Migraines are nothing new to most of us. In fact, an estimated 38 million Americans suffer from the debilitating headaches every year. If you’re one of the many sufferers, you’ve probably:
- Missed work, school, or events due to an attack
- Had multiple attacks in a single month
- Had problems in your relationships
- Sought medical treatment including ER visits and/or hospitalization
The good news is: your massage therapist can help. Alongside regular medical treatment, massage therapy can greatly add to your control over the migraine pain.
One of the best side effects of regular massage therapy is pain management, including that of migraine pain. When you work with your therapist to take the three-pronged approach – aromatherapy, massage therapy, and cold therapy – it can be a very effective way to manage your migraines.
And now that MG Sports is offering cold stone massages, we can help you start on your journey to managing your migraine pain.
Benefits of Cold Stone Massage Therapy
Cold stone massage is designed to be a preventative treatment – to stop a migraine in its tracks before it becomes out of control – with the goal being to address the vascular part of your migraines. The cold stones help to reduce the excess blood flow to the brain which reduces the pounding sensation you often experience during an attack. They also help to decrease pain and blood vessel inflammation or swelling.
This massage concept is not wholly different from that of an ice massage. But cold stone therapy is less intense and does not damage the skin in the same way an ice massage can.
A few more benefits of a cold stone massage include:
- Decreasing soreness
- Pulling excess heat from the body
- Relaxing muscle spasms
- Easing discomfort
The low temperature of the stones causes the blood vessels to narrow. Then when they’re removed, the vessels dilate which brings fresh blood and oxygen back to the area.
What to Expect from a Session
If at all possible, contact your massage therapist to set up an appointment when you feel your symptoms starting. Timing is essential to stop a migraine before it reaches its full wrath.
*Note: If you can’t schedule an appointment in time, make sure you keep track of your triggers. If you notice that the same thing is continually setting off attacks, you can start to avoid that thing, such as certain foods. It can also help you figure out when you might need to schedule a session in advance, such as when a change in weather will occur. And if you have stubborn or consistently occurring migraines, regular treatment is recommended.
When you arrive, the stones will have been already chilling for about an hour, dropping them to a temperature of about 36℉.
If you are in a pre-migraine state, your therapist will adjust the room’s ambiance to account for that (low lighting, little or no music, appropriate aromatherapy choice, etc.). Make sure you communicate with them if you would like anything altered to your preference as well.
Your therapist will spend the majority of the session working on the musculature of your head and face and adding in the cold stones for relief. If the temperature of the stones is uncomfortable, speak up, and your therapist can warm them up a bit with their hands before placing them on your face again.
Once they are done performing the treatment and all the cold stones are removed, your therapist will make sure you are not lightheaded before you leave the table.
And that’s it! You should notice significant relief at this point.
Next Steps
If you’ve been tortured by migraines, cold stone therapy could be the next step to taking back your health in the new year. We offer cold stones as a stand-alone therapy or as an add-on to other sessions. Give us a call if you have more questions, or schedule with us now to stop your next migraine.