Are you using meds to manage your headaches?
Are you taking OTC medication on the regular to keep the headaches at bay?
Many of my clients indicate during their initial visit that in order to manage their headaches they have found themselves reaching for over the counter (OTC) pain meds more often than they would like. They voice concerns about becoming reliant on them and possible side effects of long term use.
What if I told you it doesn’t have to be this way.
The frequency and intensity of headaches related to Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD) can be reduced through decreasing tension in the muscles of the head and neck.
When you come see me, I assess these muscles to pinpoint the culprits specific to your headaches. I then tailor the massage treatment and provide you with a home care plan to target the troublemakers.
The compounding effect of massage treatments combined with home care results in overall reduced frequency and intensity of headaches without the use of OTC meds.
Client Case Study
Below is an outline of how treatments and homecare helped one of my clients with their headaches.
Client Chief Complaint: The client would often wake with headaches and experience them on a daily basis from clenching overnight or throughout the day. The headaches varied in intensity and duration. Sometimes they were short lived, other times they would get worse throughout the day requiring OTC pain relievers or muscle relaxants to provide relief.
Treatment Plan: The client came weekly for 1 hour sessions for 6 weeks. The focus of treatment was on all the jaw muscles due to chronic clenching as well as the neck muscles from extended screen time at work.
Home Care: As a part of the treatment plan, the client was given a combination of stretches, self massage, and joint mobilization exercises for the jaw and neck.
Result: After this 6 week treatment plan, the client was no longer waking with headaches, or experiencing them daily. The intensity of the headaches reduced from on average a 5/10 to a 2/10. The client had significantly reduced pain medication use from a few times a week to once a month.
IMPORTANT Individual results will vary depending on a variety of factors such as healthy history, treatment plan and home care compliance.
If you would like help reducing your headaches with massage therapy instead of pain medication,
Call 226-493-1507 to schedule your Initial Assessment.