If you suffer from headaches of unknown origin, you should consult a doctor to find out the cause. Self-medication in this case will do more harm than good. If you know for sure that you are experiencing tension pain, you can help yourself by mastering several head massage techniques.
Many people read the body's needs intuitively, without any special knowledge. By stroking a crying child's head, we calm the baby and relieve anxiety, and rubbing the temporal area in order to increase concentration actually gives a certain result. Based on this, we can draw a simple conclusion: competent influence on certain points leads to an improvement in the general condition, and this should be used!
How it works?
The scalp is closely connected to the brain, and therefore the impulses launched during exposure to it quickly penetrate the cerebral cortex and limbic structures, harmonizing the work of the whole body. Speaking about massage and acupuncture, we should not forget about Eastern philosophy, which indicates that the entire person is “permeated” with biologically active points, each of which is responsible for the functioning of specific organs and systems. Moreover, the vast majority of such zones are located on the head.
Scalp massage has been proven to:
- Activates blood circulation and lymph flow.
- Improves nutrition of soft tissues.
- Relieves muscle tension.
- Improves the mood and general condition of the patient.
Similar properties of the procedure are reflected in a person’s appearance: after just a few sessions, complexion and hair condition improve, fine expression wrinkles disappear and the oval of the face is tightened.
Thus, facial massage can be recommended for the treatment of headaches and neurological pathologies, such as insomnia, disease prevention and for rejuvenation.
Massage for headaches at home
The patient can do the massage himself. To do this you need:
- Initially, you need to rub the scalp for 4 minutes. Rub to the temple and from the back of the head in a circular motion. With each circle you need to strengthen your movements.
- Massage your temples up and down in a spiral from one to the second temple. Starting with the fingers and ending with the knuckles.
- The whiskey is rubbed with the middle and index fingers.
- The neck is massaged in the form of a spiral to the back of the head and from the temple.
- From the middle of the head to the bottom from the top.
- Use your thumbs to press lightly behind the ears.
- Lightly tapping your fingers, starting from the back of the head and ending with the forehead and back.
- Use your palms to stroke your head.
During the massage, you can use brushes and combs.
Indications for head massage
Head massage is indicated for people with neurological pathologies. First of all, these are neurosis, neuritis, asthenia, chronic stress and fatigue, lack of strength, drowsiness and fatigue, insomnia, headache, decreased concentration, memory loss, encephalopathy and a number of other conditions.
Head massage is a medical procedure that has contraindications. These include the following conditions: acute inflammatory processes, elevated body temperature, blood and skin coagulation disorders, cancer, infections and mental disorders.
Features of therapy
Massage is often used to relieve headaches. This method has a number of features, namely:
- no need to take medicine or tinctures;
- The work involves hands and objects with which you can achieve relaxation.
- the body should be in a relaxed state.
- It is important to follow all instructions so as not to cause harm. Since inaccurate pressing on one point or another can lead to serious consequences. Before starting a massage, you need to familiarize yourself with the contraindications and make sure that the patient does not have them.
The operating technique is indicated in the description of working with a point. If everything is done correctly, then the patient will experience the following feelings:
- slight tingling,
- slight sensation of a weak electric shock,
- goose bumps appear
- the area of skin becomes numb.
At the end, a slight warming appears in the area that is massaged.
Basic techniques and techniques
Professional massage therapists use only their hands during the procedure, while at home you can resort to the help of mechanical or electrical devices.
- Classic massage is a sequential performance of various movements - stroking, kneading, pressing and rubbing.
- Ayurvedic – aimed at working out biologically active points. For maximum relaxation, it is often done with pleasant music and aromatic oils.
- Vacuum massage has the most intense effect on soft tissue. Using special devices, the specialist normalizes blood circulation and lymph flow.
The easiest way to do a massage at home is to relieve headaches. To do this, you need to influence the points located:
- At the base of the eyebrows and in the center of the eyebrow area.
- In the hole under the back of the head.
- On the temples.
- In the center of the cheekbones.
- In an area located 10 cm down from the base of the skull and 15 cm to the side of the spinal column.
The exposure time for each point should be at least 10 seconds. If necessary, you can apply oils or ointments with a warming effect.
You can sign up for the procedure, including lymphatic drainage massage, by phone.
Warning: there are contraindications to massage of the cervical spine. Before following the recommendations, consult your doctor. In most cases, muscle pain in the cervical spine and associated headaches can be relieved or significantly reduced with a massage of the head, neck and cervical-collar area.
If desired, massage can be performed independently, without the help of a specialist. Self-massage uses only the strength of the arms (without the legs and body), which makes the effects less strong and sharply reduces the risk of injury. Massage movements should relax the muscles, so they are carried out smoothly and slowly. Provide a comfortable position for your head and neck. It is most convenient to carry out a massage when the head lies with the back of the head on a pillow or leans against the wall along with the back. At the same time, the muscles relax, which allows you to work with deeper layers of tissue. The sequence of massage movements is not a dogma. The author is guided by the great convenience of increasing strength and range of motion during a massage session. Therefore, you need to start with weaker and thinner muscles.
Introductory part of the massage: facial and masticatory muscles
Classic techniques: stroking and rubbing, can be omitted. Start with light kneading movements of the frontal area. The palmar surface of the terminal phalanges of the fingers, usually the index, middle and ring fingers, should fit tightly to the head. The thumbs are used for support - they form an axis around which rotation occurs. To imagine the tempo and amplitude, I recommend imitating the movements of your hand when brushing your teeth, but doing them twice as slow.
So you need to work the frontal areas from the inside out. Passes (3-7 in number) are performed lower and lower, slightly overlapping the previous one. Shifting the fingers in small “steps”: “step”-shift-“step”-shift...
Then, massage movements are performed on the temporal muscles - painful points are often found at the place of their attachment to the bones of the skull at the top. To get an idea of their size, place your hands on your temples and make chewing movements. The temporal masseter muscles are much larger than they appear. If there is a painful area at hand, you need to slow down and massage it for a longer time. Massage passages from front to back, top to bottom. When massaging the skin of the forehead and temple areas, try not to stretch it - this may provoke the appearance of wrinkles in the future.
Let's take our minds off the pain. Scalp massage
Next, you can pay a little attention to the scalp. There is no muscle underneath most of this area. In the middle, between the frontal and occipital belly of the supracranial muscle, there is a plate of fibrous tissue - the tendon helmet. However, the scalp is rich in nerve endings, and impacts on it have an impact on neighboring tissues. At the same time, the area of contact between the fingers and the skin should be minimal (fingers “between the hairs”), sliding is not allowed; to change the area being massaged, the fingers must be lifted and moved.
Kneading can be done intensively, simultaneously with all five fingers of each hand.
From head to neck. Massage the area where the neck muscles attach to the occipital region
The most critical area is the place of attachment of the muscles of the cervical spine and shoulder girdle to the occipital bone. This is where painful areas are most common.
Kneading of this zone is also carried out from the inside out, slowly and smoothly, searching for “problem” areas and influencing them. Despite the fact that near the border of the muscles there is a point of the vertebral artery, which bends and goes anteriorly into the cranial cavity through the foramen magnum, it is quite difficult to injure it during massage.
Slow stretching movements are very convenient, when the eminence of the thumb rests on the lateral surfaces of the neck and fingers II-V, connected together, move outward from the midline. The rate is about 1 cm/sec. If there is a painful compacted area under your fingers, pay attention to it - knead it slowly and persistently until it becomes indistinguishable from nearby tissues.
"Heavy artillery". Massage of the upper trapezius muscle
The same approach when massaging the neck muscles: - the upper portion of the trapezius muscle is the most superficial layer. The muscle itself is similar to a rhombus, the corners of which are located in the outer part of the scapula on both sides, at the top of the neck, along the nuchal line. The lower corner of the “diamond” is attached to the last thoracic vertebrae. The tendons of the muscle are connected to the spinous processes of the vertebrae throughout the cervical and thoracic regions. Tension of the upper trapezius muscle is often found in patients complaining of headaches, neck pain, as well as in people without complaints who remain in a static position for a long time (hairdressers, dentists, drivers, office workers).
For most people, it is possible to stretch the muscle separately along the entire length of the neck, as well as the shoulder girdle, by grasping it between the 1st and 2nd-4th fingers of the hand.
Slow deep movements of the II-IV fingers tightly pressed to the shoulder girdle from back to front are also effective. The range of movements may be minimal, even without displacement of the hands relative to the skin. Feel the massive trapezius muscle under your fingers and try to slowly stretch it. At the same time, you can slowly straighten your neck and throw your head back, spreading the lower corners of your shoulder blades and elbows to the sides.
The main source of troubles and its elimination. Massage of the splenius muscles and other long muscles of the neck
Typically, the main source of pain in the cervical spine is tension in the deep long muscles. First of all, the splenius capitis muscle. It starts from the spinous processes of the Th3-5 vertebrae and goes outward to the lateral part of the superior nuchal line and along the posterior edge of the mastoid process. Covered by the upper part of the trapezius muscle.
If the muscle is tense, it can be felt in the form of a cord running obliquely from bottom to top in the depths of the neck muscles.
You can more effectively stretch the muscle in a lying position, grasping it between fingers I and II on each side. In this case, the back of the head rests on the pillow, and the muscle, the main function of which is to hold the head straight, relaxes.
The muscle, due to compacted areas, may be heterogeneous to the touch. The movements should be slow, light and long to eliminate tension and pain.
The finishing touches. Massage of the short muscles of the neck.
After “dealing” with the splenius muscle, remain in a lying position and stretch the short muscles of the neck, which are located outside of the splenius muscle and under it. Even though they are located deep, be careful not to apply too much pressure. A massage technique is effective when smooth, rhythmic, amplitude movements of the elbow (“long lever arm”) are converted into short movements of the hand (“short lever arm”), and the area of the wrist joint acts as a fulcrum: gently press your fingers against the massaged area, and Move your elbow up and down like a dog scratching behind its ear, but unlike an animal, keep your fingers on your neck and move them slowly.
Recommendations and contraindications
- Try massaging your scalp twice a week. Each movement must be performed at least two to three times. The whole procedure should take 10-15 minutes.
- Since massage stimulates the sebaceous glands, it is best to do the massage an hour before washing your hair.
- Perform the massage exclusively with clean hands, try not to scratch the skin with your nails or pull out hair.
- For the best effect, you can use special serums to strengthen and nourish the bulbs or oils (argan, almond, burdock).
- Head massage has contraindications, these include: fungal diseases, inflammation and trauma to the skin, severe hair loss, hypertension, vascular diseases.
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