Healers in China and throughout Asia have used massage as a therapeutic solution for over 5,000 years. It was a healing method used to balance the system and improve energy flow. Massages were once considered a form of alternative medicine by western doctors. Today, it is a mainstream practice known to provide numerous benefits – including how to manage your headache with massage therapy
Manage Migraine Pain
Migraine is much more intense than a basic headache. The sufferers often experience sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells as well as nausea, vomiting, and even visual impairments. The pain may continue without relief for a few hours or as long as a couple of days. Work or school disruptions are common and social relationships may suffer because of the misery.
Massage therapy can manage your headache and has helped many migraine patients to find relief from the pain and to help reduce the frequency of the attacks. Experts believe massage is beneficial because it addresses what is thought to be the cause of the headaches. Massage regulates the stress hormone cortisol, relieves trigger point pain, and helps to control pain by boosting blood oxygen levels.
Some of the best types of massage for migraine sufferers are deep tissue, neuromuscular, and reflexology. Sample different massage techniques to discover the one that works the best because every migraine sufferer is unique.
Relieve Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches are like migraines but are distinguishable by the intensity of the pain experienced and how they appear. Cluster headache sufferers often have daily reoccurring attacks that last for weeks or months, and then they are headache-free for several months or longer. Cluster headaches make even the simplest of daily tasks impossible to complete.
In cluster headaches, there is no cure and all patients respond differently to the usual treatments of drug or oxygen therapy. Improved circulation and lower stress levels may help to prevent some cluster headache attacks. The use of craniosacral massage, shiatsu, reflexology, and deep tissue massage therapy to manage your headache are recommended to accomplish these steps.
Treat Sinus Pain
Headache that occurs along with a stuffy nose is not necessarily a sinus headache. In fact, doctors will often diagnose chronic bouts of this type of pain as a migraine. However, pressure and pain in the face and head due to inflamed and stuffy sinuses is undeniably real. Massage can also help to treat this type of pain and pressure because it relieves the congestion.
Lymphatic drainage massage can help to relieve sinus pain and reduce the risk of infection. Another option for relief is aromatherapy, and many spas combine this treatment with their massage services. Common scents to use for sinus relief include lemon, peppermint, and eucalyptus. Craniosacral therapy is also beneficial for chronic sinus sufferers.
Stop Tension Headaches
It is nearly impossible to avoid all of the potential triggers for tension headaches. Loss of sleep, stress, eye strain, and food sensitivity are all common causes. Tension headaches cause pressure around the skull and make the shoulders and neck muscles feel stiff. The pressure and stiffness are sensations that can remain for days without any relief.
Massage not only relieves the pain of tension headaches, but it can also help to prevent headaches that are stress-induced. Relieve a tension headache and relax the tight muscles caused by stress with a deep tissue massage.
There is no guarantee that any type of massage will eliminate chronic headaches, but it is a risk-free treatment option that is always enjoyable and relaxing. At Qi Massage & Natural Healing Spa our expertly trained staff is happy to help clients find a solution for their headaches.
Contact us to schedule a massage in Winston-Salem to see if the techniques we offer are the solution for you.
