Headaches. They’re tough. They can sometimes be passed off if they’re not too bad but sometimes they can limit your ability to work, make it hard to sleep, and make it even harder to complete your daily activities. Massage therapy in Milton is a non-pharmacological option for our Milton patients to pursue to find some relief with their headaches.
We will now go through 3 types of headaches and how massage therapy can help:
- Tension Type Headaches
When seeing one of our Registered Massage Therapists (RMT) they can help reduce the intensity and frequency of your headache by combining massage therapy with therapeutic exercise. For instance, when an RMT provides massage therapy specifically in the neck and shoulders, there have been cases exemplifying the reduction of tension-type headaches within a week. When we intake a patient who says they have a headache, we always recommend they try this case proved method to attempt to resolve their headaches.
- Migraines
Migraines are bad. I’ve personally experienced them a few times. They really drain your energy and prevent you from continuing to do your daily activities. Sometimes they can get so bad that you need bed rest to feel better. Manual therapy like massage has been found to be a non-drug option for many clients trying to reduce their intake of medication. Regular massage therapy treatments to the head and neck have also been found to lower the intensity and frequency of such migraines.
- Post-Concussion Headaches
It’s common to have chronic headaches are suffering from a concussion. We get lots of clients who play hockey or who have been in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) that come in with this issue. One word, whiplash. Whiplash is what causes this. In order to help reduce the intensity and frequency of our patient’s headaches and increase their range of motion, we recommend massage therapy. Along with massage therapy, our Doctors can recommend chiropractic and physiotherapy. Once you come in for your first appointment, one of our Doctors will be sure that you’re given the correct treatment plan.
References
Adams, R., White, B., & Beckett, C. (2010). The effects of massage therapy on pain management in the acute care setting. International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork, 3(1), 4–11.
Cheever, K., Kawata, K., Tierney, R., & Galgon, A. (2016). Cervical Injury Assessments for Concussion Evaluation: A Review. Journal of athletic training, 51(12), 1037–1044.
Chaibi, A., Tuchin, P. J., & Russell, M. B. (2011). Manual therapies for migraine: a systematic review. The journal of headache and pain, 12(2), 127–133.
Defrin R. (2014). Chronic post-traumatic headache: clinical findings and possible mechanisms. The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy, 22(1), 36–44.
Del Blanco Muñiz JA, Zaballos Laso A. Cefalea tensional. Revisión narrativa del tratamiento fisioterápico [Tension-type headache. Narrative review of physiotherapy treatment]. An Sist Sanit Navar. 2018 Dec 26;41(3):371-380. Spanish.
Ellis, M. J., Leddy, J., Cordingley, D., & Willer, B. (2018). A Physiological Approach to Assessment and Rehabilitation of Acute Concussion in Collegiate and Professional Athletes. Frontiers in neurology, 9, 1115.
Moraska, A. F., Stenerson, L., Butryn, N., Krutsch, J. P., Schmiege, S. J., & Mann, J. D. (2015). Myofascial trigger point-focused head and neck massage for recurrent tension-type headache: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The Clinical journal of pain, 31(2), 159–168.
Odell, J., Clark, C., Hunnisett, A., Ahmed, O. H., & Branney, J. (2019). Manual therapy for chronic migraine: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial study protocol. Chiropractic & manual therapies, 27, 11.
Quinn, C., Chandler, C., & Moraska, A. (2002). Massage therapy and frequency of chronic tension headaches. American journal of public health, 92(10), 1657–1661.
Ramage-Morin PL, Gilmour H. Prevalence of migraine in the Canadian household population. Health Rep. 2014 Jun;25(6):10-6.
Shields G, Smith JM. Remedial Massage Therapy Interventions Including and Excluding Sternocleidomastoid, Scalene, Temporalis, and Masseter Muscles for Chronic Tension Type Headaches: a Case Series. Int J Ther Massage Bodywork. 2020 Feb 26;13(1):22-31.
Victoria Espí-López, G., Arnal-Gómez, A., Arbós-Berenguer, T., González, Á., & Vicente-Herrero, T. (2014). Effectiveness of Physical Therapy in Patients with Tension-type Headache: Literature Review. Journal of the Japanese Physical Therapy Association = Rigaku ryoho, 17(1), 31–38.
Our Locations:
6981 Millcreek Drive, Unit 8
Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 6B8
Phone: 905-821-0262
E-mail: info@thehealthfirstgroup.com
415 The Westway, Unit 12B
Etobicoke, ON, M9R 1H5
Phone: 416-901-0262
E-mail: info@healthfirstrehab.ca
174 Mill Street, Suite 105
Milton, ON, L9T 1S2
Phone: 905-636-0800
Email: milton@thehealthfirstgroup.com
