If you experience migraines, you know firsthand how debilitating they can be. The intense symptoms such as a throbbing head, nausea, and sensitivity to light can often leave you wondering what the best solution is to help stop the pain and prevent another from occurring.

Massage is a well-known treatment for migraines, and there’s research to back it up. Thanks to the mechanics of our body, pain in our head can often dissipate when we focus our attention on the pathways that lead up to it, such as with trigger points in our neck and the promotion of circulation within. Below, we will dive into what massage can do to treat migraines, and how you can find relief.

Targeting Trigger Points

Trigger points are spots in our muscles that cause pain or weakness to other areas of our body. For example, the trigger points in our head and neck can cause headaches and jaw pain. Trigger points can occur within any muscle in the body and are very common.

Massage helps by targeting specific trigger points on the body, which is essential in helping reduce the severity of a migraine. Since each stage of a migraine comes with varying symptoms, which can occur in other parts of the body besides the head, treating the “starting point” or the points of the body that are likely the cause of the discomfort, is key.

For example, a common symptom that many people experience during a migraine attack is neck pain, and a recent study found that more than half of recorded patients studied experienced this symptom during each stage of their migraine. Coexisting symptoms like neck pain can cause a lot of discomfort and oftentimes make a migraine more difficult to bear. This is why bringing attention to trigger points with massage can play a key role in helping reduce the severity of the symptoms associated with migraines.

Promoting Circulation

Poor circulation can cause a range of symptoms in the body, such as fatigue and discomfort, and when blood flow restricts in certain areas, muscles cannot receive the nutrients they need to function. This is why massage can so beneficial because applying pressure on the body through various techniques can help move the blood through the areas that feel restricted.

Although the main causes for migraines are still unclear, there is research around what happens moments before symptoms appear, which can help explain some of the painful side effects. When a migraine gets triggered, certain chemicals get released that travel to the outer layer of the brain and can cause blood vessels to inflame. This often results in the typical painful feelings that many can experience in the head, neck, and/or sinuses. Researchers have also uncovered that the pain experienced during a migraine often links to a lack of blood flow. This is why making sure blood flow to the brain is essential in helping treat the painful symptoms that can arise.

If you experience migraines, visit a Massage Experts location near you and talk to one of our experienced team members to see how massage therapy can help your symptoms.