Massage For Migraines: Beat Headaches With Massage Therapy
Do you suffer from migraines or know somebody that does? These debilitating pains can have you out for days on end at times. Sometimes we do everything we can to prevent them, but migraines have a funny tendency of popping up whenever they feel like it, unprovoked even.
What’s The Difference Between A Migraine and Headache?
There are many different types of migraines, and headaches. A headache will generally cause localized pain in one area, and tends to end on its own, or with painkillers. Headaches can be painful, but are usually short-lived and the result of environment, or dehydration.
Migraines seem to happen with no rhyme or reason, though some can be seasonal, or brought on by diet, or stress. Migraines tend to last much longer than headaches, affect one side of the head, and have accompanying symptoms such as:
Nausea
Pain in one side of the head, behind the eye or ear
Light sensitivity
Flashing lights or spots (known as an aura)
Temporary vision loss
The only true way to get a proper diagnosis between a headache or a migraine is to talk to your family doctor.
What Causes Migraines and Headaches?
Head pain can be brought on by a multitude of different ways.
Hormonal changes (particularly in women)
Fluctuations in estrogen can be a trigger for migraines in women, oftentimes occurring before menstrual periods, pregnancy or menopause.
Alcoholic beverages
Both alcohol and caffeine can be a trigger for migraines in some, particularly red wines.
Stress and physical factors
Mental and physical stresses can be a major contributor to overall body tension and trigger migraines and headaches.
Certain foods and food additives
Certain preservatives such as sulphites, aspartame, and MSG can all be migraine triggers.
Weather changes
Drops in barometric pressure can be a cause of headaches and migraines, particularly in the fall and spring when the weather changes.
Scents and sensory stimuli
Heavy scents can bring on headaches for some, such as paint thinner, cigarettes and perfumes.
How Can Massage Therapy Help With Migraines and Headaches?
While massage therapy cannot cure migraines and headaches, it can help to alleviate the severity of the symptoms associated with migraines.
Massage Therapy Helps Promote Circulation
Massage therapy can help to promote healthy blood flow and proper circulation to parts of your body that may be ischemic (lacking in blood flow), such as your neck, skull and cranium, and this can help to alleviate pain.
Massage Therapy Decreases Stress
Massage therapy has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol, which is the hormone responsible for creating physical and emotional stresses. Therefore, massage therapy helps to reduce stress, which is a known migraine trigger.
Massage Therapy Eases Tense Muscles and Relieves Spasms
Migraines and headaches can be caused or triggered by physical tension in the head, neck, and back, and massage therapy helps to keep these muscles more relaxed and reduces muscle spasms as well.
Book Your Massage Online
If you’re struggling with headaches or migraines, or are just looking to relax - book your massage in Calgary online with us today! We offer full online booking services, or use the form below to contact us to book your downtown Calgary massage with Why Knot.
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