Treating Headaches with Massage Therapy

Headaches come in many forms. Three common types are migraines, tension-type headaches and chronic daily headaches. Migraines often involve recurrent attacks of moderate to severe pain that is throbbing or pulsing and often strikes one side of the head, can come on with or without an aura, and occur frequently in the morning, especially upon waking. Some people have migraines at predictable times, such as before menstruation or on weekends following a stressful week of work. Many people feel exhausted or weak following a migraine but are usually symptom-free between attacks. Tension-type headache, previously called muscle contraction headache, is the most common type of headache. Its name indicates the role of stress and mental or emotional conflict in triggering the pain and contracting muscles in the neck, face, scalp, and jaw. Tension-type headaches may also be caused by jaw clenching, intense work, missed meals, depression, anxiety, or too little sleep. Chronic daily headache refers to a group of headache disorders that occur at least 15 days a month during a 3-month period. Individuals feel constant, mostly moderate pain throughout the day on the sides or top of the head. These types of headaches can occur in teenagers and children and may be linked to stress from school and family activities.

Of the 45 million Americans who suffer from chronic headaches, more than 60 percent suffer from migraines. For many, it’s a distressing disorder that is triggered by stress and poor sleep. In a recent study, massage therapy recipients exhibited fewer migraines and better sleep quality during the weeks they received massage, and the three weeks following, than did participants that did not receive massage therapy. Another study found that in adults with migraine headaches massage therapy decreased the occurrence of headaches, sleep disturbances and distress symptoms. It also increased serotonin levels, believed to play an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep and appetite. Another study examined the effects of massage therapy on chronic, nonmigraine headaches. Sufferers of chronic tension headaches between the ages of 18-55 yrs received structured massage therapy treatment directed toward the neck and shoulder muscles during a 4-wk period. The results showed that the massage therapy reduced the number of weekly headaches. Headache frequency was significantly reduced within the initial week of massage treatment, and continued for the remainder of the study. A trend toward reduction in average duration of each headache event between the baseline period and the treatment period was also observed.

Sources: Annals of Behavioral Medicine, August 2006, International Journal of Neuroscience, 1998, American Journal of Public Health, 2002

Fascia- What Binds Us Together

What is fascia? Massage therapists toss the term around like everyone in the world knows what it is, but most people don't. And yet, everyone has fascia. It's the tough connective tissue layer of our bodies. Fascia makes up tendons and ligaments. It keeps everything in its proper place in our bodies and acts as a shock absorber.

There is no beginning or end to fascia. It is the three-dimensional tissue that connects our bones, muscles and organs. Fascia doesn't start and stop, but it can be damaged through tears, injury or incision. As it repairs itself, it often reconnects to places in the body that are not designed to be connective points. This repair process results in scar tissue and many times is the site of lingering tightness in the body.

Fascia can also become inflamed, as in the condition known as plantar fasciitis. It can contribute to trigger points, or knots, a condition where muscle fibers stay in a contracted state.

Stretching is an important technique in keeping fascia in good working order. Stretching helps the fascia stay loose and reactive. Reducing injuries and elective surgeries will also help fascia stay healthy. And lastly, massage therapy techniques help release trigger points and scar tissue, and lengthen fascial connections. So keep your fascia healthy! You'll feel better for it!

Strengthening Your Immune System

With H1N1 flu in the news every day, we should all understand what our immune system is, why it is important, and how to take care of it.

Our immune system is made up of the skin, thymus, lymph nodes and glands, liver, spleen kidneys and intestines. Each of these play an important role in either preventing infections and bacteria entering the body, fighting the invaders when they get in, and disposing of the destroyed bacteria.

Things that compromise the immune system include drug, alcohol and tobacco use, pollution, food chemicals (like additives, preservatives and pesticides), stress, and physical inactivity.

When the immune system is working well, we are exposed to disease and bacteria, and never know it. Our immune system should stop the invaders outside our body, or kill the disease with white blood cells and send the destroyed bacteria out of the body. If the immune system is not working well, or is overwhelmed, the bacteria will get the upper hand, and you will find yourself feeling ill. Occasionally, the immune system will become so fatigued that it will begin to attack itself. This is what are referred to as an autoimmune disease.

Here are some ways to strengthen and repair your immune system .

•Diet

Free radicals are one of the most destructive forces to the immune system. Free radicals damage healthy cells by causing cell mutations which can lead to serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. However, certain substances present in food can destroy free radicals. These substances are called antioxidants. One of the strongest antioxidants is vitamin C, which boosts the immune system to aggressively react to cancer cells. Good sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits and broccoli. Other important antioxidants are vitamin E and carotenoids. Good food sources of Vitamin E are whole grain foods and vegetable oils. The best sources for carotenoids are the red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables. The immune system also gains strength from minerals. Important minerals to the immune system include zinc, which increases the number of lymphocytes to fight cancers; iron, which fights infection; selenium, which helps to increase the number of antibodies and encourages growth of immune cells; and vitamin D, which plays an important role in the prevention of respiratory infections such as the cold and flu. In a study published this year by vitamin D expert Dr. John Cannell, it was shown that lower vitamin D blood levels during the winter can account for the increase of the flu virus. Increased levels of vitamin D can help prevent traditional flu infections by strengthening your immune system. According to the National Institute of Health, sunlight is important to the production of Vitamin D, so aim for 10-30 minutes twice a week. During the winter months, November through February, remember to supplement your diet and eat plenty of fish oils and Vitamin D-fortified foods.

•Rest and Exercise

Ensure adequate rest and exercise. Seven to eight hours sleep is ideal. Moderate exercise also improves the lymphatic function which helps improve the immune system. Spend some time walking in clean fresh air every week. Thirty minutes of moderate exercise daily is recommended.

•Stress Reduction

Cope with stress with massage therapy, meditation, prayer, yoga or Tai Chi. If depressed, consider seeing a therapist or a doctor. Look for the positive in life. Most importantly, surround yourself with healthy, happy relationships. All of these things will help improve your immune system.

What is Massage Therapy?

Massage is the practice of soft tissue manipulation with physical (anatomical), functional (physiological), and in some cases psychological purposes and goals. In laymen's terms, this is the kneading and stripping of the muscles with a purpose and goals. Licensed massage therapists are people trained to work with disorders of the human body using massage techniques, that have been licensed by their state or local jurisdiction in massage therapy. Here in Ohio, licensed massage therapists are licensed by the Ohio State Medical Board.

A licensed massage therapist, also known as a LMT, is trained in techniques which loosen tight, achy muscles. This helps the body to return to a state of balance and maintain a healthy homeostasis. These techniques can:

• Reduce muscle tension
• Increase circulation of blood and lymph
• Increase joint flexibility
• Improve the immune system by helping eliminate toxins
• Soothe the nervous system and reduce stress

Massage is done on a professional massage table or chair. Table massages are 30 – 90 minutes in length and take place in an private office or home set up for therapeutic relaxation.

Chair massages are typically done onsite at an office location, health fair, or marketing event. They can be 5-20 minutes in length and occur with the client fully clothed.

Chronic Pain and Massage

Massage has been shown to help hospitalized patients manage chronic pain and relieve anxiety.

Pain management is becoming a critical issue for hospitals. In a study done at the Flagstaff Medical Center, 65 hospital inpatients were given 30-minute massage therapy sessions with a physicians order. Pre and post massage therapy pain levels were recorded using the visual scale. Results were compared to commments made by and with nurses taken from the patient’s charts, and a survey completed by patients. Patients noted improvement in all survey elements, including relaxation, pain levels, emotional well-being, ability to sleep, quicker recovery, and the need for less pain medication. Pre and post pain levels demonstrate a moderately strong correlation between massage and reduction in pain levels. The study shows the integration of massage therapy in the acute care setting creates overall positive results in the patient’s ability to deal with the challenging physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of their health condition. Benefits include a possibly shorter length of stay for the patient, leading to less nosocomial infections, a more positive patient experience, enhanced recovery, and an improved financial bottom line for the hospital. (2008 AMTA National Convention, Phoenix, AZ,Poster Session Abstracts,, The Effect of Massage Therapy on Pain Management in Acute Care Setting, Authors: Rose Adams, MHA, LMT ; Cynthia Beckett, PhD, RN; Barb White, MS, LMT)

Effects of Massage on Long-Term Pain

A study of the effects of massage compared to relaxation tape recordings on localized long-term pain by researchers in Sweden, published in the Jan-Feb 2004 issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, found that, during treatment there was a significant improvement in the three main outcome measures: self-rated health, mental energy, and muscle pain only in the massage group as compared to the relaxation group. The conclusion was that massage, but not mental relaxation exercises, is beneficial in reducing the severity of the pain.

The most misunderstood condition : Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes widespread pain. Stress appears to compound the symptoms of disease. It is widely misunderstood by the public so often friends, family and co-workers who don't understand fibromyalgia, adding to the stress of the disease. Fibromyalgia can cause symptoms in addition to pain, including fatigue, difficulty sleeping, headaches, sensitivity to light, dizziness, memory problems, and numbness and tingling in your arms and legs. A number of other conditions can accompany fibromyalgia, including irritable bowel syndrome, bladder control problems and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

Don't overdo it on your good days. This will catch up with you and your fibromyalgia symptoms could worsen. But that doesn't mean you should keep your activity to a minimum. Enjoy the good days and cope with the not-so-good days by finding an even balance. Pace yourself. Set goals for each day. Your goals should be reasonable. And they should include daily exercise and time for yourself, such as time to relax or listen to music. Deep breathing, mediation, massage and yoga may be techniques that help you relax.

Learning to control your fibromyalgia pain takes time. Work with your healthcare providers to adapt your daily activities so you have time and energy for what's important to you.