In this video, I'm going to show you how to release tension
for fast migraine pain relief. Stay tuned.
Hey, everyone. Doctor Rowe coming to you from SpineCare in
Saint Joseph, Michigan. When it comes to getting migraines, a
big contributing factor comes from a build up of stress,
tension, and tightness in muscles that can later manifest
into headaches and more severe migraines. In this video, we're
going to focus on releasing tension in muscles that are
highly associated with migraines. Each one of these
exercises are going to focus on a different muscle group. So,
to get the best results, go through all of them and use
what gives you the most relief. As a note, these exercises are
perfect to do before a migraine starts since you may find that
it will help lessen the intensity and duration of a
migraine. So, with that being said, let's get started. So,
let's begin by focusing on the splenius muscles or what I
like to call the migraine muscle because of its high
association with headaches and migraines. There are group of
muscles that run right on the back of the neck and when they
become strained, they cause trigger point that cause pain
pretty much throughout the whole neck, towards the top of
the head, even towards the back of the eye. So, if you've ever
had a migraine before, that probably sounds pretty
familiar. Here's a really easy way to take tension off those
muscles pretty much anywhere. Start seated with very good
upright posture. We want our back as straight as possible
during this exercise and then from there, you're just going
to pivot forward and then support your upper body weight
on your arms just like this. The next move it very easy.
Let's take our chin and then take it towards our chest. You
want to go towards a light, comfortable stretch with this
one and we're only going to move through our neck. We're
not trying to round our back. Once you feel that gentle
stretch, you're then going to take two fingers and place them
on the back of your head and now passively pull your chin
downward towards your chest. With this one, only go for a
light stretch. We're not trying to overpower these muscles.
Once you feel that, you're going to hold this for to 30
seconds but if it feels good, you can hold it for longer and
do nice, slow, controlled breathing also. Let as much
tension out as you can. From there, you're just going to
relax and then repeat this one three to five times and with
each repetition, try to build into it just a little bit more.
If you want to take this one to the next level, what you can do
is instead of keeping your chin straight, rotate your head
towards the other side. What this will do is open up the
other side a little bit more. So, let's say I have a lot
going on on my right side. When I do this, I'm going to now
turn my chin a little bit towards my left and then pull
down. So, give that a try. Go all the way towards the left.
You can also go all the way towards the right. If any of
those positions offer you more relief, at that point, throw
some more repetitions in. If you really want to take this
one to the next level, you can then add in a self massage at
the same time. This will really help muscle knots and those
trigger points. I like to use a tennis ball with this one but
if you don't have one, just use your fingertips. So, let's get
back into our original stretch and whatever side that you
notice that you are having a little bit more relief like
let's say that I was going a little bit towards my left, I'm
going to get back into that position. Now, cut my tennis
ball or just use your fingertips right here and start
right at the muscles at the base of the skull and do a
light circular massage in there. Just a light self
massage and then work your way towards the bottom of the neck.
If any certain spot feels like it needs a little bit more
tension at that point, spend some more time in there and
then just switch over different spots as needed. The next
muscle that we're going to focus on is the temporalis
which is a thin fan-shaped muscle across the side of the
head. It is a muscle emastication so it helps with
chewing. So, you can imagine if we get stressed and really
start to clench down and grind our teeth, it's going to put a
lot of strain on it leading to jaw pain, temple pain, pain
across the side of the head right here, headaches, and
migraines. So, here's a really easy way to take tension off of
that muscle very quickly. You can do this one standing or
seated. You're going to take the backside of your hand right
here. These four fingers and just press your fingertips into
the temple and then you're just going to go backward with your
fingers like this for a nice, comfortable self massage but
the key with this one is as you go back, open your fingers up
like this to create rake to really hit that muscle. So,
start at the temple, work your way back, open your fingers up
across the side of the head. It usually feels really really
good. I like to do this one for about 10 to 15 repetitions on
both sides. Afterwards, if you're getting a lot of relief,
you're more than welcome to throw in another set or two but
I also like to attack the muscle fibers at different
angles. So, instead of going straight back like this, angle
your fingers just slightly downward, almost kind of like
30, 45 degrees and then repeat this one. Again, you'll just
notice that it hits the muscles a little bit differently and
you may get a little bit more relief. Afterwards, let's focus
on two more spots that tend to cause a lot of issues including
right here into the temples. So, with the temple, you should
be able to find it. It's like a little bit of a divot right off
to the side of the eye socket. Just take two fingers, press
right into that area for a comfortable self massage and
just do a light circular motion. Time that I feel a
headache starting to come on this is the first thing that I
do I like to do it for about 15 to 20 seconds relax do it a
couple more times or as needed from there we want to do the
same thing over the jaw so go right to the side of the ear
and go right over the area where the jaw opens and closes
and then you're just going to open and lower your jaw I
should say open and close your jaw just several times while
doing that light circular massage
It just make sure to take a lot of tension off of those areas
and you may find will give you quick headache and migraine
relief. The next muscle group that we're going to focus on
are the suboccipitals which are small muscles right here at
the base of the skull. A big hot spot for stress and tension
that leads to headaches and more severe migraines. To be
able to take tension off these muscles, what you're going to
do is stand with very good upright posture. Take the
webbing of one hand right here and put it right over your
chin. Can also go a little bit above too if it does irritate
your jaw but what we want is a simple head retraction to begin
with. So, we're really trying to focus on passively pushing
our head straight back until you feel a very good activation
of the muscles pretty much from the top all the way down to the
bottom. Once you feel that, what you want to do from there
is then take your hand on the other side and put it right on
the top of your head. You're now going to push and then hook
and pull your chin downward toward your chest. As you do
this, you should feel a deep stretch forming right here over
the base of the skull. Those are the suboccipitals. So,
really focus on feeling that but this generally feels really
good. I like to hold it comfortably for 20 to 30
seconds and from there, I just relax and then repeat this one
three to five times and with each repetition, try to build
into it just a little bit more. If you want to take this one to
the next level, you can to turn your head while doing this
movement so as you press back like this turn your chin
towards one direction so I'm going a little bit towards my
left you're going to notice it opens up the other side just a
little bit more so give that a try going towards the left go
all the way towards the right if you feel like one spot is
offering you more relief at that point throw more
repetitions in two other muscles highly associated with
headaches and migraines are the levator scapulae and the upper
trapezius this one is especially the case if you keep
a lot of and tension around your shoulder blades into your
upper back. We're going to start with the levator scapulae
first with an exercise superbly called the armpit sniffer. With
the levator scapulae muscle, it gets tight right at the top of
the shoulder blade and causes a trigger point pattern that
shoots up into the back of the neck right here off to one side
towards the back of the ear even towards one eye. So again,
if that sounds familiar, that might be the cause of your
headache or migraine. So, whatever side that you're more
issues. Let's say it's your right side. You're going to
turn your head in the opposite direction to look over your
shoulder as much as you can. You should feel a very gentle
stretch forming in the side of the neck. Once you feel that,
you're then going to take the hand on the other side, hook
the side of your head right here and now passively pull
your chin downward towards your armpit. Focus on feeling a deep
stretch pretty much from the top of the shoulder blade into
the side of the neck towards the ear. Usually feels pretty
good but you want to this one comfortably for about 20 to 30
seconds. You can hold this longer if you are getting more
relief. From there, you're just going to relax. On the next
repetition, try to build into it just a little bit more for
three to five repetitions and I do recommend doing these
stretches on both sides to keep everything in balance. The next
movement, we're going to focus on the upper trapezius which
runs from the top of the shoulder right here all the way
into the side of the neck. A hot spot again for tension
headaches. For this one, whatever side that we're having
pain, let's say it's my right side again. We're going to take
our arm on that side, bend the elbow at 90 degrees and then
I'm going to slide that arm across my lower back as much as
I can until I feel that muscle right up here, start to fire.
From there, I'm then going to take my hand on the other side,
hook the side of my head, and now passively pull my ear
towards the other side shoulder. You should feel a
deep opening stretch pretty much from the side of your neck
going towards the top of your shoulder. Once you feel that,
you're going to hold this position and take it to the
next level by now turning and rotating your chin right here
upward towards the ceiling. This will really intensify that
stretch into the upper trapezius. You want to again
hold this one for 20 to 30 seconds. You're going to relax
on the next repetition. Try to build into it just a little bit
more and then from there, switch to the other side to
keep everything in balance. If the exercises help, please
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