Stress Headaches

Tension headaches are when you develop a headache due to either an extreme sudden amount of stress or a long-term stressful situation. Often described as a dull pain, tightness and or pressure around your forehead, around the back of the head and down into your neck. As we spoke about last week, with the immense number of different types of stressors and stressful situations that people encounter in their lives, there is no single cause for stress headaches.

• Most common type of headache for adults.
• 80% of American Adults have experienced at least one known tension headache during their lifetime.
• Women are twice as likely as men to have tension headaches.
• When you have a tension headache less than 15 days a month they are called Episodic Tension Headaches. They tend to start gradually, and can last from 30 minutes up to a few days.
• Chronic Tension Headaches can ease throughout the day but are almost always there; they come and go over a longer period of time. They can last days: 60, 90 and even more.

How can massage help? As we briefly spoke about last week, one of the steps in a hormonal response to a stressful situation is when our muscles tighten for movement (fight or flight!) When we stay in a continued state of heighten stress, our bodies are not allowed time to relax and our muscles to return to normal.  One key muscle group this happens with that cause stress headaches is our suboccipital group. This is the group of muscle at the very base of our skull which essentially supports our heads. Massage, especially Neuromuscular Therapy, of this muscle group will identify knots, trigger points and adhesions which can be treated and obliterated.

If stress headaches are part of your life and you’re ready to break up with them for good. Give Liz, our Licensed Massage Therapist, the opportunity to show you what a difference massage can make for you. Call (270) 783-4500 to schedule your appointment and be ready to

Feel Better, Faster, For Good!