Promotes Healthy Hair Growth
You can also use hair massage to encourage hair growth. Hair massage can promote hair growth. Tension and stress are the leading causes of hair loss in men. For good hair growth, you may need a head massage.
These are the top benefits of getting a head massaging for a man. Take the head massage to reap some of these benefits.
Types Of Massage For Migraine Relief
Massage therapy can be relaxing or intense. It can use hot stones or cold stones. It can focus on your feet or work magic above your neck.
Is there one that works better than another when it comes to headache relief? Absolutely, but it may be different for you than for someone else. The best type of massage for your migraines will depend on your preferences, your triggers, and ultimately your results.
As you think about your options, consider this list of massage types that have some published science to support their use.
Traditional and aromatherapy massage. Traditional massage helps relieve anxiety and promote relaxation. If you add aromatherapy, where the practitioner includes essential oils in the session, you may feel even better. Research shows that lavender essential oil can help relieve stress and promote quality sleep. One study even suggests that lavender aromatherapy helps reduce migraine symptoms.
Keep in mind that essential oils, which seem natural and safe, can have negative effects as well. Some can trigger headaches or other symptoms in people who are sensitive to smells.
Trigger point massage. Some people find headache relief with head and neck trigger-point massage. The idea behind its effectiveness: problems in your skeletal muscle refer pain up to your head. When you âreleaseâ those muscles, your chronic headaches ease up.
- Greater relaxation
- Lower stress levels
Benefits Of A Head Massage
Sarah Monreal, a licensed massage therapist and owner of Wayfare Wellness, says the benefits depend on the type of head massage you get.
For example, she offers cranial-sacral massage therapy. This is a gentle massage technique that focuses on the central nervous system of the head, spinal column, and sacrum.
This type of head massage is often used to:
- release tension
- promote relaxation
That said, Monreal points out that even less specialized massages, like the type you do at home, may help reduce stress and tension, condition the scalp, and improve blood circulation in your head and neck area.
Here are a few other benefits of a head massage.
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Helps Deal With Stress
A tension headache is like a “check engine” light for many people: it’s your body’s way of notifying you that something is off balance and that you should stop and pay attention.
Stress and anxiety are issues today, and they can harm your daily life. They can also cause other health concerns, including depression, sleeplessness, and digestive disorders. A head massage helps in relaxing and improves blood circulation. To ease stress and anxiety, apply pressure to the hall of impression point, located between your brows. A peaceful and tranquil mind is the result of improved blood circulation. Massage can also help you feel more energized, relieve discomfort, and improve your overall physical and mental health. This treatment relieves muscle stress as well as harmonizes your hormones. Anything that exerts undue strain on the muscles in the neck, back, shoulders, and face could be the source of the problem. Not getting enough sleep, drinking too much caffeine, grinding or clenching your teeth, and dehydration is all things that can produce stress in your body and lead to a tension headache.
Headache Massage Reduces Stress
Repeated headaches are often brought on by stress and anxiety in your daily life. Massage therapists will typically use Swedish massage techniques on a headache sufferers entire body rather than focusing exclusively on the head. After seeing your massage therapist for several sessions, you should see your stress levels decrease as your muscles become less tense and more relaxed. Your massage therapist will also work with you to identify external sources of stress and anxiety in your life. Diet, sleep schedule, commute, alcohol consumption, career, and family problems can all increase your stress levels and make headaches worse. While some stress inducers cant be solved by massage, you may find that as you address stress through massage, diet, and exercise, the other problems in your life become less stressful as well.
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Headache At The Back Of The Head: Step 1 Of The Self
Muscles: Trapezius, sternocleidomastoid
Do not be frightened by the terms mentioned here. You will understand where and how you need to massage yourself. And that is what matters in the end!
Lets start with your trapezius muscle. This muscle consists of three parts the upper, middle and lower trapezius.
For the purpose at hand, only the upper trapezius is of interest because it can send pain to the back of the head in case of excessive tension.
The muscle is located at the back of your neck and you can massage it using the thumb-index technique or the pressure-motion technique.
- To grasp it, use your hands like a pair of pliers on the back of the neck to find the muscle located there and slightly pull it away from the neck. This muscle is your upper trapezius.
- Youll find it most easily just below the middle of your neck. It is no bigger than a pen or your little finger.
- It might be tricky to grab it is tense because it sits tightly against the neck. However, you will succeed with a little patience.
- Roll the muscle between your fingers and examine it in this way, looking for sore spots.
- Once you find one, roll it a few times between your fingers. The most sensitive areas of the upper trapezius are very often found in the lower part.
- You can also grasp the muscle and move it between your fingers and make small movements, turning your head left to right.
The sternocleidomastoid is the second muscle that is most often responsible for headaches in the back of the head.
By Step Examination Of Your Head From The Sternum To The Back Of The Head
Feel out the tendon of the sternocleidomastoid on your sternum and try to grasp it.
This will be much easier if you try doing it a few centimetres above the muscle because it is larger and easier to locate there.
From here you can easily follow it up to the back of the head.
It is this muscle area in particular that causes pain in the back of the head.
To feel the other part of the muscle, place your fingers in the first third of the collarbone and try to grasp the muscle on the side of your neck using your hands like pliers to grip it.
As soon as you feel the muscle, you can roll it a few times between your fingers.
However, you can only do this for a few centimetres because the top of the muscle is covered by the sternal portion, i.e. the one that pulls away from the sternum.
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Scalp Massages And Why You Need Them
Are you having a stressful day? Among other things, a scalp or head massage can do wonders to reduce your stress and ease migraines or headaches. And the best part is you dont need to burn a hole in your pocket for this sensory experience. In fact, you can give yourself a soothing scalp massage at home with the help of organic hair oil or oil with moringa for hair.
Hectic and tiring days can often cause tension to build up in different parts of the body, leading to various problems starting from headaches and migraines to insomnia and tense muscles. In situations like this, massage therapy with natural skin care products or an ayurvedic skincare cream can help alleviate and reduce your stress levels. If youre someone who suffers from regular headaches or hair problems, here are seven reasons how targeted scalp massages can really heal your body and mind.
1. Eases migraines and headaches
When tension or stress builds up in the neck, head, and upper back, it can result in headaches and, in severe cases, migraines. A headache or migraine can disrupt your daily routine and prevent you from going about your day.
A soothing head massage helps provide relief from these migraines and headaches. As a head massage relaxes the head, face, and neck muscles, it can do wonders in preventing or reducing the frequency of headaches. A scalp massage can also help relieve eye strain for those who spend most of their day staring at a screen.
2. Keeps blood pressure in check
Mind And Body Connection
Aside from the significant relief from tension a scalp massage can give clients, it can also improve overall health and wellbeing. If a client suffers from bruxism, also known as tooth grinding, or TMJ symptoms, problems with the joint where the jaw attaches to the skull, he or she may find relief from the pain and discomfort associated with these oral conditions. A combination of massage therapy and dental appliances can improve tightness, pain, and limited motion due to these problems.
With a reduction in muscle tension and stress in the head, scalp, and face comes fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as a noticeably improved mood. It can also help slow your resting heart rate and lower your blood pressure, taking some of the work and strain away from the heart. Any improved circulation in the scalp is bound to have some positive effects on the rest of the circulatory system, and that reduction of stress and tension just adds to those effects.
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Can Massage Help Relieve Headaches
Massage can be particularly helpful for headaches and migraines related to muscle tension. Hormonal imbalances can also play a role in headaches, says licensed massage therapist Amy Daws those imbalances may need to be addressed separately.
But massage is a really important avenue to check out if youre having migraines or headaches, she says.
People dont realize that we have a layer of muscle that wraps around the whole skull, says Nescelle Caberto, LMT, a massage therapist at LifeSpa in Overland Park, Kan. All my full-body massages include the scalp, because tightness there can radiate elsewhere. Everything in the body is connected.
A small 2017 study in Neurological Sciences found that shiatsu-style massage may be more effective than pain killers at treating headaches. Shiatsu focuses on pressure points along energy pathways called meridians to restore balance in chi, or energy.
From this perspective, headaches are seen as an excess of chi concentrated in the head, neck, and shoulders. Releasing these local pressure points can help unlock stuck chi and provide relief.
Craniosacral therapy is another modality with a successful track record of relieving chronic headaches. CST uses a light touch to facilitate movement of fluids in and around the central nervous and craniosacral systems. Because this technique includes gentle attention to the skull and neck, its a go-to remedy for headaches.
Can You Use Massage For Headache Relief
Can you use massage for headache relief? We consult the experts to find out
We all know the therapeutic benefits of a relaxing treatment, but as well as reducing stress levels, can you use massage for headache and migraine relief?
According to Sally Chamness, massage therapist and owner of Phoenix Health and Wellness , headaches can be the symptom of many different things, from dehydration to hormone imbalances, and from tension to more serious neurological conditions.
Massage can be a great source of relief for stress and tension headaches, she says. The most common areas that cause headaches are tension in the jaw, temples, neck or shoulders.
Want the really good news? When you cant get to a massage therapist, you can do one yourself at home. Head massages in particular have also been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve circulation and support hair growth, so read on to find out how it all works.
And if you’re also suffering from stubborn knots or muscle soreness, check out out guide to the best massage guns for a self-massage tool you can use at home.
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Pressure Points To Relieve Headaches
Headaches can be caused for a wide variety of reasons, but you may be able to find relief by targeting trigger points around the head and base of the skull. Place your thumbs or fingers firmly onto these areas, and slowly move your head, neck and hands around until you find the point of tension:
- Base of the skull: Positioned behind your head, at the base of the skull and on either side of the spine. Avoid the spine completely as expert anatomy knowledge from a professional massage therapist is needed to avoid injury.
- Bridge of the nose: The indentations just under the eyebrows.
In each of these areas, take a few moments to breathe deeply until you experience some release.
Who are we? Were Urban Massage on a mission to make wellness rituals convenient and accessible without compromising on quality. So from just £49 an hour, you can enjoy a range of massages from an expert therapist at a time to suit you. Download the app or go to urbanmassage.com to book 60 minutes of restorative me time.
Other Support For Ongoing Care
Your massage therapist or our on-site physiotherapist will be able to advise you on further steps that can help to prevent and massage headaches. This could include yoga, tips to improve posture, supplements and a balanced diet. An individual plan for massage can also be created to maximise the benefits of this therapeutic treatment. .
Remember: If your headache is not getting better or occurs suddenly, it is recommended to seek medical advice. It can be a symptom of more serious conditions and should not just be ignored.
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Massage For Headaches Can Reduce Medication
For common headaches, physicians often recommend over-the-counter drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen , or acetaminophen . However, a debilitating migraine or other severe and regular headaches may require heavier medication to help you get through the day. A combination of antidepressants, triptans, beta-blockers, barbiturates and other drugs are used to combat severe and persistent headaches. If youre taking a cocktail of headache medication to get through the day, you may notice that the side effects associated with these drugs can outweigh the benefits. Users report weight gain, acne, drowsiness, incontinence, and many other unpleasant effects. Some headache sufferers turn to self-medication through alcohol or illegal drugs, which can cause even more problems. By incorporating regular massage therapy into your headache treatment plan, you can reduce or eliminate the need for most prescription medications. Always discuss medication changes with your primary care physician before proceeding.
Using Pressure On Face And Scalp Muscles
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Can A Massage Chair Relieve Headache Pain
Massage chairs with advanced robotics can mimic the techniques delivered by a massage therapist, even replicating the variable pressure of human hands. Many massage chairs include deep tissue or Swedish massage in their automatic programs, using a combination of mechanized rollers and inflatable airbags to administer both targeted and compression massage.
Massage chairs that offer full-body massage therapy can be effective for headache relief, since any tension release helps. To target specific muscle tension that can lead to headaches, look for massage chairs with massage functionality in the headrest and upper back area. Headrest rollers can target the neck, upper back and temples, while strategically placed airbags may be able to target the shoulders. Alternatively, a pillow massager or massage gun can provide a similar function with added portability.
How To Do An Indian Head Massage
Its well worth treating yourself to a professional massage, but if you dont have the time, or you want to try a few techniques with a friend, these are a good place to start:
- Manipulate their scalp: Clasp their forehead in one hand, and cup the back of the head with the other. Keeping the hands in place, make big circles moving the skin over the scalp.
- Rub their temples: Placing the tips of your fingers at the outer corner of their eyes, and make small, medium pressure circles moving back towards the hairline. They should close their eyes, and tell you when it feels good.
- Stroke their hair: Starting at the front hairline, spread your fingers and drag them carefully along their scalp and through the lengths of their hair, making sure not to tug too hard!
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