Massage therapy has many uses. It is used to reduce pain in people with chronic conditions such as lower back pain, fibromyalgia and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes, massage therapists incorporate stretching into their routine to help alleviate pain and tightness in the body.
Types and Causes
Headaches occur for many reasons. You can get a headache from sinus pressure, lack of sleep, dehydration, eye strain, hormone fluctuation or muscle tightness. There are many types of headaches, but the most common is the tension headache. Tension headaches usually result from a tightness in the muscles of the head, neck and upper back. Chronic tension headaches are headaches that occur 15 or more days each month for at least three consecutive months, according to MayoClinic.com. Chronic tension headaches cause mild to moderate pain that feels like a tightening or pressing and hurts both sides of the head. These headaches are not aggravated by normal physical activity, but they may result in mild nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.
Function
Stretching helps relax muscles and get rid of tightness in the belly of the muscle. Since tension headaches are often caused by tight muscles in the head, neck and back, stretching the affected muscles will help relieve tension and get rid of the headache. Stretching, combined with massage of the affected muscles, is an option for pain relief for people who can't take any pain medication. MayoClinic.com lists massage as an alternative medicine and says it may be especially helpful if you have tender or tight muscles in your head, neck or back.
Effects
A study performed by Christopher Quinn and colleagues at Boulder College of Massage Therapy, showed that a muscle-specific massage technique was effective in relieving and reducing the frequency of chronic tension headaches. The study targeted the upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, suboccipital, splenius capitis, levator scapulae and temporalis muscles, and involved cervical traction in 15-second intervals to stretch some of these muscles. A study performed by G. Jull and colleagues at the University of Queensland investigated problems with the head and neck muscles relating to headaches with origin in the cervical spine. The study found that superficial muscle stretching did not have an effect on the headaches, but deep muscle stretching caused a reduction in headache pain and symptoms.
Considerations
The type of stretching you should perform depends on the type of headache you are experiencing. For example, in the University of Queensland study, the patients experienced cervical spine-originating headaches, so deep muscle stretching was the most effective treatment. If you have tension headaches originating from your temples or jaw, it would be more effective to stretch the muscles directly related to those areas.
Warning
Check with your doctor before visiting a massage therapist or starting a stretching routine on your own. While stretching is effective for headaches caused by tight muscles, no studies have been performed on migraine headaches or other headaches resulting from inflammation or swelling in the brain or its blood vessels. Do not try to treat any other types of headaches with stretching unless you can confirm the source of the pain is muscle tightness.
