Tension Headaches: How We Can Help with Massage Therapy

By: Sarah Tyler

Headaches are a condition that a lot of people endure during life and there are many different causes for them. The age range of headache sufferers can vary from young children to the elderly. They can occur, stop, and recur through our lives. Knowing the cause of headaches is a driving force in how health teams approach treating headaches. With a new or worsening headache, a visit to a primary health provider (like a Nurse Practitioner or GP) is always a good idea. Figuring out the cause will help guide treatment options in a direction that will give the best results and relieve pain. There are different types of headaches which include migraines, tension headaches, sinus headaches, and cluster headaches. We are going to focus on Tension Headaches in this article.

The actual cause of tension headaches is not well understood but there is a correlation between the headache and muscle tension in the body. The typical symptoms are:

• Pain on both sides of the head (bilateral pain)
• Tightness in the muscles at the top of the shoulders, in the neck, around the head and/or face
• Stiffness or a loss of range of motion of the neck and head
• Other symptoms like noise sensitivity, visual disturbances, cognitive issues, nausea and vomiting are not usually present (as with Migraine headaches)

There are many causes for muscles to tighten up throughout the body. Muscle tension can be attributed to overuse (like lifting weights, repetitive use with work duties, housework, etc), static positions throughout the day (long periods of standing or sitting), as well as other things like dehydration, stress and postural changes.

Stretching your muscles can help relieve headache pain, especially if taken slowly and gently. Dynamic and full body activities like tai chi, qi gong and yoga can also be very helpful.

Stress and anxiety can play a role in muscle tension and for many people, stress can manifest in the muscles of the shoulders, neck, head and face. Stress management is important for mental health and for the treatment of headaches. Some examples to help manage stress include yoga, meditation, mindfulness, journaling, listening to music, and walking in nature.

Movement throughout the day can help relieve stiffness in the body. With desk jobs, taking breaks every hour may be a good idea. Getting up, walking around, changing positions and doing some light stretches (like shoulder rolls or neck stretches) can help to loosen up the body before heading back to the desk.

Posture can play a big role in muscle tension resulting in tension headaches. Common things to watch out for are

• elevated shoulders - make sure your shoulders aren’t up near your earlobes
• slouched shoulders - open your chest so your shoulders aren’t rolled forward
• forward head carriage - tuck your chin back, like avoiding something smelly

Hydration is good for your whole body, including your muscles and other soft tissues! Drinking water throughout the day can help with circulation, lymphatic drainage and joint lubrication. All these things can help maintain healthy muscles and joints.

Treatment with Massage therapy

Massage therapy can be an excellent tool to help with muscle tension. Targeting the muscles correlated with tension headaches can temporarily relieve the pressure and pain as well as encourage muscles to stay loosened at rest. Massage is also great for relaxing the nervous system, which can bring some rest and relaxation. Along with releasing tension, a Registered Massage Therapist can help to teach

• Stretching to target muscles contributing to headaches
• Postural techniques to improve posture.
• Self-massage that can be done between massage sessions at home
• Stress management techniques
• Resources to get more information and education around headaches