Easing Headaches & Migraine with Holistic Therapies
Easing Headaches & Migraine with Holisitic Therapies
Persistent headaches and migraines can be very uncomfortable and debilitating. While headaches are unpleasant pains that can create pressure and aching on both sides of the head, migraines can cause intense throbbing or pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head and it is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
Treating the root cause of the headaches and migraines with a holistic and integrative approach does not only alleviate, but can also prevent the recurrence of the symptoms.
There can be more than one cause for the occurrence of headaches and migraines, such as physical, physiological, environmental and emotional, and the source can be different for each person and so should the treatment.
Relieving Headaches and Migraines with Craniosacral Therapy and Integrative Manual Therapy
The physiological changes in the body during a migraine or headache attack often include inflammation, muscle tension, narrowing blood vessels and more. Holistic therapies such as Craniosacral Therapy (CST) and Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT) can help to calm down the nervous system, improve the circulation and help the body to relax. Both therapies apply gentle yet effective hands-on techniques to various body parts, inducing internal adjustments and rebalancing for treating the symptoms of headaches and migraines.
Craniosacral Therapy (CST)can help to:
Enhance the smooth flow of the Cerebrospinal Fluid.CSF, the cerebrospinal fluid, is the fluid that surrounds and cushions the brain and spinal cord. It does not only bring nutrients to the brain tissues, but also removes waste products from the brain, which is important for the health and proper functioning of the nervous system.
Promotes Relaxation and Better Sleep.CST helps people to relax, reduce muscle tension in their body, and sleep better. It can help reduce factors contributing to headaches and migraines, such as emotional stress, tension in the neck or jaw, frowning and clenching the teeth or forehead, or pain in the face, neck and shoulders.
Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT)can help to:
Decompress the Occiput.Occipital decompression involves using the fingertips to manually stretch the paraspinal tissues at the base of the occiput in a gentle manner, and release the tightness at the upper neck. This helps to free up the irritated nerves that exit the spinal column and cause pain in the base of the skull, top of the head and behind the eyes.
Release the Muscle & Fascia Tightness.Tender points, also called trigger points, in the neck and shoulder regions can give pain that is felt elsewhere such as in the head. Relieving the spasms of neck muscles such as the paraspinal muscles and the upper trapezius can often give relief to tension headaches.
Reduce the Spinal Stiffness.The neck and low back are the two ends of the spine, and the whole spine indeed works as one whole unit functionally. Therefore, stiffness in one part of the spine may lead to tensions or compensatory restrictions in the other parts. In turn, the limitations of the movement in our entire spine can further aggravate headaches. IMT helps to improve the vertebral joint mobility and realign the spine. Whether the stiffness occurs due to long term sustained poor posture, previous neck and back injuries in sports or in accidents such as whiplash, it is always helpful to improve the overall flexibility of the spine for our health, especially for people who suffer from neck pain and headaches.
Promote the Blood Flow and Drainage in the Head and Spine. Optimising the circulation in the head and spine helps to bring in the nutrients necessary for tissue repair, and remove the waste products and inflammation in the head in an efficient manner, which are usually crucial in treating migraines and headaches.
Identifying and treating headaches and migraines as early as possible can help a person engage in preventive treatments and reduce the chance of another attack .Treating the actual source of the symptoms can give long term relief to improve your quality of life. Please feel free to contact us for further information on helping to relieve the migraine and headaches holistically.
