Massage Therapy Woodbridge Author – Tony Tran
Headaches
Headaches are an onset of pain, achy or throbbing sensations that can occur around the head. The location of headaches may vary and can be isolated to a pinpoint location or different radiating pain around the head.
There are three main types of headaches that individuals can experience.
1) Vascular headaches
Migraines: symptoms of migraines can be described as pulsing on one side of the head that may last for several days. The intense pain may feel deeper than other headaches. Migraines are often aggravated by physical activity and can also be triggered by stress or lack of sleep which may hinder the ability for people to perform daily activities. – Cluster headaches: these are headaches that typically affect men more than women. They are described as clusters of headaches that may stop and start at varying different durations. These clusters may feel like an intense burning sensation or sharp pain.
2) Musculoskeletal headaches
Cervicogenic: these types of headaches come from dysfunctions within
the cervical spine.
Tension headaches: these are the most common type of headaches that are caused by increased tension in the muscles and compression of
complementary structures such as the nerves, veins and arteries within the area. Patients will usually complain about neck/shoulder stiffness and pain that will vary in severity. Tension headaches can also be caused by different trigger points within the muscles. Trigger points are taut bands of muscle tissue that are very sensitive and can cause referred pain to other
parts of the body.
3) Inflammatory headaches
Sinus headaches are types of headaches that are often associated with pain in the sinus region as well as the cheeks. They are mainly caused by inflammation of the mucus and sinus congestion.
For more information about different types of headaches, you can visit: https://www.healthline.com/health/headache/types-of-headaches#treatment
How can massage therapy Woodbridge help you deal with headaches?
Musculoskeletal headaches are the main types of headaches that Registered massage therapists (RMTs) in Woodbridge can help treat. Cervicogenic and tension headaches are usually coupled together and patients will most likely have a combination of both types. A typical session with an RMT help alleviate your headaches in the following ways:
- Decreasing muscle tone: Tension headaches are caused by tight musculature around the head, neck and shoulders. With a variety of Swedish massage techniques, RMTs are able to help reduce the tightness/stiffness in your muscles and increase your overall relaxation.
- Increase blood circulation: Pain from headaches will cause a decrease in blood circulation to affected areas. RMTs can effectively increase blood circulation with soft tissue work and lengthening affected muscles.
- Trigger point therapy: With specific palpation, RMTs can easily locate trigger points and help relieve the pain with a variety of techniques.
- Decrease stress: Massage therapy has therapeutic effects that can help decrease stress and anxiety for patients. Massage treatments elicit parasympathetic effects that help the body naturally calm down, decrease the heart rate and overall decrease the stress that you may feel.
- Improve sleep quality: The decrease in stress will help with relaxation and the sleep quality.
Need More Info?
If you would like to learn more about massage therapy at Physiotherapy@Woodbridge then please take a look at our massage therapy web page which provides more information. You can also give us a call or book an appointment online with one of our massage therapists. This is a great treatment if you have a high pain level and feel you cannot tolerate traditional forms of therapy.
