Who doesn’t love a good head and neck massage? Did you know that receiving a massage at the onset of a migraine can drastically reduce the severity of the headache? According to this article migraine sufferers should have their massage therapist on speed dial.
Massage is helpful in addressing migraine headaches. If you can receive massage therapy quick enough, you can avoid hours, perhaps days, of discomfort. Massage can relieve the muscular tension caused by stress or the pain itself…
…Relieve pain by releasing the body’s natural pain relievers known as endorphins. Hot or cold packs can be applied to the base of the skull to calm the vacillation between dilation and constriction of blood vessels. Cold numbs and constricts, while heat opens vessels and soothes the muscles and nerves. Tension headaches respond best to heat.
I love watching my clients’ reaction when I begin to work on their occiput (drooling…mouth hanging open, eyes rolling into the backs of their heads) 🙂 I have been known to spend a whole hour on just the head, neck and jaw. My favorite combo is Swedish massage – long gliding strokes, followed by deep Neuromuscular Therapy and Myofascial Release. I finish up with soothing Cranio Sacral work and my client floats out of the room feeling like a whole new person!
Other remedies for migraines that you could try at home include monitoring your diet and knowing which foods my be triggers and avoiding them, managing your stress, application of heat and cold, and aromatherapy.
Do you suffer from migraines? What has brought you relief in the past?