Trigger Point Therapy for Migraines

Massage relief for migraines?  Yes, please!  At Tampa Bay Sports & Medical Massage, we treat migraines with a form of medical massage therapy called trigger point therapy – rubbing and pressing on trigger points to relieve pain.  Here we take a closer look at this form of myofascial treatment.   

What Causes Migraine Pain? 

Many people find that migraines are directly connected to stress-induced knots in the neck, back, head and shoulders commonly referred to as trigger points. These knots can cause pain directly or can cause pain to spread to other parts of your body, which is called referred pain. For example, in the neck may cause pain your head. That is where the migraines come into play.   

Trigger points often form where blood flow is reduced, and metabolic wastes are not being exchanged for oxygen and nutrients.  When this happens repeatedly, the trigger points form knots that you may feel in your muscle tissue.    

It’s easy to mistake referred pain (from typically stress-induced knots AKA trigger points) as a simple headache or migraine. You can’t just grab for OTC medication; you must treat the true cause of pain.  

One type of therapy sometimes used to treat headaches associated with myofascial trigger points is called trigger point release massage. During your session, your massage therapist will focus on the knotted muscle and the affected area.  

Common Migraine Symptoms  

Depending on the location of the myofascial trigger point, it can cause referred pain in the form of tension headaches or even migraines.  

Symptoms of a migraine are quite different than your average headache and may include: 

  • Head pain 

  • Nausea 

  • Sensitivity to light and sound 

  • Visual effects and/or aura (blind spots or light flashes) 

Auras are symptoms of the nervous system. Your nervous system plays a large role in the feeling of pain. Chronic pain from your trigger points make the central nervous system more prone to pain nerves firing. Studies suggests that trigger points in the neck and/or shoulder may lead to chronic headaches.  

What is Trigger Point Massage? 

Trigger points are painful areas caused by a shortening of muscle fibers or fascia. This alternative therapy and medical massage technique designed to use periods of isolated pressure and release to relieve the source of pain.  

Usually the pain will manifest in other parts of the body (remember it’s called referred pain) so it’s harder to understand and diagnose the reason for your pain. We talked about how a neck trigger point may cause a migraine-like headache. Another common trigger point we see is one in the back, causing neck tightness and pain.  

How Can Trigger Point Therapy Relieve Migraine Pain?  

There are several reasons why your muscles tighten including stress, a magnesium deficiency, or a job or daily habits with repetitive motions.  When a muscle becomes tight, it can develop areas of high tension.   

Our licensed and experienced massage therapists will identify these myofascial trigger points and apply gentle and gradual pressure.  This pressure will eventually cause the trigger points and their associated muscles to relax, therefore relieving referred pain in the form of a migraine.  When a trigger point releases, you can feel the tension melt away almost immediately.   

At Tampa Bay Sports & Medical Massage, our trigger point therapy for migraines is subtle, relaxing, and EFFECTIVE!  We are here to relieve your pain!  For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our South Tampa massage therapists, please call us at (813) 667-0988. 

Tracy Jonestrigger point therapy, Headaches, myofascial trigger points