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Massage Therapy & Chronic Migraines
Melissa Baldwin is a Licensed Massage Therapist at Inova Medical Spa in Ashburn, VA. She has four years of experience and is also a Licensed Group Fitness, Functional Fitness, and Postural Analysis Instructor. Melissa loves helping "desk jockeys" – those individuals who spend most of their day seated at a desk with pent up muscle tension and stress. Deep Tissue and Warm Stone Massages are a few of her favorite services as they're great ways to relax and calm body aches and pains.
Chronic headaches and migraines are one of the most common complaints expressed by our massage therapy clients. While there are a myriad of medications that can aid in pain relief, the results are often temporary. However, massage techniques can help to relieve painful headaches, address the underlying cause, and also prevent them from occurring.
Massage therapy has been used to treat headaches for years, but its benefits have just started becoming more mainstream. Over the past few years, clinicians have recognized the value and significance of massage as a legitimate therapy for soft tissue injuries and dysfunction. In fact, many clinicians are starting to offer massage therapy in their offices with insurance reimbursement and coverage a valid option. Here are a few reasons why:
Massage can help to relieve muscle tension and spasms all over the body. If you're holding tension – especially in areas surrounding the base of the neck – loosening these muscles can alleviate the pain and discomfort commonly associated with tension headaches.
Massage can also re-educate the muscles. Using varying massage techniques such as stretching, trigger point work and myofascial release, muscles can actually be re-trained. This can help to reduce pain and also increase range of motion.
Maintaining a massage routine with a qualified Certified Massage Therapist can greatly aid the reoccurrence and prevention of migraines and headaches. Like the old adage says, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure!
Patient Testimonial:
"
I was suffering from a three week long migraine when I came to Melissa for help. I had been to several doctors and the ER – none of which had been able to do anything other than mask the pain. After one session, I was able to function normally. After two, I was back to normal. Now I use massage to manage headaches and migraines. When I feel a headache coming on that I can’t seem to get on top of, I can pop in for a session and often avoid being down for days with a migraine." – Brittnee P.