The most common type of headache is the Tension Headache. Symptoms include a dull, aching pain on both sides of the head, face, or neck, with tenderness in the scalp, neck and shoulder muscles. It feels like there is a band pressing around the head and being tightened. Tension headaches can last from 30 minutes to several hours.
Causes of tension headaches include stress, anxiety, poor posture, depression, and head injury. This gives rise to the scalp and neck muscles becoming tense and contracting. And pain signals get switched on and sent to the brain (the headache) from various sources, including: nerves extending over the scalp; certain nerves in the face, mouth and throat; muscles in the head and neck.
In the case of poor posture, the trapezius and suboccipital muscles at the base of the skull (which assist with stabilizing and turning the head) can get strained. Strained muscles often get tight when scar tissue develops as part of the healing process.
Tension headaches can be eased with a head and neck massage. A Raynor face and head massage involves many strokes all over the face and scalp, used to release tension in the face and scalp muscles, and lower stress levels. For example, by getting the fingertips into the base of the skull the suboccipital muscles can be loosened.
A neck massage will loosen up the neck muscles and a shoulder/back massage with some deep tissue techniques will treat any tight areas in the upper trapezius (by breaking up scar tissue and loosening muscles).
Massage is an excellent way of releasing tension and lowering stress levels. So if you are suffering from a tension headache massage is one way of relieving the pain. And having regular massage treatments reduces the chance of suffering from tension headaches in the first place.
13th November 2023
Comentários