Massage benefits for headaches and migraines

Massage is a great way to manage stress and relieve tension- two of the main causes of migraine headaches. Research at The Touch Institute of the University of Miami School of Medicine found that massage therapy decreased the occurrence of headaches, sleep disturbances and distress symptoms while increasing serotonin levels in adults with migraine headaches.

What exactly does a massage for headache offer? How will you benefit from treatment? To give you a better idea of what to expect with headache massage therapy, here are a few benefits you can expect to gain from this treatment:

• Reduced pain
• Reduced headache intensity
• Reduced duration and frequency of headache
• Decreased perception of pain
• Less tension
• Decreased medication usage
• Better sleep

Through the stress-relieving, pain-alleviating power of a massage for headache, patients can often find wonderful relief from headache problems. In fact, some types of massage, particularly head massage, have not only proven effective in helping with tension headaches, but also in temporarily easing migraine pain. Massages can even help reduce the duration and frequency of migraine headaches. Along those same lines, some evidence confirms that migraine sufferers who receive migraine massage can experience fewer migraines and sleep better during the week of their massage.