Massage is a natural alternative to pain medication, without side effects, that helps headaches and migraine pain
It promotes relieving muscle spasms and helps better blood circulation which reduces pressure in the head
In a recent study Chronic tension headache sufferers received massage therapy treatment directed toward neck and shoulder muscles. Headache frequency, duration, and intensity were recorded and compared with baseline measures.
The results of this study suggest that massage therapy is effective in reducing the number of headaches per week in chronic tension headache sufferers. Compared with baseline levels, headache frequency was reduced within 1 week of massage treatment. This reduction was maintained during the 4 weeks of the treatment period. A trend toward a reduction in the average duration of each headache event between the baseline period and the treatment period was also noted. On the basis of these results, we conclude that pain associated with chronic tension headache can be alleviated through specific massage therapy treatments directed at cranial and cervical muscles.
The muscle-specific massage therapy technique used in this study has the potential to be a functional, nonpharmacological intervention for reducing the incidence of chronic tension headache.
