Tuesday, January 13, 2009
TMJ and Migraines
I have been working with Steve for about a month and a half now. He has suffered from Migraines since about 12 years old, he is now 17. It has been a long uphill battle for too long. He has tried many things, including massage in the past and still suffers severely, day to day. I want to help Steve as much as I can so that he can have a "normal" life as a teenager. In the last session with Steve, we found some severe tension in his masseter muscle. I explained to him that often times tension from this muscle can lead to headaches, and even worse, migraines. After doing some injury massage through the masseter, and a lot of cranial work, he got off the table feeling pretty relaxed and feeling better. I gave him a masseter stretch that he can do on his own. Hopefully through just a few more sessions, I can find out the root of the problem, and see if we can't get this problem to fix itself. He is very excited about the potential of not having migraines. I hope that I can help him get to this point. WHAT EXPERIENCES HAVE YOU HAD WITH MIGRAINES? COMMENT HERE.
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I can identify with Steve. I've chronically suffered daily from "mixed" headaches (tension headaches with mild migraine symptoms) since puberty. Doctors did tests and referred me out but no "real" pinpointed answer was found as to why I get them. I'm very interested in following this case, maybe it will give me some insight on how to treat clients like this in the future since I understand it personally. :)
ReplyDeleteHopefully, learning Cranial Sacral yourself, and receiving in class will help you with your case. All the best...Alisha. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not a student... I'm a friend of Angelika's. :) Just reading your blog! I am 21 years old, and I've had migraines & Tension Headaches since I was 12 as well. (What is it about age 12?!) At times, I have had 6 migraines a week, and they are ALWAYS at least 24 hours long. I've tried so many things to help my migraines.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that worked for awhile was a can of Mountain Dew with 2 Exedrine Migraine pills. Because of such an overload of caffeine, I stopped using this method.
I've tried Yoga, but it is very hard for me to do when I have a migraine, so making it a regular practice is difficult.
I've tried Quai Gong stress relief... and no.
I got an MRI on my head and neck. I found out that I have a non-cancerous tumor in my left maxillary sinus. I went to 3 ENT specialists, and they all said that if they remove the tumor, there's a 50% chance that my migraines will get worse, and a 50% chance that my migraines will get better. Another dead end.
I've gone to the Chiropractor, and I've had 9 different massage therapists work on me. So far, massage is my hope. Soon, I'll have enough money to afford a monthly massage. I have very bad stress & anxiety in my life, and I'm guessing I hold it in my muscles. If I am angry, I clench my jaw, and that ALWAYS gives me a migraine. I haven't noticed that one until recently. Each massage therapist that has worked on me is always amazed at how tense my muscles are. One therapist told me that I feel like a tree trunk!
Any advice for the 17 year old boy... I would tell him to watch his anger, notice his jaw muscles. If I start to self-massage my jaw when something is stressful or angering me, then it always helps. My back is full of knots, and basically it is extremely important to get into a regular routine of massage.
My best friend in high school was Angelika, and she would massage my neck and head during class, and sometimes take the migraine completely away. She has talent!!
Anyway, sorry for the novel. :)
One more thing...
ReplyDeleteSometimes you can tell that your headache is sinus related. When this happens, take Benedryl Allergy & Sinus Headache pills! They help so much.
I liked your post. Keep posting interesting matters here.
ReplyDeletemassage
TMJ is really awful! The symptoms may always disturb your sleep. I'm glad that injury massage helps Steve a lot. Massage has become important to injury recovery; especially after the accident. That's why people who are showing symptoms of whiplash or any injury, visit a chiropractor for more effective and speedier relief.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the great comments! You guys are great!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThe massage therapist manages clients using touch to employ the muscles
and soft tissues of the body. With their touch, the therapist relieves pain and heal injuries
and improve circulation, increase relaxation and aid in the general wellness of clients.
Cranial Sacral Massage Therapy