Have you ever closed yourself off in a dark bedroom because of a headache, in the sheer hopes that the respite of sleep will continue when you wake up and you will be pain free? You hope the throbbing behind your right eye will go away, that the bright light won't bother you, and that every little sound won't intensify the stabbing pain shooting through your skull. This isn't always the case, of course.
Mary's story
I have a client; let's call her Mary (not her real name). Mary gets persistent headaches. Usually they start as something small and stay with her for long periods of time, sometimes days or even weeks. Periodically they get really bad and end up like the situation mentioned above, but usually they're just more of a nagging thing.
She was under the impression that she suffered migraines... all the time. Her doctor gave her this impression.
Mary is usually able to handle the headaches with over the counter (OTC) drugs and rest, but finds a lot of relief from massage. She even had some experience with prescription migraine drugs by her doctor's suggestion. The drugs and rest often don't fix the problem and tend to just prolong the time between her much needed body work.
One day, when the meds just weren't cutting it, she decided to try massage. This is where I enter into the story. After some questioning and a little bit of assessment, I found a lot of structural issues including the scoliosis she had been diagnosed with as a child. I also pinpointed bad physical habits she has that contribute to a lot of muscle tension. This tension was responsible for tension headaches that sometimes developed into migraines, but usually didn't.
These were the persistent tension headaches she was having, not migraines. Not only did this explain why the migraine drugs weren't helping, but also why the headaches sometimes felt so different from each other.
Headaches are, at best, a nuisance, and at worst can be completely debilitating, to the extent of missing work or fun with friends and family.
Caring for your headaches
How do you get the help you need for your headaches? Lots of people rely on acetaminophen (Tylenol is the non-generic name) or ibuprofen. Over the counter headache meds will often work for a common simple headache, but rarely address the underlying cause and can barely touch the worst of headaches.
The next step is often doctor's appointments, missed work, and prescription drugs. You have other choices. According to a study in the American Journal of Public Health, a study proved that headache frequency was "significantly reduced within the first week of the massage protocol," and "The duration of headaches tended to decrease during the massage treatment period." In other words, massage is more effective at treating and preventing headaches than any kind of drug. They are often a cheaper and more pleasant experience, and with little to no negative side effects.
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