If you’re tired of battling migraines and headaches, you’re not alone. Millions of people suffer from tension headaches, cluster headaches, and migraines, often relying on medications that only provide temporary relief. But what if there was a natural, hands-on solution?
We now know that most headaches are a cause of soft tissue tension and nerve compression and both can be addressed and helped through soft tissue work and quickly at that.
At Body in Gear, we are all about more, better, faster and that’s why we want to give you some free stuff that will help IMMEDIATELY.
So let’s get started to help you fight headaches head-on:
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1. Targeting Trigger Points to Stop Pain at the Source
Many headaches originate from trigger points—tight knots in the muscles that refer pain to the head, neck, and shoulders. Common areas include:
✅ The upper trapezius (causes pain up the side of the head)
✅ The suboccipital muscles (triggers pain around the base of the skull and behind the eyes)
✅ The sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles (linked to dizziness and frontal headaches)
By applying targeted pressure to these areas, massage therapy releases tension and reduces referred pain—often leading to immediate relief.
The most uncommon of these three listed muscles is the SCM which can be found at the top of the sternum that run diagonally to the right under the ear. A good one to pinch if you have neck pain.
2. Boosting Circulation for Faster Recovery
Headaches are often linked to poor circulation, leading to oxygen deprivation in the brain. Massage therapy:
✅ Stimulates blood flow, ensuring your brain gets the oxygen it needs
✅ Flushes out toxins, reducing inflammation that can trigger migraines
✅ Encourages lymphatic drainage, helping to remove excess fluid buildup
Better circulation means fewer headaches, less pain, and improved overall well-being.
Also speaking of circulation, blood flow is better shuttled to the area it needs to go to if you are properly hydrated. Make sure your water intake is ample as it can help pain and tension.
Health and fitness professionals always say drink half your bodyweight in ounces which you should do, but that means nothing if you don’t have correct electrolyte balance. Make sure your sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and phosphates are all balanced, especially when sweating a lot.
3. Reducing Stress and Calming the Nervous System
Stress is a major headache trigger. Massage therapy helps regulate the body’s stress response by:
✅ Lowering cortisol (the stress hormone)
✅ Increasing serotonin and dopamine for mood improvement
✅ Activating the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to deep relaxation
By keeping stress in check, massage therapy prevents stress-induced headaches before they start.
4. Addressing Jaw Tension and TMJ-Related Headaches
If you grind your teeth or clench your jaw, you may be experiencing TMJ-related headaches. Massage therapy can:
✅ Release tight jaw muscles (masseter and temporalis)
✅ Improve jaw alignment and reduce tension headaches
✅ Relieve pressure on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
Even a few targeted soft tissue sessions can lead to major relief from jaw-related headaches.
You can work on your jaw muscle tension yourself. Open your mouth and pinch the inside of the jaw muscle with pointer and middle finger and the outside with thumb. Sounds funny but all kidding aside – it’s one of the most effective ways to help jaw pain and tension.
5. Correcting Posture to Eliminate Headache Triggers
Poor posture, especially from hunching over phones and computers, can cause chronic headaches. Massage therapy:
✅ Releases tension from the upper back, neck, and shoulders
✅ Restores postural alignment to prevent strain-related headaches
✅ Helps break the cycle of tech-neck and forward head posture
Making small postural adjustments, along with regular massage, reduces headache frequency and intensity.
Let’s do a quick recap to help your headache quickly (in a matter of minutes):
– Target the tension by addressing important trigger points in the neck/shoulder area. Spend a few minutes on each one and move on
– If your headache is in the jaw, target the muscle of TMJ
– Hydrate with water/electrolytes and make sure you’re getting good blood flow
For a long term solution to headaches prioritize the following:
– Sleep, cortisol reduction and increasing feel good hormones
– Correcting posture that contributes to headaches
As always we appreciate you tuning in and reading. Thank you from the bottom of hearts! We always plan to keep the content and resources free, and you tuning in helps keep it that way. If this helped with your headaches or relieve bugging neck/shoulder tension – we just ask that you share this with the people that are going through the same thing.