headaches

Combat Headaches With At-Home Massage

With so many things to do and so many pressures going on all around, having a headache is annoying and sometimes, difficult for us to avoid. Mostly when we are under pressure, headaches can seem to appear automatically. In some cases, the pain can get so bad we feel nauseous or faint. It can also attack our upper back or neck. There are many different types of headaches, but most of the time headaches are brought on by stress, too long spent in front of computers, tv, phones, in traffic, at work, etc. Each of the stressors, amongst many others can cause tension.

One of the main causes of a headache is tension, usually in the muscles of the neck, scalp and jaw. We usually deal with it by taking some time out or away from the trigger, maybe getting some sleep or by consuming over-the counter aspirin or caffeine to release the pain. But, are there other ways to combat headaches?

The easiest way to handle a headache and that we can do everywhere, is through massage. Massage is the practice of applying pressure or vibration to the soft tissues of the body, to heal injury, relieve psychological stress, manage pain, improve circulation and relieve tension. When we suffer from headaches, we can help ourselves with self-massage. Simple, effective, and everybody can do it, either at work or home.

Here are four easy ways in massage to heal your headache:

1. Eyes Area Massage — Close your eyes. Place your middle fingers just under your eyes and just above the cheek bones. Massage that area gently but firmly in circular motion for 1 minute.

2. Eyes to Nose Massage -Using the thumb, go along the underside of eyebrows (along the bone on top of eye socket). Feel where this bone meets the bridge of your nose and eyes and find a point where there is a small indentation. Using very gentle pressure, press your thumbs into the points. You can do it four times by holding and press that area for 10 seconds in each press.

3. Neck Massage — Focus at the top of your neck, the area that meets the base of your skull. Massage for a few minutes using the fingertips in a gentle circular movement.

4. Scalp Massage -Let the palms of your hands massage your scalp on the top of your skull gently for a few minutes.

Once you have done all those massages, finish by taking a deep breath. Lift your shoulders towards your ears for 5 to 10 seconds to relieve any remaining pain, and then let them drop back down into their natural position. You are going to feel better when you can do that a couple of times. Your massage will relieve your headache and your head will feel less heavy. Always remember to breathe naturally but deeply and always seek help if your pain worsens or just doesn’t seem to go away.

Share this post