Craniosacral Therapy for Headaches and Migraines

Do you suffer with headaches? There are many different causes and several different types of headaches. This article looks at two common types of headaches.

TENSION HEADACHESTension type headaches are the most common type of headaches among adults, accounting for about 90 percent of all headaches diagnosed. There is no single cause for tension headaches although they are thought to be caused by tightened muscles in the head, neck, and scalp. This type of muscle tension may be caused by inadequate rest, poor posture, or mental or emotional stress. In some people tight muscles are not a symptom of their headaches and the cause is unknown. Tension headaches are usually triggered by stressful situations including:

*Domestic Problems
*Job Loss
*Being a perfectionist
*Poor sleeping habits
*Being overextended or overwhelmed with too many activities

MIGRAINESMigraines are the second most common type of headache after tension headaches. For many years scientists believed that migraines were linked to the dilation and constriction of blood vessels on the brain's surface. Today migraines are thought to be a brain malfunction - a central nervous system disorder of the brain, nerves, and blood vessels. It has been estimated that 70 percent of migraine suffers are female. Up to 60 percent of women report a menstrual relationship to their migraine attack.

Hormones control almost everything in the body, including female menstrual cycles, emotions and moods, energy levels, blood pressure, etc. Every one of the trillion or so cells in your body has hormone receptors. All cells in our bodies are influenced by and respond to hormones, including retinal cells, hair cells, heart cells, uterus cells––and brain cells are no exception.

NON-MEDICAL PAIN RELIEFCranioSacral Therapy has proven to be an excellent non-medication treatment for headaches and migraines. It is used to evaluate and release physical restrictions and at the same time, it releases stress and tension from the body's central nervous system. A trained CranioSacral Therapist uses gentle manual techniques to restore motion and mobility to the cranial bones and relax tight membranes and connective tissue, which can relieve pressure on arteries and veins as well as improve blood flow to and from the brain. CranioSacral Therapy is gentle enough to be used on everyone, from newborns to the elderly, and its effects are often felt more quickly than with some other types of therapy.

Many of my clients with tension type headaches or migraine headaches report immediate relief of their symptoms immediately after their session, others report complete relief within minutes or hours of receiving CranioSacral Therapy.