Massage and Headaches

Spring is so beautiful and wonderful and can simultaneously be a real pain. Literally.

With all the changes in weather, the barometric pressure imitating a roller coaster, pollen parties, plus all the things that start to move so much faster with the improving weather, the end of school years, and holidays, spring is a potentially perfectly awful mix for those of us who suffer from chronic headache issues.

Maybe you have allergies that get bad enough that you then get horrible headaches. Same for sinus infections increasing this time of year. Maybe the barometric roller coaster increases your classic migraines. Maybe the cold wet weather creates more overall inflammation and that ends up affecting your neck and giving you headaches.

And maybe the demands and expectations created by end of school year testing, graduation parties, mother’s and father’s day, cabin fever, and all the rest increase your already high stress levels, again, leading to headaches of all kinds.

Whichever is happening — and maybe for you there are multiples — massage can help. (So can drinking more water, getting exercise, and taking time for QUIET. It’s always good to remember that massage is an integral piece of a larger puzzle and that nothing is a magic pill.)

First, regular massage can help keep headaches at bay by decreasing your stress. Taking care of you should be the first thing on your list. We can’t help others when we’re down for the count.

Regular massage will also increase blood flow, decrease inflammation, trigger relaxation responses in the brain, and simply help you to move better in your body … feeding right back into increased blood flow, decreased inflammation, etc.

See how that works?

Second, you can use massage in the moment. If you’re not having the sort of migraine that means you’re stuck in a dark room and simply unable to get out, you can schedule a Tension Tamer massage. These are specific to head, neck, and shoulders and can help alleviate a headache or decrease symptoms while it’s happening. (You can schedule these for 30 or 60 minutes.)

We also recommend deep tissue massage and trigger point therapy if you’re prone to headaches. Discuss your symptoms and needs with your therapist and the two of you can create a plan.

Finally, in between appointments, you can try some self massage techniques. Experiment and see what works:

1. Firmly press your thumb into the bridge of your nose where it meets your forehead. Hold for about ten seconds. Release. Remember to use long deep breathing. Repeat.

2. Using both hands pinch your eyebrows. Hold. Release. Breathing. Repeat.

3. In slow circles, massage your temples.

4. Firmly massage the back of your neck.

You can also try ice packs or a hot shower (each works in different cases).

And if you can, try to do some gentle movement and stretching.

You might also consider talking to Missy about your overall body alignment. Often we are walking, standing, and sitting in ways that increase the likelihood of headaches.