Shiatsu for migraines is something you should try if you’re a chronic sufferer.
Migraines are quite a common occurrence for many people, although they’re something that many people would prefer to avoid.
Despite what people may do to prevent them, they can often be unavoidable, which leads to many people wondering how to get rid of them.
The obvious choice is strong painkillers, but these often may not work well enough or may be inappropriate for a variety of reasons.
As such, many people will need to look for another way to get rid of the headaches, although they often may not know what will work.
Though it may be surprising, a Shiatsu massage can provide a significant amount of relief from a migraine, with there being a variety of reasons behind this. By getting a Shiatsu for migraine, sufferers should be able to see quite a large reduction in pain quite quickly.
Despite the relief that many people will see with this, they can often wonder why this is effective and how it works. The primary reason for this is that a Shiatsu massage will target a variety of pressure points, through which a practitioner will be able to increase blood flow and reduce many of the effects of a migraine.
There are several things migraine sufferers should know if they’re considering a Shiatsu massage.
What is a migraine?
A migraine is a severe and often recurring headache that can last several hours or even days. In contrast to many other similar conditions, a headache isn’t the only symptom that people should expect. Some of the more notable symptoms that often characterize the ailment include nausea, light sensitivity, and much more.
While it’s unclear as to what causes a migraine, there are several things that may trigger one. The more common of these are neck and shoulder tension, poor posture, stress, and much more. With how much variety there can be in what can trigger a migraine, there can be quite a large number of things that may help to treat it, with Shiatsu becoming increasingly more popular.
How does a shiatsu massage help with migraines?
Getting a Shiatsu for migraine can help in a variety of ways, with this being driven by a practitioner targeting a variety of pressure points. By doing so, they should be able to relief much of the tension in a person’s head, which will reduce the symptoms of the migraine itself.
When done correctly, this should mean that a sufferer will leave a session with significantly fewer symptoms than they went in with. While targeting pressure points will be the primary way that Shiatsu practitioners will help reduce the symptoms of migraines, the massage is useful for a few notable reasons.
It improves blood flow
Blocked blood flow around the head can often be one of the leading causes of migraines and tension headaches. As a result, this is one of the primary areas that a trained masseuse will look to target while getting rid of the migraine.
Someone who has been trained in Shiatsu will know a variety of techniques to help improve blood flow around the head and neck, as well as a few other muscles and areas. By doing so, they should be able to reduce the pressure that can initially cause a headache.
A Shiatsu massage should also help to improve blood pressure, which can also be one of the causes of this kind of headache. What many people mightn’t realize is that stress can often be one of the leading causes of migraines. This is something that’s also minimized during the massage, which is another benefit to the practice.
It decreases nausea
Migraines don’t just cause a headache, with one of the other more notable symptoms being nausea, although this is something that a Shiatsu massage should also be able to help with. The primary reason behind this is that the technique can be used in the digestive tract, which should help ease this symptom.
Much of this is because the massage can help to reduce the tension felt in a person’s digestive system. This will then have a domino effect on the nauseous feeling that often accompanies a migraine. Alongside this, many people should see improved digestion in the days following a Shiatsu massage.
Better balance
Many Shiatsu practitioners believe that migraines can be caused by an imbalance in the body which can be overcome through the massage technique.
By utilizing a variety of methods and targeting several areas, a masseuse should be able to overcome this imbalance.
There are a few notable ways that this is done, although targeting various parts of the body is the most significant. While many people will believe that all of these will be focused on the head and neck, this isn’t the case.
Instead, there will be several other areas that are targeted, as these can be inter-connected. As such, a Shiatsu masseuse may target parts of your hands, back, and much more during the massage. By doing so, they’ll look to restore your body’s balance and relieve the symptoms of a migraine.
How to use a shiatsu massage for migraines
When a practitioner is helping a client with a migraine, there are a variety of areas that they will focus on. The majority of these will focus on pressure points along their blood vessels, muscle lines, and nerve pathways, each of which should play a role in a migraine.
The masseuse will naturally focus on a client’s head and neck first before moving on to their lower neck and upper shoulders. When the massage starts, the practitioner will begin rubbing lightly and then start increasing this pressure based on a person’s tolerance and needs.
Alongside this will be a variety of light stretches, with the majority of this being focused on the neck. The practitioner should also take advantage of what’s known as ‘forward flexion’ of the neck. There are a few things involved with this that both masseuse’s and their clients should be aware of.
The first of these should be for the practitioner to support a client’s head with one hand, for example their left. Next, they should slip their right arm under the client’s head left shoulder so that the client’s head rests in the crook of the masseuse’s arm.
The practitioner’s left hand should then be placed on the client’s right shoulder. Following this, the client’s head should be gently stretched forward by straightening the right arm. During this step, the masseuse should support the side of their customer’s head with their left arm while rising slightly as they do so.
This position should be held for ten seconds before the head is lowered again. When the arm is being removed, the masseuse should ensure that they support the client’s head with their hand. The process should also be done the opposite way around following this.
There are a variety of other aspects that are involved with the process, with much of this focusing on targeting a variety of pressure points, with there being many more of these than people may realize.
During the Shiatsu massage, the practitioner will target each of these points with a varying degree of pressure. In many cases, this pressure will start off lightly before slowly being increased until the desired effect is felt. While it may take slightly longer than many people may want to see the results, it can often be much more beneficial than people would believe.
Giving yourself a shiatsu massage
While having a trained therapist perform a Shiatsu massage is highly recommended, people should be able to do it themselves too.
This is something that can be especially beneficial when suffering from a migraine, as sufferers should be able to see the benefits almost immediately.
To do so, there are a few areas that people should target, with the first being the temples. Two fingers should be used to rub the temples in a circular motion, which should help to relax the muscles while relieving any tension that has built up in the area.
This motion should then be repeated about half an inch about the eyebrows, which should reduce the amount of pain being felt. The scalp should also be rubbed in a circular motion, with much of this concentrating on the sides of a person’s head. Doing so approximately an inch behind the ears should also be helpful.
Getting a Shiatsu for migraine can be much more effective at treating it than many people may believe. This should mean that the majority of sufferers will see a significant reduction in the pain and nausea that they’ll feel when they have one.
Alongside this, it could be noted that having regular Shiatsu massages could help people prevent a migraine from starting. As a result, it can be one of the more recommended options for making sure that they don’t occur in the future.
Aside from being an effective way of stopping migraines, Shiatsu massages can be quite an enjoyable way of doing so, which adds another reason as to why they’re recommended.
