The next time you find yourself reaching for the Tylenol at the onset of a headache, consider making an appointment with your local massage therapist instead.
If you routinely suffer from headaches and find yourself rubbing at your neck and shoulders for relief, it’s likely you’re one of many who experiences tension headaches. If this sounds like you, regular massage treatments might just be your answer.
The tension headache is one of the most common types of headaches, affecting most people at some point in their lives, some on a chronic level. Often we chalk up these headaches to stress and tiredness, which certainly can be contributing factors, however in many cases, tension headaches are a result of poor posture.
Poor posture, be it at work in front of a computer or even sleeping in the fetal position, causes tightness in the neck, shoulders and upper back muscles. It is one of the main causes of muscle spasms, trigger points, Temporomandibular joint dysfunction and poor neck alignment.
Continual strain on the neck, shoulder and upper back muscles results in tearing on a microscopic level. The body tries to prevent this tearing by forcing the muscles to knot up, which results in muscle spasms. Despite these spasms, some tearing does occur due to the continual strain on the muscles. Over time, the body tries to heal these tears by forming microscopic scar tissue over the top. But these scar tissue fibers eventually lock your spasms into place.
The tightness and spasms in the upper body restrict blood flow to the back of the head resulting in a tension headache.
Recognizing the tension headache
Tension headaches often show up as tightness, pain, or muscle spasms in the head, neck, shoulders, and arms. They may also cause pain in the jaw, temple and behind the eyes.
Tension headaches tend to be chronic but manageable whereas migraine and cluster headaches are more severe and can last several days. Migraines also have many possible causes, including poor neck alignment, chemical and hormonal changes, neurological problems, vascular problems, environmental irritants, food sensitivities, and blood sugar regulation. They are often accompanied by other symptoms, such as sensitivity to light and sound, and nausea or vomiting.
The cluster headache is less common but more severe than the migraine, occurring several times a day over a period of a couple of weeks to a few months.
Other types of headaches include sinus headaches (when the membranes lining the sinuses become swollen and inflamed) and organic headaches (these are rare and occur as a result of an abnormality in the brain or skull such as a tumor.)
How massage therapy helps
To alleviate chronic tension headaches it is essential to do two things:
1. Correct your posture
2. Relieve the spasms in the neck, shoulders and upper back so normal blood flow is resumed and nerve irritation is eliminated.
Massage therapy will help you do both. Here’s how:
• Massage stimulates circulation by increasing blood flow to areas that might be ischemic (lacking blood flow), thereby helping to relieve pain.
• Massage decreases pain from Trigger Points, the 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 as well as decrease the amount of knots and scar tissue in the muscles.
• Massage relieves muscle spasms and tension by loosening tight muscles and constricted bands of tissue. This helps with muscle balance and neck alignment. Also, loosening the muscles at the base of the skull can relieve the kind of tension headaches that travel up the back of the head and into the eye area.
• Massage helps regulate certain hormones. Studies have shown that regular massage therapy decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, while increasing feel-good endorphins. This restoration of the body to a more balanced hormonal state helps to decrease stress and anxiety, resulting in improved sleep and fewer headaches.
If you suffer from tension headaches on a regular basis, your massage therapist may suggest a postural exam. In the mean time you can also try some simple exercises at home to help improve your posture and alleviate discomfort.
The behind-the-back stretch.
Here’s an excellent stretch you can practice on a daily basis at home or in the office.It can be done sitting or standing. If you sit, make sure you have a chair that supports your back.
Hook your arms over the back of the chair and pull your shoulder blades together (if you’re standing, assume the military position: head up, shoulders back and stomach tight). As you do this, make sure you stick your chest out. This part is key so exaggerate the move as much as you can. And make sure you keep your head up.
Pull your shoulder blades together until you feel a pull in your shoulder joints. Don’t go overboard on this; you don’t want to cause any pain. Now hold this stretch for three full minutes (don’t cheat and quit early; the length of this stretch is very important). At the end of this stretch, you should feel your back muscles loosen a bit; you may even feel a warm rush of blood up the back of your neck.