Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are treatable and preventable. Learning how to relax and reduce stress can help reduce the frequency of your tension headaches.

© Sylvia Carlson

Tension Headaches

I think it would be fair to say that most people know what a tension headache feels like. The cause of a tension headache is typically attributed to muscle tension at the back of the neck and the top of the shoulders.

What causes tension headaches? It could be stress, anxiety, fatigue, overexertion, or depression. Some argue that tension headaches could be the result of an emotional response that cannot be expressed, particularly anger. Poor posture can also be a primary cause of tension headaches.

Typical tension headaches feel like a tightening of the head and neck muscles. They manifest as a constant and dull pain on both sides of the head. The pain typically occurs in the forehead, temples or the back of the head and/or neck.

Most people reach for ibuprofen or some other form of non-prescription pain reliever as a way to manage the pain, but if you want to reduce or prevent tension headaches, you might want to try some form of self massage , relaxation, stress management or bodywork technique.

Reduce or Prevent Tension Headaches

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy or other forms of bodywork such as foot reflexology can help to relieve headache-producing tension in the muscles of your head, neck, shoulders, and face, as well as help to keep your muscles supple.

Relaxation Techniques and Exercises

Meditation, biofeedback, yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, breathing exercises, and progressive relaxation therapies are effective in reducing stress.

Reduce Stress

• Relax
• Listen to music
• Be in nature
• Find a way to express your emotions in a safe way
• Seek help
• Give yourself a break
• Learn to be in the moment - read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Other Techniques to Relieve Pain Caused by Tension Headaches

• Self massage head, neck and shoulders.
• Place an ice pack around your head or neck. Take a hot shower. Get more rest. Drink plenty of water.

How do you know when it is more than just a tension headache ?

If you experience any of the following symptoms, it's time to see your family doctor:

• If your headaches are becoming more frequent and interfering with your daily activities.
• If you are taking too many pain relievers.
• If you experience weakness, dizziness, or numbness.

Massage and Chronic Pain

Massage can ease chronic pain. Massage therapy research shows how chronic pain can be relieved.

© Sylvia Carlson

It is a very debilitating and isolating experience because you cannot actually see pain. Massage therapy can be effective in reducing pain.

Pain Statistics

In Canada, one in ten people suffer from chronic pain. According to the 2001 Ipsos Reid National Canadian Pain study, that's about 31% of Canadians. In the U.S., the American Pain Association estimated that chronic pain affected approximately 86 million Americans (2001).

Can Massage Relieve Pain?

Pain is noted to be the most frequent complaint brought to physicians in North America. Medical authorities define pain as a subjective feeling that cannot be observed or even measured directly, and it is often explained away by the stress concept or as a result of mental stress. It comes as no surprise then, why so many people seek alternative ways to deal with their pain. In 1997, a U.S. health survey showed that consumers spent between 4 and 6 billion dollars on massage. The American Massage Therapy Association noted that 47% of the people polled in a consumer survey used massage therapy to relieve and manage their pain, and 91% said massage therapy was effective in reducing pain.

Pain Relief

In ancient Greece and Rome, it was actually the physicians who utilised massage as one of the primary methods to treat pain. Today, massage therapists are some of the best trained people to deal with myofascial and musculoskeletal pain syndromes. Why? Because that's what they are trained to do. Massage therapists are trained in anatomy, physiology, and pathology, and they spend many hours physically palpating and manipulating the muscles and soft tissue of the body. Whether it is lower back pain, arthritis or fibromyalgia, massage may be able to relieve the associated pain.

What Massage Therapy Research Says

The Touch Research Institute has conducted over 90 clinical studies on the beneficial effects of massage therapy on a variety of conditions. The following are summaries of some of the studies conducted on the effects of massage therapy on pain:

• Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis - Parents massaged their arthritic children and found they experienced less pain and had less morning stiffness following the massage(Field et al, 1997).
• Labor Pain - Massage therapy was given to pregnant women during labor and they demonstrated a decrease in anxiety and pain as well as had shorter hospital stays (Field et al, 1997).
• Fibromyalgia - Patients with fibromyalgia slept better and had less pain following a month of biweekly massages. (Field et al, 2002).
• Back Pain - Participants with low back pain were found to have a reduction in pain and an increase in their mobility after massage therapy (Hernandez-Reif et al, 2001).

The exciting part about all of this research is that it gives a renewed sense of hope for chronic pain sufferers. There is something that can be done for pain. Research has clearly shown that massage therapy is one way to alleviate pain, either alone, or in conjunction with another form of therapy such as chiropractic treatment. As there are always differences in individual experiences of pain, it is always advisable to consult with your physician for diagnosis and treatment advice.

Heal the Body, Heal the Mind

Learning more about the body mind connection can enhance your healing and sense of wellness.

© Sylvia Carlson

Heal Your Body Through Your Mind

You have most likely heard the expressions: "mind over matter" or "heal your body through your mind." There is much research and much experiential knowledge that suggests that we can do a lot to overcome illness and pain through using our minds in a different way. This typically is done through therapies such as hypnotherapy, visualizations, or guided imagery.

Body-Mind Medicine

Dr. Bernie Siegel is a physician and pioneer in the field of body-mind medicine. He is actually a surgeon who believed that he could better help his cancer patients heal and recover through taking a holistic approach. Rather than just relying on chemotherapy and radiation treatments for the physical body, he believed that addressing the physical, emotional, spiritual and mental aspects of a human being, was absolutely essential for surviving cancer or any other illness for that matter. He is the author of "Love, Medicine and Miracles" and "Peace, Love and Healing." In his bestsellers, he suggests that long-term survivors of cancer were those that paid attention and expressed their emotions, and those that dealt with the bigger issues of forgiveness and surrendering in the face of illness. These patients also took part in visualizations that were geared at destroying cancer cells.

I can just imagine how a physician like Dr. Siegel was looked at by his colleagues in the 1970s and 80s. He actually spoke about the healing power of love, and about loving his patients and his patients loving themselves. His caring approach was an inspiration for many other healers who followed in his footsteps, and he certainly advanced our understanding of how the mind and body work together.

Can the Body Heal the Mind?

So what about the reverse? If the mind can heal the body, can the body heal the mind? If you spoke to any professional who works with the body, whether they are a massage therapist or bodyworker, alternative medicine practitioner, cranio-sacral therapist, body-centered psychologist, somatic experience therapist, chiropractor or self-regulation therapist, they will also tell you about how the mind and body work together. They might tell you about how stored emotions can cause headaches, and muscle pain and tension. They might tell you about how traumatic events are stored in the body and how this can really affect someone's quality of life if left untreated. They might also tell you how certain parts of the body hold certain emotions. They might even tell you how an angry person can become more peaceful after having a massage.

Healing the Body, Healing the Mind

In essence, the body is the path to healing the mind and the mind is the path to healing the body. They work together. A holistic perspective takes into account this interaction between the body and the mind, and as Dr. Siegel suggested, the healing power of love has just as much effect on our health as the treatment itself.

Massage for Depression and Anxiety

Can Massage Help Elevate Moods?

© Sylvia Carlson

Anxiety and Depression

According to the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, almost three million Canadians have serious depression, but less than one third seek outside help for it. Anxiety and depression account for 79 percent of all psychiatric diagnosis. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that by 2020 major depression will be second only to heart disease as the leading cause of disability worldwide. That’s pretty significant. So how does massage affect moods?

Massage

Massage has been touted as one of the oldest forms of treatment, first recorded in China during the second century B.C. I repeat this statement quite often, to make a point, not only about the historical significance, but of the very basic and fundamental humanness about this practice. I mean, what do you do when your friend is hurting? You rub their hand or pat their shoulder. It's human.

Massage and the Scientific Community

With scientific advances in medicine during the 1940’s, massage was replaced with technology and pharmacology. Prior to this, massage was utilized in sanatoriums and psychiatric hospitals. Today, while massage therapy appears to be gaining popularity, it still has not received the same attention from the scientific community as other forms of treatment. Massage therapy appears as an alternative form of therapy despite its long history as a seemingly simple and intuitive solution to many human ailments.

Massage Therapy Research on Depression and Anxiety

In general, many of the studies conducted by The Touch Research Institute on the effects of massage therapy demonstrate: decrease in depressed moods, anxiety levels and stress hormones. Field (1998) suggests that increased parasympathetic activity may be the underlying mechanism for these changes, however, there also appears to be a psychological component. Once we understand how this works, it may shed greater light on the interaction between body and mind. While few would doubt the relaxing effect of massage, the research cannot conclusively tell us why.

Field, Grizzle, Scafidi & Schanberg (1996) examined massage and relaxation therapies’ effects on 32 depressed adolescent mothers. The mothers received ten 30 minute sessions of either massage therapy or relaxation therapy over a five week period. Both groups reported lower anxiety levels following the first and last session, however, the massage group additionally showed behavioural and stress hormone changes. The results of the study suggested that the control group reported a decrease in anxiety but did not show the same effects in their stress hormone levels or behaviour as the treatment group experienced.

Why Does Massage Make you Feel Better?

Is it physical or psychological? I mean, was it the physical response to being the recipient of touch, or was it the psychological response? Or perhaps it was both? How can a massage change our chemical make-up? We do know that touch is a matter of survival for the human species. But really, why did the massage group feel better?

Like I said before, there is something very basic and fundamental about massage that speaks to our humanness. Touch is a whole other way of communicating beyond the skin.

Stress Relief

What causes stress and how do you relieve stress?

© Sylvia Carlson

Stress and the Stress Response

Psychology experts suggest that stress arises when you perceive a situation as threatening, or difficult to handle. Some people find that tight deadlines make them more productive, whereas others might find that deadlines create more anxiety because they don't perform well under pressure. Can you change your situation or perception? Possibly. Can you change your body's response to stressful situations? Possibly. But what you can do, for sure, is help to elicit the relaxation response in order to override the effects of stress on your health and well-being. Dr. Herbert Benson coined the term, relaxation response as a counterbalancing mechanism to the stress response.

How to Elicit the Relaxation Response - More Relaxation, Less Stress

Your body and your mind communicate with each other. Any form of mental stress causes physical tension in the body. Massage relieves tension and also provides emotional benefits such as decreased anxiety, depression and fatigue, as well as promotes an overall sense of well-being.

Gentle forms of massage can affect the nervous system and help to release endorphins, or your body's natural, make you feel better chemicals. These chemicals can help induce relaxation, relieve pain and reduce stress hormones that contribute to poor health.

Common Stressors

Work Stress - changes in your work environment, such as changes in staffing, new projects, scheduling, equipment; and work-related stress, such as tight deadlines, office politics, too much work, too much pressure, interpersonal conflicts, competitive work environment.

Home Stress - changes at home, family demands, family conflict, and financial problems.

Environmental Stress - overcrowding, traffic, pollution, noise, environmental disasters, and conflict.

Self Stress - mental and emotional stress can be created by perfectionist tendencies, unrealistic expectations, negative attitude, poor lifestyle choices, and poor health.

You can try as much as possible to reduce the stress in your life, but unfortunately, stress can't be eliminated entirely. Getting your body to relax is one great way to combat the effects of stress on your health and happiness.

© Copyright, Sylvia Carlson, 2006. Reproduction without permission prohibited.

Massage and Healing Touch Ease Cancer Symptoms

Massage therapy and healing touch reduced pain, mood disturbance (anger, anxiety, depression, confusion) and fatigue in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, according to a recent study.

"Therapeutic Massage and Healing Touch Improve Symptoms in Cancer" was conducted by staff at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and United Hospital Department of Integrative Health in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Eighty-seven percent of the 164 subjects in the study were women. More than half of them had breast cancer; other types of cancers prevalent in the study were gynecological or genitourinary cancer, gastro-intestinal cancer and lung cancer, among others.

Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: massage therapy, healing touch or caring presence. They received 45 minutes of the assigned intervention per week for four weeks. All participants also received four weeks of standard cancer care alone, which was the control condition.

In the massage group, a standard Swedish massage was given, with modifications for tumour or surgical sites, as well as individual tolerance.

Subjects in the caring-presence group laid on the massage table for 45 minutes and listened to the same relaxing music played during the massage and healing-touch sessions, while one of the massage or healing-touch therapists was present.

Immediate outcomes, measured before and after each intervention session, or once per control session, were heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and self-reports of pain and nausea.

Outcomes evaluated at the beginning and end of each four-week period were anxiety, mood, fatigue, pain, nausea, use of analgesics and antiemetics, and overall satisfaction with care.

Both massage therapy and healing touch reduced blood pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate, total mood disturbance and pain. Subjects in the healing-touch group also had lower fatigue, while subjects in the massage group had lower anxiety and used less nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Caring presence was found to reduce respiratory rate and heart rate, but did not differ from standard care on any other outcomes.

"[Massage therapy] and [healing touch] were more effective than presence alone or standard care in inducing physical relaxation, reducing pain, improving mood states and fatigue," state the study's authors. "These results clearly suggest a benefit to both massage and [healing touch] that goes beyond the mere presence of a caring practitioner."

 - Source: University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and United Hospital Department of Integrative Health in St. Paul, Minnesota. Authors: Janice Post-White, R.N., Ph.D.; Mary Ellen Kinney, R.N.; Kay Savik; Joanna Bernsten Gau, R.N.; Carol Wilcox, R.N.; and Irving Lerner, M.D. Originally published in Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2003, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 332-344.

Seattle Treatment Education Project

A Healing Touch: Massage Therapy and HIV/AIDS

Anxiety and Massage Therapy

Alternative Treatments for Anxiety, Including Massage Therapy.

© Sylvia Carlson

Anxiety Information

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problems according to the Canadian Mental Health Association. Approximately 1 in 10 people are affected by this disorder. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America suggests that some 40 million adult Americans suffer from anxiety disorders.

Anxiety Disorders

While everyone will experience some degree of anxiety, those with an actual anxiety disorder will experience intense and prolonged feelings of distress and uneasiness often for no apparent reason. The most common anxiety disorders include: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety refers to an internal response that includes fear, apprehension and worry, often without understanding the underlying reason for the feelings. It is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, chest pain, sweating, and/or shortness of breath.

The more serious and chronic forms of anxiety may require a more comprehensive approach to treatment. Anxiety can be very debilitating and can vary in intensity from person-to-person.

Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety disorders are treatable and there are many different anxiety treatment options available. It is always advisable to consult with a physician for any medical condition.

One effective method to treat anxiety is through Self Regulation Therapy. Self Regulation Therapy is a “non-cathartic mind/body approach aimed at diminishing excess activation in the nervous system”. Check out the Canadian Foundation for Trauama Research and Education for more information.

Massage Therapy and the Treatment of Anxiety

The Touch Research Institute has conducted over 100 studies on the positive effects of massage therapy on a variety of health conditions. Many of these studies showed how massage reduced levels of anxiety and decreased stress hormones.

In one massage therapy study, decreases in levels of anxiety were compared between a group of adults who received chair massage and another group who were simply asked to sit in the massage chair for 15 minutes. The study revealed that only those who received the chair massage had lower levels of anxiety and an increase in mental alertness following the massage (Field et al, 1996).

Another study showed that massage therapy decreased the anxiety, depression and stress hormone levels of children who survived Hurricane Andrew (Field et al, 1996).

Alone, or as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, massage therapy can provide some much needed relief for sufferers of anxiety. However, if you have intense or prolonged symptoms of anxiety, be sure to consult with your physician before beginning any course of treatment.

Self Help Tools and Techniques to Manage Anxiety

Self help and relaxation techniques play an important role in relieving anxiety symptoms. Some self help tips include: balanced diet (reducing caffeine and sugar), exercise to relieve stress, relaxation and breathing techniques, stress-management, laughter, and getting a good night’s sleep.

There are many kinds of tools to help you manage anxiety. In particular, if you are a fidgeter, you might want to invest in a ring: worry rings, prayer rings, turning rings, spinner rings, or spinning rings have an outer band which you can manually spin around the inner part of your ring. If you have ever heard of a Tibetan prayer wheel, these rings are based on the same idea in that they are turned during devotional activities. They are designed to promote a calming effect. Check out anxietyspinnerrings.com for more information.

© Copyright, Sylvia Carlson, 2007. Reproduction without permission prohibited.