You may think that a headache is just pain in the head, but did you know there are many different kinds of headache? RMT Maureen Fougere discusses the types of headaches that RMTs can frequently help treat!
Tension headache, they are characterized by head pain that “comes and goes”. It may feel like a vice-grip around your head, with pain all around. These headaches will not be associated with nausea, and will feel steady, not throbbing. You may find it difficult to move your head through full range of motion without pain.
Migraines are characterized by moderate to severe throbbing that is localized around the front of your head, building up over a period of 1-2 hours. It eventually progresses towards the back of the head and feels like it spreads all around. It can last for several hours or an entire day. Often it will subside within a day or after a good sleep. Nausea and vomiting are common with migraines.
Cluster headaches are also something you may experience—pain that is strictly on one side, usually around the eye, and is severe in nature, thankfully only lasting for a short time. Pain is characterized as “excruciating, deep and penetrating”, but not throbbing.
Approximately 99.5% of headaches are benign, however there are pathological headaches that do require urgent medical treatment. Red flags of pathological headaches include:
Headaches that occur as a result of physical trauma
Changes in cognition
Seizures, if you do not normally have them.
Vomiting without associated nausea
Headaches that are persistent and progressively worsen
Marked neck stiffness and/or pain
Dependence on drugs or alcohol
Known cancer
Eye swelling
Combinations of dizziness, difficulty speaking or swallowing, double vision, fainting/falling, decreased muscle tone and numbness
Sudden unusual intense headaches if you are typically free of headaches
Once a pathologic headache has been ruled out, an RMT can help manage your symptoms by creating a treatment plan to get you back to doing the things you enjoy.
You may associate massages with “relaxation”, but relaxation and stress-reduction are only a small part of what a massage treatment can do for you. From performing various stretches, to gentle joint mobilizations, to trigger point release, an RMT will work with you to help relieve your tension and pain, and help increase your range of motion. All of these benefits will help to reduce the recurrence of your headaches and reduce your symptoms.
If you are suffering from headaches, remember that we are always here to help.
Maureen, RMT
To book a treatment with Maureen click HERE
Source: Vizniak, Dr. Nikita A. Evidence-Informed Massage Therapy. Vancouver, Professional Health Systems, Inc., 2022.
None of the information provided on this website should be substituted for medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed healthcare practitioner.