A migraine is an extreme version of a headache marked by moderate to severe pain and throbbing in the head, and can be accompanied by nausea as well as sensitivity to light and movement. Migraine attacks can be absolutely crippling & debilitating. In some cases, these painful headaches are preceded or accompanied by some sort of sensory warning sign, such as flashes of light, blind spots, “auras” or tingling in a limb. If you are one of the poor souls who suffer from chronic headaches or migraines, then you know the misery of which we speak.
One remedy that many find effective, but not many know to seek out, is massage. When applied therapeutically, massage helps to relieve muscle spasms, improve blood flow and circulation, relieve tension and promote relaxation. Massage has been shown to be helpful in bringing relief for migraine sufferers and both tension and vascular headaches, in both studies and from our own anecdotal evidence from clients.
Because many migraine sufferers experience extreme sensitivity to touch, and movement, deep tissue massage during an acute attack may not be ideal. However, when used as a proactive intervention on a regular basis, it can help to reduce the quantity, duration and/or intensity for ongoing migraine sufferers.
Many of our chronic migraine and headache clients will seek out massage on a weekly, bi-weekly or even monthly basis and request the majority of the 60 or 90 minute session to be focused on head, neck, shoulder & upper back tension, though full body massage is still beneficial systemically. Did you know that Just Be Bodyworks even offers 30 minute sessions for clients committing to ongoing appointments every week or every other week? Book a 30, 60 or 90 minute session with one of our skilled and compassionate massage therapists to discover how massage can help with headaches and migraines.
Are you one of our existing clients and have a massage for migraines or headaches success story to share? Please consider leaving us a review on Google or Facebook.