Reflexology for Migraine Relief

By: Rachel Mork

If you suffer from migraines, you may feel desperate for help. Western doctors can prescribe medications to help you, but Europeans are turning to a more natural and less invasive medical practice: reflexology. In Denmark, one out of four citizens use reflexology as a regular medical practice, and studies in Denmark show reflexology to be an effective migraine-control therapy, reducing the incidences of migraines in one out of five patients. Many patients have reported reflexology for migraine pain has eliminated their migraines completely.

If you've ever gotten a migraine, you know how debilitating the experience can be. Migraine headaches are characterized by intense, throbbing pain, sensitivity to light, nausea and sometimes vomiting. Migraines are so overwhelming that you may have to lie in a quiet dark room until the headache subsides, which can take anywhere from minutes to days. Migraines are triggered by a variety of experiences, some as simple as stress or eating the wrong foods.

But how does it work? And how can you use reflexology to reduce your migraine headaches?

Reflexology is a form of massage therapy and energy work. When stimulation points on your hands and feet are massaged, they open energy channels and send messages to correlating organs or body parts, stimulating your body's innate ability to heal itself. Trained reflexology massage therapists know what kinds of strokes and pressure techniques work best to stimulate pain relief and relaxation in your head and neck, assisting in the relief of migraine pain.

Because migraines are complex and are often related to other issues, the reflexology massage therapist will ask you questions about the nature of your migraines and what triggers commonly set them off. The massage therapist will tailor your session to address those issues.

You can also experiment with reflexology at home as you learn to treat your own symptoms. Better yet, train a friend or partner to perform reflexology during a migraine for relief. By massaging the toes and the tips of your fingers, you will send messages to your brain and head that it should relax and release the tension associated with migraine pain.

You will want to try massaging with different strokes and amounts of pressure. Many people report experiencing significant relief when the fingertips are simply gently squeezed for 10 to 30 seconds at a time, then released. Hopefully you can learn some reflexology techniques that will provide quick, non-invasive relief for your migraine headaches.

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Reflexology massage is the practice of applying pressure to specific areas of the hands and feet believed to correspond to other parts of the body in order to relieve stress and tension and increase the flow of endorphins.

Reflexology has been practiced in one form or another for thousands of years. More recently, studies regarding the scientific basis behind reflexology began in the early 1900s in both Russia and Europe.

Frequently Asked Questions on Ask.com
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A general reflexology massage will benefit your entire body much like a full body massage.

When many people are in some type of physical pain, he/she often pays a visit to the doctor's office or even a trip to the hospital. But what if this pain is taking place in the feet? Are there any procedures for feet problems?

The answer is yes.

A regular massage session is known to benefit the body and mind in revitalizing the energy flow of our bodies. From time to time, you may find certain parts and functions of your body requiring specific attention that may not necessary be related to muscles and joints and in this case, you may want to consider a reflexology massage to target that particular area.

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