Massage for Headaches and Tension Relief
How Can Massage Help in Relieving Headaches and Alleviating Tension?
You are in the middle of your workday in the bustling city of New York. You have a stiff jaw, and your shoulders are creeping up towards your ears. A dull ache begins behind your eyes and slowly wraps around the sides of your head, almost like a band tightening its grip. You try to power through, but concentration becomes difficult, and even small tasks start to feel overwhelming.
Headaches are one of the most common health complaints worldwide, especially in the high-paced environment of Brooklyn and the New York metropolitan area. For many people, headaches are not just an occasional nuisance but rather an ongoing interruption to their daily lives.
Here at Open Care Community, many patients come to us looking for natural and sustainable ways to manage headaches and chronic tension. Massage therapy (often combined with principles of Chinese medicine) may be a supportive approach for managing headaches and ongoing tension.
If headaches or tension are affecting your daily life, supportive care options such as massage and bodywork may be worth exploring.
What Are the Main Causes of Headaches and Tension?
Headaches rarely appear “out of nowhere.” They often build gradually in response to physical, emotional, and environmental factors.
Why Do We Get Headaches?
Some common triggers include:
Stress and anxiety
Poor posture, especially when working at a desk
Dehydration
Sleep deprivation
Eye strain from looking at a screen
Hormonal changes
Muscle tension in the neck and shoulder regions
In Brooklyn, many people work long hours at a desk or commute long distances each day. Over time, this can lead to forward head posture and rounded shoulders, causing muscle tension in the upper trapezius muscle and the suboccipital muscle group. That tension may radiate upward, creating the familiar sensation of pressure or tightness around the head.
Do you feel stressed and have headaches? Find out how massage can be the natural cure you've been seeking and book your appointment today. Book a session here.
That tension may radiate upward, creating the familiar sensation of pressure or tightness around the head. In Chinese medicine, headaches are often described as resulting from stagnation of qi (your body’s energy) or blood in the head and neck. Stress may also contribute to imbalances that create tension in this region.
Lifestyle is also a significant factor. For instance, athletes and fitness enthusiasts may be experiencing headache-related neck strain or overtraining syndrome. Similarly, fertility patients undergoing IVF therapy may be experiencing headache-related hormonal changes and emotional stress. When headaches are severe or of new onset, it is always recommended that the patient visit their primary care physician. Massage therapy may provide support, but understanding the underlying cause of headaches is important.
What Types of Headaches Can Massage Help With?
Massage therapy may help support people experiencing several types of headaches:
Tension Headaches:
This is the most common type of headache. It has a dull, aching quality. It involves a tightening sensation over the forehead or the back of the head. This type of headache is often associated with stress.
Stress-Related Headaches:
This type of headache is associated with emotional stress. This headache type is often accompanied by a tightening sensation in the shoulders and jaw.
Cervicogenic Headaches:
This headache type comes from dysfunction of the neck. This headache type begins at the base of the skull.
Migraines (Supportive Care Only):
Migraines have a neurological component, which means nausea, sensitivity to light, and throbbing pain occur.
Massage does not treat the neurological cause of migraines, but it is supportive to the patient between migraine episodes. Acupuncture has been shown to be more helpful for the treatment of migraines.
What Massage Techniques Are Effective for Headache Relief?
Different massage techniques address headaches in different ways. At Open Care Community, therapists may draw from both Western and Chinese bodywork traditions.
How Does Tui Na Massage Relieve Tension?
Tui na is a form of Chinese therapeutic bodywork that uses pressing, rolling, kneading, and stretching movements along meridians, or energy pathways in the body.
For headache treatment, tui na therapy may be concentrated on:
Neck and upper shoulder regions
Base of the skull
Upper back
Scalp and temples
Unlike relaxation-focused spa massage, tui na is typically more therapeutic and targeted. Its goal is to help move stagnant qi and blood, release muscle tension, and support circulation.
Patients who have received tui na therapy have noted:
Decreased pressure behind their eyes
Increased mobility in the neck
Light feeling on the head
Increased breathing capacity
For gym enthusiasts and sportsmen/women, tui na therapy may be effective in relieving muscle imbalances leading to recurring headache attacks.
Can Acupressure Points Alleviate Headaches?
Yes. Acupressure is a technique that involves the application of firm, continuous pressure on specific acupuncture points.
Two commonly referenced acupressure points include:
LI4 (He Gu):
This point is located between the thumb and the index finger. This point is traditionally used for headaches and facial tension. You can practice this point by placing your opposite thumb firmly on the web between your thumb and your index finger, taking deep breaths for 30-60 seconds.
GB20 (Feng Chi):
This point is located at the base of the skull, in the hollows on both sides of the neck. You can practice this point by placing your thumbs on the base of your skull, pressing them firmly while tilting your head backward.
What Does Science Say About Massage for Headaches?
Massage therapy has been studied for its role in reducing headache frequency and intensity.
What Research Supports Massage Therapy for Headache Relief?
PubMed studies have shown that massage therapy can be effective in reducing the occurrence of tension-type headaches.
Research findings have suggested that massage may:
Muscle tension in the neck and shoulders is lessened.
Sleep quality improves.
Perceived stress levels are lessened.
Headache occurrence is lessened over time.
According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage is effective in the treatment of tension headaches by promoting better circulation and reducing muscle stiffness, though more studies would always be beneficial to the field.
How Do Massage Therapies Compare to Other Treatments?
Common treatments for headaches:
Over-the-counter pain relievers
Rest and hydration
Applying heat or cold packs
Managing stress
Although pain relievers can be effective in acute situations, if used too frequently, they can cause rebound headaches in certain people. Massage therapy may offer a non-pharmacological option for some individuals. Rather than only addressing symptoms, massage may help reduce underlying muscle tension and stress that contribute to headaches.
We do not recommend stopping any medication without consulting a healthcare practitioner, but massage therapy can be a part of an overall, natural approach to health. Read more about the difference alternative approaches can make on our blog.
How Often Should You Get a Massage for Optimal Results?
The ideal frequency depends on the severity and pattern of your headaches.
How Often Might Massage Be Helpful?
For patients with:
Occasional tension headaches: Monthly sessions may be helpful for some people.
Chronic weekly headaches: Biweekly sessions may help reduce ongoing muscle tension.
High stress or IVF cycles: The frequency may be tailored to suit the individual’s requirements.
Consistency often matters more than frequency when it comes to preventing tension from building up. We, at Open Care Community, offer individualized care plans that may include massage, acupuncture, and herbal consultations for the patient’s benefit.
Are There Precautions to Consider Before Getting a Massage?
Massage is generally safe, but consult your healthcare provider if you have:
Recent head or neck injury
Uncontrolled high blood pressure
Blood clotting disorders
Severe migraines with neurological symptoms
Always communicate with your therapist about pain levels and medical history.
How Does Open Care Community Make Massage Accessible?
At Open Care Community, we believe healthcare should be accessible. We operate on a sliding-scale model for community acupuncture ($50–$90, plus $15 for the first visit), trusting patients to pay what they can. While massage pricing varies by session type, accessibility remains central to our mission.
We are located at: 44 Court Street, Suite 1000 (10th floor), Brooklyn, NY 11201
Our clinic is ADA accessible and designed to feel welcoming and judgment-free.
We integrate:
Acupuncture
Herbal consultations
Tui na and bodywork
Sports medicine treatments
This holistic model allows us to address headaches from multiple angles: muscular, energetic, hormonal, and stress-related.
A Natural Path Toward Headache Relief
Headaches can feel isolating, especially when they become routine. But they are often your body’s way of signaling overload, physically, emotionally, or both.
Massage therapy offers a supportive, natural way to:
Reduce muscle tension
Improve circulation
Calm the nervous system
Support overall well-being
For Brooklyn patients balancing demanding schedules, intense workouts, or fertility treatments, even small reductions in tension can make daily life more manageable. You don’t have to simply “push through” recurring headaches.
Ready to find relief from headaches and tension? Chat with an expert at Open Care Community. Your body communicates through discomfort. Sometimes, listening and responding with care can make all the difference.
