As a massage therapist, I'm often asked about which is the best treatment for reducing migraine headaches. In my experience, the best way to answer this question is to offer an example and explain how each method of treatment works. The first category that I will talk about is Craniosacral therapy. This is a kind of massage which focuses on the back, neck, and shoulder areas. Craniosacral therapy works to restore the correct alignment of the back and alleviate muscle tension in the back.
Also called"Cranio-Sacral" therapy, this technique employs massage strokes that gently pull on the delicate bones of the back and neck. This gentle movement stretches and arouses the underlying muscles to ease muscle spasms and reduce muscle tension in the back. Adding this mild treatment to your next massage session will greatly help to reduce general stress levels, alleviate migraine headaches, and provide migraine headache relief. This treatment is quite gentle and effective.
Another gentle treatment is known as craniosacral treatment or Osteopathy. It is also known as chiropractic care and may be used together with cranial sacral therapy. Osteopathic or chiropractic care is a gentle, hands-on therapy that utilizes chiropractic manipulative techniques so as to take care of problems related to the joint and skeletal systems. Osteopath is much like massage since it also uses gentle strokes and utilizes gentle manipulation. However, it is very different in that osteopathic specialists perform diagnostic examinations, prescribe treatments, and refer their patients to other specialists when necessary.
Another practitioner who plays craniosacral therapy is a Chiropractor. A chiropractor will use his or her hands in the same gentle manner that a skilled massage therapist uses. In addition to performing manipulative treatment on the patient, chiropractors will also recommend adjustments to the patient's lifestyle. This may include eliminating patterns of stress and anxiety in order to reduce tension headaches. A chiropractor may also recommend dietary modifications and physical exercises in order to ease chronic pain and prevent migraine headaches.
Along with these recommendations from various craniosacral therapy and osteopathic practitioners, a patient must also eliminate patterns of sleep. Irregular sleep patterns are brought on by a range of factors including lack of enough sleep, environmental factors such as pollution and extreme temperatures, in addition to medical conditions including head injuries. If an individual experiences insomnia regularly, he or she should consult a professional in the field to identify the source of his or her insomnia. Once identified, the practitioner will then make suggestions to help the individual get more restful sleep. Other recommendations from various experts include getting more exercise, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, stopping smoking, maintaining good posture, consuming more fruits and vegetables, quitting smoking, consuming more dietary fats, consuming more zinc, and avoiding muscle tension.
Massage therapy is known to help with muscle pain by relaxing the muscles and releasing tension from the body. Many experts recommend therapeutic massage treatments for patients who suffer with arthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders. Massage therapists often recommend stretching techniques, such as gentle stretching of the hamstring, hip adductor, quadriceps, trapezius, and pectoral muscles. The gentle stretching techniques to release the tension in the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues while enhancing flexibility and circulation.
Dr. Upledger emphasizes that massage therapy is safer than other procedures like surgery, chiropractic visits, or medication because it is non-invasive. Furthermore, most pract