A common complaint among my clients is headaches. Most headaches are stress related, but many are migraines, especially among women. My coworker and I get migraines and it's common for us to beg each other for a trade-out when our headaches hit.
In my practice I've found that a migraine will create a characteristic tension pattern on one side of the neck, from the base of the skull down into the shoulder and between the shoulder blades. If preventive measures fail and the migraine is allowed to manifests these symptoms, massage may relieve the severity, but will not get rid of the migraine. Drugs and sleep are the only way I know to find relief from a full blown migraine.
Prevention is the best course of action for treatment of migraines.
Research studies show that regular massage is effective in reducing the frequency and severity of migraine headaches.
Stress headaches commonly take the form of tightness, ropiness or knots in the shoulders and neck. Relieving the tension by massaging these areas is the most common protocol for relieving stress or tension headaches.
Sometimes migraine headaches are mistaken for sinus headaches. I have developed a protocol for relieving sinus headaches with pressure and congestion. By combining craniosacral therapy, lymph drainage and acupressure, I can help facilitate sinus drainage. One client even called me on their cell phone 10 minutes after a session to report that the treatment worked!
There is no literature suggesting massage is beneficial for cluster headaches.
Rebound headaches are a side-effect of withdrawal from over-the-counter medications. The best treatment is to cease all OTC medication and, in severe cases, go through the weaning process under a doctor's supervision.
Posted by linda on June 24, 2004What is possible would never have been achieved if, in this world, people had not repeatedly reached for the impossible.
Posted by: fleshlight on December 8, 2004 04:40 AM