Causes of headaches
The cause can be judged by the nature of the pain and its location. The most common reasons are:
- Overstrain of the muscles of the head, shoulders, back and neck due to prolonged stay in a forced position, psycho-emotional overload, lack of sleep, incorrectly chosen sleeping position, etc. The pain in this case is girdling, pressing, of moderate intensity;
- Migraine is a neurological disease that causes attacks of severe throbbing headaches lasting from one hour to several days. Often accompanied by photophobia;
- Changes in blood pressure - both up and down. This type may be accompanied by nausea, loss of strength, pain in the eye area;
- Inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity, in which discomfort radiates to the temples and the back of the head.
You should remember that there are more serious causes of headaches. Sharp, increasing pain in the forehead and temples may indicate serious conditions - vascular accident, meningitis, frontal sinusitis, etc. Therefore, in such conditions, you should immediately consult a doctor. In other cases, acupressure for headaches can help.
Shiatsu technique
The main technique that experienced massage therapists use is the impact on the points on the head for headaches (photos can be found in the body of the article) with the pad of the thumb. The strength is selected by the master himself depending on the general condition of the patient and the specifics of the disease. The intensity of pressure can range from maximum to barely perceptible touch. Often the impact is felt as something between painful and pleasant.
The direction of pressure is strictly perpendicular to the surface of the skin; the pressure itself is not exerted by the finger, but by the entire weight of the body. Rubbing movements are excluded!
When massaging the head, the main thing is breathing. It should be deep, slow and relaxing. There is no need for strong pressure; on the contrary, wide movements should be made with the fingertips. In this case, you need to move from the border of hair growth to the crown, exerting a slight impact.
If during the procedure a person feels pain in any area, it means that it is there that the muscles are especially tense. These are the places where you should focus your attention.
Contraindications and restrictions
In some conditions, you should refrain from influencing active points. You should not perform acupressure head massage for headaches in the following cases:
- during pregnancy, with the exception of the second trimester;
- in the presence of tumors of any origin;
- during the period of exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- for any diseases of the hematopoietic organs;
- on the days of menstruation.
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Weather-sensitive people need to be especially careful when performing a massage during periods of sudden changes in weather conditions.
How massage works
The effectiveness of massage is due to its properties:
- Increase blood circulation. Thanks to this, more oxygen enters the brain, which has a beneficial effect on its functioning.
- Stabilize lymph outflow. At the same time, the body is cleansed of toxins and toxic substances, swelling and congestion in the tissues are eliminated.
- Relieve spasms and tension.
- Increase the production of endorphins.
- Improve psychological state, eliminate nervousness, depression.
- Positively influence the functioning of the immune system.
- Stabilize the functioning of all organs and systems.
Thanks to these properties, massage can be used to treat headaches, neuroses, low blood pressure, stress, insomnia and chronic fatigue.
How to find hot spots
The secrets of point-by-point headache massage came to us from ancient Chinese medicine. The location of the main reflex points that should be affected is as follows:
- two points in the depression under the base of the skull, on the inner sides of the vertical muscles of the neck, symmetrically relative to the spine;
- unpaired point 2-3 cm above the previous ones, between the first cervical vertebra and the base of the skull;
- paired points at the inner edges of the brow ridges;
- unpaired point under the lower lip, in the center of the chin-labial groove;
- paired shocks on the edge of the scalp, between the temporal and frontal parts.
In addition, there are key points on the palms. They can be found between the thumbs and index fingers, at the intersection of the conditional extensions of their edges facing each other.
Foot massage for headaches
To enhance the analgesic effect, massage the reflex areas on the legs. To do this, the patient needs to be seated so that he can relax. The effect is carried out by working alternately on both limbs using light pressure.
Biologically active areas of the legs:
- Pinpoint area of the middle phalanx of the second toe. 2 cm above the root of the nail plate.
- The zone of the proximal phalanx of the little finger on its lateral surface. It lies in the depression between it and the foot.
- Between the 4th and 5th fingers, 1.5 cm above their base.
- 0.3 cm above the base of the nail plate of the thumb, displaced laterally from the central axis.
- The pinpoint area between the big one and the second one is on the lateral side of the foot, 4.5-5 cm above the base of the digital phalanges.
- Arch area. Located at the top of the arch of the medial surface of the foot.
Acupressure techniques
Self-performing acupressure for headaches and migraines begins with choosing a comfortable position. The procedure can be carried out either lying down or sitting - the main thing is that there is support for the back, neck and back of the head.
For headaches
The technique of massaging points for headaches is as follows:
- Use your thumb or index finger to massage the points near the eyebrows for five minutes. The direction of movement is circular, on the right - clockwise, on the left - vice versa;
- Go to the points on the edge of the scalp, and massage them in a circular motion with light movements for 1 minute;
- Press on the area that is located in the hollow under the lower lip; also allow one minute for this pressure. Perform gentle pinch movements using your thumb and index finger;
- Move to the lower massage points, which are located in the depression just below the base of the skull. Massage them with your thumbs from bottom to top, with pressure;
- Complete the complex by stroking the active point in a circle at the first cervical vertebra.
After the massage, you need to lie down or sit in a relaxed position for 5-10 minutes. Remove all sources of irritation, refrain from reading, listening to music and talking during this time.
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Neck massage
Acupressure for dizziness and vascular spasm due to fatigue is carried out not only in the head area, but also in the neck area. It is better if the procedure is carried out by another person, since the points for influence in this case are located symmetrically to the spine in the lower part of the neck, at a distance of 4-5 cm from the spinal column. You need to knead them for 2-3 minutes, using circular movements with light pressure. If relief does not occur, you can take a 10-minute break and repeat the exercise.
During a migraine attack
Effective acupressure for migraines is based on impact on key points on the face:
- Start acupressure for migraines with stroking movements from the corners of the eyelids to the bridge of the nose. Remember that paired points are massaged synchronously: when pressing on one point, be sure to press with the same force on the symmetrically located one;
- The next point is the highest points of the eyebrows. At this point, pinch a small fold of skin between your index finger and thumb and hold for 5-7 seconds. Repeat 10-12 times at equal intervals;
- Finally, place the pads of your index and middle fingers at the center of your temples and make a rotating motion towards your ears. You should not perform this exercise for a long time - 1-2 minutes is enough.
If a migraine attack finds you at home, after completing the session, try to lie down for at least half an hour. To prevent further attacks, the proposed complex can be performed every morning.
For toothache
Massage is one of the most effective methods for immediate relief of toothache. The main treatment areas are located at the base of the earlobes. You need to massage them first with pinching movements, then in a circular motion. The following points are located in the recesses at the neck of the lower jaw; they need to be affected with circular movements towards the ears.
Complete the acupressure for toothache with gentle pressing movements in the area of the middle of the lower jaw. These simple techniques will help you relieve pain, eliminate unnecessary muscle tension and make diagnosis easier.
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By regularly performing the described exercises, you will soon notice that your head and neck hurt less often, fatigue has decreased and your performance has increased. Acupressure of the head for pain will allow you to reduce your dependence on medications and learn to better understand your body. The ability to quickly cope with headaches, migraines and cramps will be useful to you at home, at work and on the road, and will improve your quality of life.
Japanese technique
In modern conditions of a developing industry, it should not be surprising that more and more people begin to have headaches and become irritable at the end of the working day. In this case, points on the head for headaches and migraines will come in handy! There is a Japanese technique under the interesting name shiatsu, which is an effective remedy for eliminating unpleasant symptoms.
The massage can be performed either independently or entrusted to another person, but it is better to have a specialist. The essence of the procedure is to restore energy balance and strengthen the body's protective functions. The term “shiatsu” itself, translated from Japanese, means “finger pressure” (“shi” - fingers, “atsu” - pressure, pressure). In other words, by applying pressure to special points, the masters thereby help improve the circulation of energy in the body.
The technique was developed by Dr. Tokuiro Namikoshi, who took the more ancient Chinese Amma technique as a basis. Currently, Shiatsu massage is officially considered an effective healing technique in the land of the rising sun.
