Chronic headaches are one of the most common complaints made to healthcare practitioners each year. These headache sufferers are looking for some answers and treatment. Headaches are most often treated with over-the-counter or prescription medications. Medication treatments are highly effective, but can sometimes only be a temporary solution for a chronic problem. Alternatively, massage therapy has been shown to be effective in treating migraine and tension headaches.

Types of Chronic Headaches

When it comes to chronic headaches, there are typically two types of headaches that are the root cause of such discomfort: migraines and tension headaches.

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches can be caused by a variety of things such as: muscle spasms, trigger points, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, neck alignment, stress, hormonal/chemical changes, dehydration, and stress/anxiety. These type of headaches can also cause discomfort and pain in a variety of ways such as: a tightness or constricting feeling in the head; pain in the head or referred pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms; muscle spasms/pain; pain in the jaw, or as pain around the temple and behind the eyes. Tension headaches usually do not come with sensitivities to light or sound, nor do they typically come with nausea.

Migraines

Migraine headaches are still somewhat mysterious. They are believed to be caused by neck alignment, chemical/hormonal changes, neurological problems, vascular problems, environmental irritants, food sensitivities, and/or blood sugar regulation issues. Migraines can be very severe and can last up to several days. These headaches do usually come with some sensitivities, such as sensitivity to light, sound, and can cause nausea or vomiting.

Benefits of Neck Massage

Both tension headaches and migraines can effectively treated by massage therapy. Not only can massage help relieve headache pain, but it can also help to prevent headaches from occurring again in the future. Massage is helpful for many reasons:

• Massage promotes circulation: Massage can increase blood flow in areas that might be lacking blood flow and therefore help relieve pain.
• Massage decreases pain from Trigger Points: Trigger Points are areas of hyper-irritable tissue that are very tender and also can refer pain to other areas of the body. Trigger Point Therapy or Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) can help decrease the pain and referrals into the neck and head.
• Massage relieves muscle spasms and tension: Massage can help loosen chronically tight muscles and taught bands of tissue. This helps with muscle balance and neck alignment. Additionally, loosening the muscles that attach to the base of the skull can relieve the tension headaches that travel up the back of the head and into the eye. Loosening these muscles can help relieve the ‘vice-like’ constricting headaches that many people suffer from.
• Massage helps regulate certain hormones: Massage therapy has shown to decrease levels of the stress hormone Cortisol. Massage therapy also increases endorphins and promotes relaxation. Due to this hormone effect, massage therapy can improve the quality of your sleep, which can impact the overall chance of a stress related headache occurring.
• Migraines: The research is unclear exactly why massage therapy helps those who suffer migraine headaches. However, in multiple studies, massage therapy was shown to decrease the frequency and the duration of migraines.

Relief From the Comfort of Your Home

The great thing about the benefits of massage in relation to chronic headaches is that there is a way to see these results without visiting a massage therapist. Neck massagers have evolved to the point that they can mimic the effects of a professional massage. Many of today’s neck massagers come with various functions, types of massages, and intensities. As with all serious medical issues, it is recommended that you consult with a physician prior to trying out anything new. However, we have established our list of recommended neck massagers and invite you to learn more to find the massager best suited for your needs.