How Massage Can Reduce Your Headache

Headaches, tension, sinusitis, and even migraines make even simple chores unbearable at times. I speak from experience, and I can assure you, it’s no mean feat getting through them. What I’m about to say, I’m not saying lightly: massage can become a life-changer. It’s not a luxury, but a tool that can make headaches less painful and less recurring. Let me introduce you to working with headaches through massage and why it can become your long-awaited salvation.

Now, let’s review why headaches first, and then I’ll move on to discussing how massage can alleviate them. There’s a whole litany of them: tension, tension in your muscles, poor posture, lack of sleep, and even simple dehydration. For me, I have discovered that computer work for long stretches can actually produce tension headaches for me. Have you ever gotten a knot in your shoulder, your neck?

They can be ongoing, but not necessarily have to consume your life. That is when massage enters in.

Massage isn’t a mere indulgence but a healing remedy, and one that can attack the cause, not symptoms, of headaches. Let me detail for you, in a concrete manner, how a proper massage can make a real difference.

1. Relaxation of tension in shoulder and neck

I don’t know how many times I have experienced a tension headache that’s related to tension in my shoulder and neck muscles. All it takes is tension, poor postures, and long computer sessions with your head down, and these shoulder and neck muscles become constricted, producing tension headaches. What’s lovely about a massage is that it addresses these areas specifically. With a trained practitioner, one can have that tension in the muscles relieved and subsequently, have a reduced level of headaches.

2. Strengthens Blood Flow and Blood Circulation

Massage can work in a second way, and that is through circulation improvement. Poor circulation can actually produce headaches in a lot of cases, specifically when one is not hydrated enough and when one stays in one position for a long period of time. Massaging can stimulate circulation towards your head, and your head and neck receive a boost in oxygen and nutrition through this, minimizing a headache and its severity.

3. Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Face it—stress is a prevalent cause of headaches. It can be work, family, or even getting through a run-of-the-mill day, but whatever it is, it can cause your muscles to tighten and your brain to overwork. That brings about tension headaches, and even sometimes, migraines. One of the best values of a massage for headaches, perhaps, is its relaxing property, and one that can actually make your level of tension fall and, in consequence, your chance of getting a headache in the first place.

4. Releasing Endorphins for Pain

Massage works for a similar purpose: it releases your inbuilt painkillers, endorphins. Endorphins have a blocking effect, and your mood will become a little brighter. Have you ever noticed that “good” feeling when getting a massage? That’s your endorphin at work. For headaches, it works particularly well, and your inbuilt painkillers can calm a headache without drugs.

5. It Enhances Quality of Sleep

Did you know headaches can actually cause poor sleep? Not matter whether it’s insomnia, restless sleep, or not sleeping enough, it can cause long-term headaches. Massage comes in and treats both, with its tension-melting, relaxing, and deeper sleep-conductive capabilities. It’s a two-way street: you sleep better, and in return, fewer headaches occur

6. Helps Alleviate Sinus Pressure

If you suffer from sinus headaches, then you know firsthand how horrible they can make one feel. All that aching, congested, and pressuring can make one drained and fatigued. Fortunately, massage can calm sinus headaches by creating an outlet for drainage and soothing tension in your head and face. With a qualified massage practitioner, one can apply direct pressure to your sinus areas to diffuse any obstruction and alleviate your aches and pains.

If you’re having a massage for headaches, a little preparation can go a long way in getting the most out of your session:

• Inform your therapist: Tell your massage therapist that you’re getting a massage for a headache and inform them about your specific areas of tension and any sensitive areas that hurt when touched.

• Hydrate: Drinking a significant amount of water both preceding and following your massage can flush out toxins and preserve your muscles’ moisture, minimizing your chance for any post-massage soreness.

• Breathe deep: As your massage continues, monitor your breaths closely. Inhale and exhale consciously in order for your body to become even more relaxed

• Regular sessions: Having a single session can suffice, but continued sessions can prevent headaches becoming a long-term issue.

Massage for headaches is not a relaxing exercise; it’s a therapeutic modality that addresses the cause, not symptoms, of headaches. Whatever your headaches, tension, circulation, stress, or sinus, massage can both reduce intensity and frequency. I can testify firsthand about putting massage in my routine, and I can assure you, it’s a new life for me in dealing with and preventing headaches.

If headaches have been your issue and you have not yet taken a chance with a massage, I implore you to give it a try. It could possibly become your solution.

Need headache relief? Visit Raleigh Massage for expert massage therapy tailored to your needs.