Massage, Trigger Point Therapy, Headaches and Migraines
Headaches can be a symptom of an American lifestyle. Sitting at a computer or looking down at documents can cause tension in the posterior and anterior muscles of the neck and shoulders. This, in turn, can cause tension headaches or migraines. Trigger Point Therapy developed by Dr. Janet Travell, M.D. in 1942, has been shown to decrease the symptoms of these chronic headaches.
In several recent controlled clinical trials conducted, participants received concentrated treatments to the upper trapezius and scalenii to treat myofascial trigger points found in the muscle bellies. The participants had complained of chronic headaches and after receiving massage treatment found that the pain and frequency from them decreased. The studies also showed that generalized soft tissue work in the areas surrounding the trigger point helped decrease the symptoms as well.
A less invasive alternative to medications, Trigger Point Therapy and massage is a holistic method that could offer relief to tension headaches and migraines without the damaging effects on internal systems.
Resources
https://insights.ovid.com/pubmed?pmid=28248690 –source for images