Massage Therapy & Tension Headaches
study
2002 research on massage therapy and the frequency of chronic tension headaches.
Purpose
This study set out to determine the effect of focused massage therapy techniques on non-migraine chronic headaches.
Methods
25 chronic headache sufferers underwent 30 minute massage therapy sessions twice a week for four weeks. The massages focused on the head, neck, and shoulders. Chronic headache symptoms were recorded over the course of multiple weeks.
Results
The massage sessions significantly reduced the frequency of chronic headaches after one week of sessions. The frequency and intensity of headaches continued to reduce throughout the remainder of the study. Effects of focused massage techniques were shown to reduce intensity and frequency of chronic headaches for as long as six months after the treatment course ended.
Conclusion
The study supports the potential of focused massage therapy to treat chronic headaches functionally, in place of a medicinal approach. The size of the sample, difference in treatment administered from therapist to therapist, and a lack of a double blind study should be considered when applying the results to other groups.
