How can massage help relieve your headaches?

Headaches are one of the more common discomforts people feel on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes it can be a minor dull ache, or sometimes it can leave you in bed for the day. Headaches can last for a few hours up to several days. They can seriously impact your daily life if they occur frequently or for an extended period of time. Here are some ways massage can help relieve those headaches.

Massage releases muscle tension, one of the more common types of headaches are "tension headaches" that can be caused from tension in the jaw, neck, or shoulders. Muscle tension headaches produce a dull, constant pain on both sides of the head and can sometimes include an aching neck. Massage can quickly reduce the pain by easing muscle tension, relieving muscle spasms, releasing shortened muscles, and relaxing tension held in the muscles of the neck, head, and shoulders. 

Massage promotes relaxation. Tension doesn't have to come from an injury, or poor posture. I'm sure everyone has heard the phrase "I carry my stress in my shoulders". Stress and anxiety can really wear on the body. Promoting relaxation can help relieve the stress you're carrying, and relief the headache that's associated with it. Sometimes one of the biggest triggers for headaches is lack of sleep. Since massage can put you into a state of relaxation it helps you fall asleep easier and stay asleep. 

People are turning to massage more and more every day for pain relief from their headaches. When booking a massage with your RMT for headache relief make sure you describe the pain (ex: dull, achy, stabbing, throbbing), location of the headache, how long your headaches typically last for, how frequently you get them, what makes them feel better, and what makes them worse, or triggers them.