How can Sports Massage help Runners?

When is a headache not a headache?  When its a migraine.  Migraine is a complex condition with a wide variety of symptoms.  Migraines are the 3rd most common illness in the world!  For many people the main feature is a painful headache, but its way more than a headache, migranes are debilitating in a way headaches aren't - migranes are the 7th most disabling illness!   While there are no typical symptoms, sufferers can get disturbed vision, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, feeling sick and vomiting. Over the next couple of weeks, I want to explore natural ways what can help migrane sufferers. Butterbur Butterbut is a herbal hay fever remedy which scientific studies show prevents migraines.  Pitted against a placebo, a standardised extract of butterbut (Petasites Hybridus) significantly reduced the frequency of migraine attacks, with either no side-effects or just the odd bit of burping. References

Having looked at how to describe and classify headaches & migraines in my introduction, I then moved on to look at how massage can help sufferers in part 1. Then in part 2 I looked at how nutrition and Bowen technique could help.  I want to continue to explore the impact of complementary therapies on headaches. Cranio-Sacral Therapy Cranio-sacral therapy is a system of alternative medicine intended to relieve pain and tension by gentle manipulations of the skull regarded as harmonizing with a natural rhythm in the central nervous system. Cranio-sacral therapists suspect the occipito-atlanteal junction at the top of the neck may contribute to the cause of headaches especially migraines.  If the first vertebrae and the occipital condyles at the base of the skull become jammed together or fixed, which effects the vagus nerves, throwing the parasympathetic nervous system into dysfunction.  Cranio-sacral therapists report releasing the occipital condyles nearly always results in the reduction of migraines patterns in clients. Acupuncture Acupuncture is a treatment derived from ancient Chinese medicine in which fine needles are inserted at certain sites in the body for therapeutic or preventative purposes.  There is some scientific evidence acupuncture has a beneficial effect on headaches and migraines (see >> http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Acupuncture/Pages/Evidence.aspx)

Following on from my previous tips, here are a few more:

• ICE - If your wrist feels inflammed (red, hot and swollen) then icing the area may assist you.
• Cupping - which is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).  In a trail of cupping therapy, whereby heated glass cups are applied to the skin to create suction and encourage energy flow in the body, the cupping group experienced a significant reduction in pain and other symptoms compared to the control group.
• Myofasical Release -   Its a hands on therapy which uses manual pressure and stretching to release the faction to assist the carpal tunnel.  In a study of four patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, all saw an improvement in both their symptoms and MRI scans after myofasical release treatment. Amanda Oswald, a leading myofascial therapsits has written a book with self-help fascial stretches for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Living Pain Free (published by Lotus Publishing in 2017).