Research shows that massage is an effective treatment for some types of headache relief. It has been proven effective to relieve pain associated with chronic tension headaches and is promising for treating migraine, according to a randomized controlled study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
Another study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, shows a 30-minute massage can improve the psychological and physiological state of people with chronic tension-type headaches.
Can Massage Help to Relieve Migraine Pain?
Migraine is not a regular headache, but a neurological disorder. The research is less robust on the effectiveness of massage therapy for migraine headaches than it is for tension-type headaches. But recent findings do provide preliminary support for using massage therapy as a natural treatment for migraine.
“Data on the efficacy of massage for migraine are somewhat limited,” says Dawn Buse, PhD, clinical professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and assistant professor at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University. “However, many patients find massage therapy helpful, in which case I encourage them to make it a regular part of their treatment plan along with other healthy lifestyle habits, relaxation, and self-care activities.”
Massage for Migraine Can Relieve Tension and Promote Better Sleep
While migraine is a complicated neurological disease that massage (or anything else) won’t cure, massage therapy and trigger-point therapy may help reduce the frequency and intensity of attacks.
Massage is particularly helpful for people experiencing high stress or poor sleep. Stress and inadequate sleep are known migraine triggers. “If you look at the list of things that trigger migraines, it’s everything,” notes Terrell Davis, an NFL Hall of Famer who has migraine. “Try to keep stress levels as low as possible. Try not to do too much,” he advises.
For chronic and high-frequency migraine attacks, therapeutic massage may be beneficial to help manage medical and mental health conditions that contribute to attacks, including stress, anxiety, and fibromyalgia.
Massage for Recurrent, Tension-Type Headaches
Some people with migraine may also have tension-type headaches or neck pain that can be soothed with massage. Massage techniques for migraine can help release stress and reduce muscle tension and pain by increasing blood flow to the tissue.
Questions for Your Massage Therapist
If you want to try massage, therapists suggest scheduling appointments every four to six weeks. When looking for a massage therapist in your area, ask the therapist if they:
- Are familiar with migraine.
- Are skilled in deep-tissue massage.
- Work on trigger points and pressure points.
- Use heat as well as cold. Migraine can respond better to cold around the neck, shoulders, and head.
- Understand that some fragrances trigger migraine — a condition known as hyperosmia.
- Help navigate insurance options. Does your insurance cover massage? If not, ask about fees and payment plans.
When you meet your massage therapist, be sure to:
- Let them know the degree of pressure to apply. Do you want those knots worked out or are even your hair and teeth extremely sensitive? Some migraine patients experience allodynia, a condition in which one or several areas is extremely sensitive to touch.
- Listen to your therapist. These skilled professionals can tell by the position of your shoulders, neck, and head that an attack is imminent, or that you may be activating trigger points by the position of your body.
- Drink plenty of water and preferably add electrolytes before and after a massage.
6 Ways to Practice Massage for Migraine at Home
When you can’t get to your massage therapist, you can practice self-massage for headaches or migraine at home using these techniques.
1. Eyebrow Self-Massage
Press thumb pads under eyebrow bone and along the orbital ridge close to the bridge of the nose. Press up and inward to the bones, to a comfort level, to release tension that leads to migraine.
2. Jaw Self-Massage
Relieve pressure around the jaw by placing the index finger inside the mouth, and placing the thumb on the surface of the face. Press and massage the muscle.
3. Hand Reflexology
Use two fingers to pinch the fleshy area of your left hand between the thumb and pointer finger, working on any sore areas. Repeat on your right hand.
4. Foot Reflexology
While seated, place a tennis ball under the foot. Roll the ball around, applying pressure to tender areas. Repeat with your other foot.
5. Gentle Traction of the Spine
Lie on your back. Place a rolled towel comfortably under the neck. For 30 seconds, have a partner gently and slightly lift your head and stretch the spine. Release. Listen to your body. Only do this technique as tolerated and stop if you experience pain.
6. Suboccipital Release for Shoulder and Neck Tension
To open and relax the area at the base of the skull where tension collects, you can practice suboccipital release technique.
The suboccipital muscles are a group of four muscles that attach at the C1 and C2 vertebra at the top of the neck. Three of these muscles touch the back of the skull, called the occiput. These muscles get tense and shorten with poor posture, like that caused by computer use.
The easiest way to release the suboccipital muscles at home is to ask a partner to massage and apply counterpressure to the fascia and muscles at the base of your skull. When a partner is not available, you can lie on a rolled towel or pillow in a way that gently applies counterpressure to the base of the occiput at the back of the skull.
A general rule for neck massage: If it feels good, you’re doing it right! Avoid applying pressure anywhere you can feel your pulse from the carotid artery.
Suboccipital Release Technique: Step by Step
Jonathan Terry, DO, diplomate of the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine, offers a step-by-step guide to the suboccipital release. See Terry's website for more details, including a video tutorial. In these instructions, the “patient” is the person getting the massage and the “practitioner” is the person giving the massage.
- The patient is on their back on a flat surface (bed, massage table, even the floor will do) in front of the practitioner.
- The practitioner is resting forearms on a flat surface at the same level as the patient.
- Start at the middle part of the back and work up to the neck with light, gentle massage and soft-tissue therapy to help relax the patient. Remember: If it feels good, you’re doing it right! Avoid anywhere you feel a pulse, including the carotid area under the jaw.
- As you work up the neck and cervical spine, you will eventually reach the bony ridge of the occiput.
- Once you reach the bony base of the skull, move your hands down ½ inch to 1 inch until you find the soft tissue at the top of the neck over C1 and C2.
- Cradle and put gentle finger pressure, using only the fingertips, up into suboccipital space; this will gently lift the entire head and neck. This should be about the same pressure you would use to lift a small, light object like a shoe or a pillow.
- The patient’s head and neck pressure will be placed on fingers.
- Continue soft, steady, gentle pressure until tissue starts to release and soften, at least 30 seconds to one minute.
- As the tissue softens, the head will release back and rest on your palms.
- After the full release, relax your fingers and allow the patient’s head to rest in the palm of your hands.
- Take your time, nice and slow, to open the upper cervical and occipital space as much as possible.
Suboccipital release can be effective in the treatment of tension headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, and upper back pain.
Final Thoughts on Massage Techniques for Migraine Relief
Massage therapy is becoming recognized as an additional tool for migraine pain relief and self-care. Massage therapists who understand migraine can partner with clients to provide relief faster, decrease headache intensity, and aid clients to stay pain-free longer.
Massage therapy is a natural, nonmedicinal remedy for migraine that can be used virtually any time and anywhere. Regular sessions with a skilled practitioner are best, but self-massage like the suboccipital release detailed above can offer soothing relief from the comfort of your own home.
When you feel the beginning stages of a migraine attack, use the self-massage for migraine techniques to help calm your body and mind right when you need it the most. And remember, the best massage for migraine relief is the one that works best for you.