Headaches can be a real misery and sometimes it can seem as if you’ve tried everything to get rid of
them but they just keep on coming back. Painkillers can seem like the obvious choice because yes,
they do work – but then the headache will often return. If you’re really unlucky you may also end up
with a rebound headache which is common in people who take painkillers regularly. So, what can
you do?
If you doctor tells you that medically you’re fine and sends you away with instructions to relax more
and get some sleep, it might feel as though you’re not being taken seriously. If just getting more
sleep and less stress were the answer we’d have found a way to do it by now, and in any case…life
isn’t that simple. And you still have a headache.
Massage therapy might be a way out of the headache hell that doesn’t involve taking drugs that only
end up making the problem worse.
More Americans complain about headaches than any other medical condition. It’s thought that
around 45 million Americans suffer from headaches every year, and of course that’s only the people
who report them. Statistically, it’s around one in every six people – with more than eight million
Americans going as far as seeing their doctor about it.
How can massage help a headache?
Massage has two main benefits when it comes to beating regular headaches.
A massage can help headaches that are caused by trigger points, muscle spasms and general
tension. These are thought to be a major cause of headaches and a massage therapist has some
great tools to help give you relief from the pain – her hands. Some points on your body, like the back
of your skull can bring on a feeling of deep relaxation, and this spot is known to be a great place to
massage anyone who has tension headaches.
Regular massage helps to regulate hormones in your body that manage your mood, sleeping
patterns and appetite. We all know that if we’re feeling tired, if we have low blood sugar or if we’re
just in a bad mood we’re prone to getting headaches, so regulating the hormones responsible can
really help decrease the number of headaches you experience.
What else can you do about regular headaches?
There are other things that will help banish your regular sore heads, and your massage therapist will
be able to give you a bit of advice about what might work for you – as well as providing healing
hands. Make sure that you tell her about your work environment, sleeping habits and arrangements
and even things like how much coffee you drink because these are all potential triggers for
headaches that with a little tweaking could substantially reduce the number of bad heads you suffer
from.
With something as common as a headache, often it’s the simple things that can make all the
difference. A muscle tension easing massage can potentially relieve headaches caused by bad
posture, too many pillows or not getting enough exercise, reducing pressure on the nerves and
blood vessels that compound the problem.
So next time you reach to pop another pill, remember that masking the pain with a drugstore
remedy will not stop your headaches – so book yourself in for a massage treatment and give
yourself the gift of long term pain relief!