massage

18 September 2020

The Humble Tennis Ball, and Headache

I have a tennis ball and a racquetball in a drawer in my bedroom. Why? Because they’re handy, inexpensive self-massage tools.

I was recently looking at an article on massage, and saw this quote:

My orthopedic surgeon didn’t know about using tennis balls for massage! He asked what helped my back pain, and I told him I always lie on a tennis ball. He looked at me like he was going to refer me to a psychiatrist! How can an orthopedic surgeon not know about the tennis ball thing? Doesn’t everyone know about the tennis ball thing?
a massage therapy client

Well, yes, exactly! There are some great massages that you can do with a tennis ball, and you can get a pack of three for under $10. A raquetball is a little smaller and harder (and even cheaper). A lot of people also recommend lacrosse balls, which are almost as big (sometimes as big) as a tennis ball, but they have a nice rubbery texture, perfect for massage (and they come in lots of fun colours). (I have to support lacrosse – it’s the official summer game of Canada, did you know that?)

And, of course, there are balls made especially for massage such as the TriggerPoint Foam Massage Ball for Deep-Tissue Massage, which has gazillions of high ratings. You can choose the size and firmness of these, which is handy. But again, if you already have a tennis ball around the house, try that first and see how it works for you. Save your money and give it to the Migraine Research Foundation instead.

Massage is a very personal thing, so I won’t share the “ultimate headache massage” here, although we would love to hear your comments about what has worked for you. And massage for headache isn’t just head massage – and not just shoulders. Even a foot massage (grab the racquetball for this one) can help with headache.

But here are some places to start. First a recent Instagram video, with an accompanying article. This one is from a kinesiologist. If You Have Tension Headaches, Try This Kinesiology Expert’s Simple Trick With a Ball

Next, you’ll want to explore more of this website than just this one article, but start here: Tennis Ball Massage for Myofascial Trigger Points

Ok, here’s one more from the same site: Basic Self-Massage Tips for Myofascial Trigger Points

Now I’ll let you go, because you’re going to want to check all that out, and hunt down the tennis ball from the garage. Hmmm… might want to wash it first…

14 May 2018

What Role does Neck Pain play in a Migraine Attack?

James Discoveries & Stats 0

As we have discussed before, migraine and neck pain very often go together. You may remember the perhaps surprising results of our poll a few years ago – Migraine Symptom: Neck Pain (poll results). And, some of the research that tells us that neck pain in migraine is more common than nausea.

Neck Massage — Neck massage – could it fight migraine?

A study published this spring (Clinical characterization of neck pain in migraine.) investigated the timing and apparent role of neck pain in migraine.

A lot of the report isn’t a surprise. Over 42% of patients reported neck pain as a part of their migraine attack. Both men and women experienced neck pain.

Now this may surprise some people. In 32% of cases, the neck pain appeared to be a trigger. But in 68%, the neck pain was a part of the attack itself, not a trigger at all. And almost 28% experienced neck pain after the headache was gone!

Researchers concluded that neck pain is commonly either a trigger or an actual symptom of migraine, most often a symptom during the main part of the attack.

Around the same time, Curelator came out with another puzzling result. For those using their app, many found that neck pain was a sign that they would be less likely to have an attack!

So what’s up with that?

Well, we’re not sure. But it could be that patients with neck pain from other sources are taking care to deal with the neck pain – thus helping fight migraine as well. This could include massage or certain neck exercises.

Read the Curelator article here: How can neck pain be a protector for migraine attacks?

For now, it’s important for patients and doctors to be aware of neck pain. Patients need to be checked in case their neck pain is a sign of something that is causing both the pain and the migraine attacks. And yes, fighting neck pain may fight migraine symptoms in some cases.

30 January 2017

Chemotherapy Headache

James Information 3

Chemotherapy headache is very common in cancer patients, although the chemo itself is not always the cause, or only cause, of the pain. Today we’re going to take a look at what may cause the headaches, and what you can do to fight them.

Chemotherapy and headaches If you’re experiencing headaches during or after chemotherapy, you probably don’t need to be told that your body is already going through a lot of unwelcome changes. There are a huge number of things that can lead to head pain – the chemotherapy itself, other medications (including “painkillers”!) that you take along with the chemo, the cancer itself, changes in schedule and eating habits, and the many other changes that are happening in your body that are directly or indirectly related to your treatment.

In light of this reality of chemotherapy headaches, here are some important things to remember:

Always mention headaches, related symptoms, and especially any changes in your headache symptoms, to your doctor. Do not assume that this is just another symptom you just have to “live with”. Even if the headaches are temporary (and will go away after the treatment is over), there are may be things you and your doctor can do to alleviate the pain. And alleviating the pain may help your overall treatment be more effective. But some headaches can be signs of ongoing and serious problems that need more attention.
Pay attention to the timing and intensity of the pain, and any related symptoms. It can be hard to keep track when you already feel so tired and sick, but if you notice anything it can help your doctor diagnose your pain. For example, are headaches waking you up in the night? Are they worse in the morning? Is nausea worse when the headache is present? Any clues might help you find a good treatment.
Make sure your doctor knows your headache history. Have you been prone to migraine attacks in past years? Or regular, mild tension-type headaches?

Chemotherapy headache, and this includes chemotherapy and migraine headaches (and other migraine symptoms) can be difficult to treat. You may or may not be able to conquer all the pain, but there are some things that you and your doctor might want to consider:

Stay Hydrated. If you’ve been told to drink more water and you’re having trouble getting it down, you’re not alone. But drinking lots of water has helped some people lessen their headaches. If you can’t drink much water, but find other liquids more appealing, talk to your doctor. She can help you choose something that will be easier for you to drink. Another option is to drink one thing, and then something else, rather than sticking to one thing all the time.
Adjusting medications. Medications may trigger headaches during chemo treatment. This may be nausea medication (such as ondansetron (Zofran)), or the chemo drugs themselves. Your doctor might be able to adjust the level of your chemo drugs, or give you a different medication for nausea, for example. Even “painkillers” may lead to more headaches. If the dosis isn’t right for you, for example, a drug treating the pain may start “rebound headaches” – as if your body is starting to ask for more and more of the drug. Adjusting the dose, changing the medication, or even alternating meds, may help.
Fighting chemo headache with medication. Taking any extra medication during chemo is common, but as you probably know, it’s a tricky balance. Your doctor will want to avoid NSAIDs (like ibuprofen or aspirin), but might want to try paracetamol/acetaminophen, or a prescription medication.
Keep a regular “schedule” as much as you can. Those with migraine often find changes to schedule and meals especially difficult, and there’s only so much you can do about it. But if you can try to eat/sleep/wake up/take a short walk at a more regular time, it might help lessen the headache pain.
Complimentary treatment. As with medications, complimentary treatments will vary depending on the patient. A cold compress or ice pack in a towel may help some people, but it may or may not help you. But it’s worth a try. Two options that may be helpful include the ICEKAP and the ThermaZone Continuous Thermal Therapy Device. Massage can also help. A warm foot bath, or foot massage, may also help alleviate headache symptoms.

It can be overwhelming juggling many symptoms and treatments at the same time. But if you can lessen your chemotherapy headache, it can help your overall treatment. If you’ve experienced chemotherapy headache and have found something that helped, leave a comment!

More about chemotherapy headache and cancer related headache from the American Society of Clinical Oncology here.

17 December 2015

Hydrotherapy for Migraine

James Discoveries & Stats, Information, Treatments 2

Hydrotherapy is actually a well known treatment among migraine experts. However, nailing down just what it is and how to do it can be difficult.

What is hydrotherapy? Actually, the word is used in some very different ways, so beware if you’re reading about a precise treatment which claims to be “THE” hydrotherapy.

Hydrotherapy is therapy with water. Now, most commonly in medical research, this refers to something that includes some kind of exercise. For example, someone who has trouble exercising due to an injury may find it easier to do more movement in a pool. This is also known as aquatherapy.

Hydrotherapy for Migraine But hydrotherapy also refers to other aspects of water – cold and heat, minerals in the water, movement of the water (for example, a whirlpool). Sometimes even using a wet towel and your feet in a bowl may be called hydrotherapy.

Hydrotherapy has been studied in clinical trials, but it’s very difficult to study well because there are so many possible variations.

The basic consensus at the moment seems to be that hydrotherapy works, there’s good scientific evidence that it can help you. But we may not be able to tell you exactly what to do for your condition, especially if it’s headache or migraine.

Migraine therapy, including hydrotherapy, has often focused on heat and cold. Depending on how you use it, heat and cold may be beneficial or actually make symptoms worse – which means you may need to do some experimenting.

One study on hydrotherapy and migraine suggested warm arm and foot baths, combined with ice massage for the head, improved quality of life when combined with drug treatment (in other words, it was better than the drug treatment alone). (Here’s some helpful information on ice massage)

Many people recommend hydrotherapy with heat (for example, a warm bath) combined with massage, even if it’s self-massage.

A warm bath is often recommended. However, even a warm bath could trigger or increase symptoms for a migraine patient.

This is an excellent article about how to take a warm bath that actually helps – it has some great tips that should give you the maximum benefit, turning a bath into a migraine fighter: A Better Hot Bath

Other variations of hydrotherapy include:

Run cold water over the back of the head for three minutes at the first sign of headache.
Hot foot bath with an ice pack on the back of the neck
Gentle exercise in a whirlpool.

Common tips include drinking lots of water, keeping your head cool, and combining any hydrotherapy with massage, pressure point therapy, or stretching.

What types of hydrotherapy have you tried that have helped the most? Do you use hydrotherapy to ease symptoms, or have you found it a useful preventative?

More sources and resources:

16 April 2013

Massage for Migraine: Are we talking about it enough?

James Treatments 7

There are many migraine treatments that have been well studied. There are some that have been studied only a little bit, and that may be because the results aren’t all that encouraging.

Massage for migraine is something different – it has been studied, some, with encouraging results. But it hasn’t been studied nearly enough.

Yes, researchers are very positive about massage when it comes to migraine. Health practitioners do recommend it – sometimes. But could it be that this is a very effective treatment that we’re not talking about nearly enough?

Back in 2011, researchers published a review in The Journal of Headache and Pain, reviewing studies about physiotherapy, chiropractic, and massage therapy. The studies on massage therapy were small and not well designed. And yet clearly migraine patients saw improvement through this type of treatment.

Massage therapy is also frequently recommended for pregnant women with migraine, who are wanting to avoid most drug therapies.

One of the challenges with studying massage therapy is that there are so many different types. Of course there are actually head massages, such as champissage. But it could be that a shoulder, neck and back massage is even more effective. In fact, foot massages seem to be very helpful for migraineurs, even if it’s self massage using a good quality foot massager.

So with so many types of massage, and so many types of migraine and other headache conditions – where do you start?

In spite of the challenges, we should not be afraid to study massage, as both a migraine preventative and a treatment during some types of attacks. We will probably be pleasantly surprised to find that this safe, non-drug treatment is very helpful. It could be helping many more people, and there are already a lot of migraine patients who would tell you to try it.

The study mentioned above: Manual therapies for migraine: a systematic review