our head.
If the head is overcompensating from a lack of support in the hips, you have yourself a headache or Migraine.
A Physology practitioner will release any damage in the hips through our unique massage treatment before Re-aligning the hips to ensure they stay in perfect function and to ensure that head pain stays away.
3) Relax the Face
You might have noticed a common theme here… there are other parts of the body that are connected to your headaches!
You are absolutely right and this is how Physology works. If your body is out of alignment at your hips, it is likely that you will be tight in the neck.
If you are tight in the neck then you might just be clenching those jaw muscles more than you realise.
Tightness in the jaw or ‘Jaw Clenching’ is a common cause of headache pain. So keep it freed up and relaxed with a nice massage.
4) Destress
If you are living a stressful life the body naturally responds by tightening the neck and shoulder muscles which moves the shoulders forward and in a more upright tensed position.
The consequence of this is once again added pressure and strain on the skull and in particular the scalp and face muscles which result in a headache.
While the above massage treatments are long term headache preventions staying relaxed with a massage is a great way to keep that stress at bay and keep the sore head away,
5) Breath!
Any massage therapist will tell you that it is essential that you control your breathing throughout treatment.
A relaxed breathing pattern will allow your massage therapist to go deeper into your muscles and connective tissue which will make for greater results.
It is also essential to maintain your breathing throughout life. Your breath is your main indicator of stress and it is your bodies control mechanism of stress too.
So in addition to keeping your body stressed with that relaxing massage it is important to maintain the state of relaxation by controlling your breathing at all times.
Don’t worry though, this isn’t as difficult as it sounds and your therapist will teach exactly how to relax your body and mind without even having to think about it.
So there you have it. If you want to get rid of those headaches and migraines once and for all, massage is the answer.
The Physology method is an advanced assessment and treatment system developed over 10 years, recently adopted by Everton FC and Premier League & England Players, following our miraculous results in curing patients with chronic pain in shorter period of time.