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Massage therapy and frequency of chronic tension headaches
Christopher Quinn1, Clint Chandler, Albert Moraska
1Boulder College of Massage Therapy, 6255 Longbow Drive, Boulder, CO 80301, USA. cquinn@bcmt.org
Objectives:
The effect of massage therapy on chronic nonmigraine headache was investigated.
Methods:
Chronic tension headache sufferers received structured massage therapy treatment directed toward neck and shoulder muscles. Headache frequency, duration, and intensity were recorded and compared with baseline measures.
Results:
Compared with baseline values, headache frequency was significantly reduced within the first week of the massage protocol. The reduction of headache frequency continued for the remainder of the study (P =.009). The duration of headaches tended to decrease during the massage treatment period (P =.058). Headache intensity was unaffected by massage (P =.19).
Conclusions:
The muscle-specific massage therapy technique used in this study has the potential to be a functional, nonpharmacological intervention for reducing the incidence of chronic tension headache.