Thai therapeutic massage offers alternative treatment for migraines

ARUSA PISUTHIPAN and JAKKRIT UTTAYANANON

Despite the widespread use of conventional medicine, the common migraine - a disorder believed to be caused by the rapid and abnormal widening and narrowing of blood vessels in the brain - has long been considered a disturbing, persistent and frequently incurable condition.

In many cases, a handful of painkillers are needed to soothe the pain on a daily basis while in some the symptoms are so severe that an injection is prescribed as a quick fix.

In the modern world of today, where many health-conscious consumers prefer to be treated without the use of medication and where the popularity of traditional medicine is on the rise, Thai alternative medicine is being used to successfully treat migraines.

Wipaporn Saysree, a specialist in Thai traditional medicine, said that in order to efficiently treat a chronic disorder such as a migraine, it is important to first understand its cause.

"Thai alternative medicine believes that migraine is closely associated with a hypersensitive muscle called a trigger point. Therefore, in order to heal migraine, we need to heal the trigger point," said Wipaporn.

Wipaporn is an expert in applied Thai traditional medicine, which, she explained, applies scientific theories such as those about the human anatomy to Thai traditional medicine, including therapeutic massage.

Trigger points, the therapist went on, are areas where one feels sharp pain when pressed. These points are, in other words, areas of muscle fibres that are permanently contracted and thus refer pain to nearby areas. Most trigger points are caused by muscle spasms following poor body posture and muscle overexertion and strain. If left untreated, trigger points can lead to abnormal blood circulation.

On an average, the formation of a trigger point takes more than two years. Once developed in the muscle, Wipaporn added, it can grow so large and hard that in many cases can press against veins that carry blood to the brain. And this is where migraine attacks begin.

Wipaporn Saysree, Thai traditional medicine specialist.

A trigger point however does not necessarily lead to a migraine, the specialist noted. Whether a patient will have a migraine in fact depends largely on the location of the trigger point.

"If the trigger point is formed around the neck and shoulders, the chance of having a migraine headache is high because it is the spot where muscle spasms can easily block the blood flow into the brain."

Besides head, shoulder and neck pain, a trigger point may result in the numbness and weakness of arms and hands.

Even though a migraine is regarded as a common condition especially among office people and workaholics, a surprisingly large number of sufferers cannot differentiate a migraine from other types of head pain. Consequently when they develop even a general headache, many people assume that they are victims of a migraine. In fact, they are wrong.

"A migraine is a throbbing or pulsating moderate to severe headache that often attacks only one side of the head at a time," the therapist explained. "It is also often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, neck pain, pain over the forehead, pain over one eye and vision disturbance."

A migraine attack, she added, can last for hours or, in some severe cases, for days.

Office workers who spend hour after hour tapping keyboards or sitting in same positions for long periods of time are at high risk of developing a migraine. Nonetheless, Wipaporn also noted that a migraine can also attack children too.

"Children these days tend to spend much more time playing computer games," she commented. "Like adults, they can fall prey to a migraine."

Alleviating a migraine without the use of medicine or trigger-point therapy applies therapeutic massage techniques that involve the application of pressure to tender contracted muscle fibres at the trigger point. The technique first locates the trigger point that causes a migraine and then attempts to release the muscle spasm.

Is the trigger-point therapeutic massage different from Thai massage available in general massage parlours?

Though they look pretty much the same, there are quite a significant number of differences between these two types of massage. The purpose of trigger-point therapeutic massage, Wipaporn remarked, is to find the location of a trigger point before gradually tendering muscle spasms in order to permanently eliminate the pain. The massage can be carried out by a specialist in applied Thai traditional medicine only. And because the goal of trigger-point therapeutic massage is to fix the problem in the long run, it also aims to improve blood circulation and muscle flexibility.

On the other hand, a lot of Thai masseurs do not have in-depth knowledge about the human anatomy so they have no idea how to best fix muscle strain. Massages can be unintentionally damaging because many practitioners press too hard against the muscle hoping to relieve the tension.

Trigger-point therapy begins with a preliminary discussion between patient and therapist about a patient's personal data, symptoms, medical history, as well as other information that might be useful for the treatment.

After a preliminary health assessment, the therapist then gives a therapeutic massage, which takes approximately 45 minutes. Generally, a migraine patient needs five sessions of therapeutic massage. According to Wipaporn, 70 per cent of migraine patients no longer suffer from migraines after undergoing only two or three massage sessions.

A normal course of trigger-point therapeutic massage comprises five massage sessions and costs 12,000 baht. However, patients with underlying diseases, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure, may need more than five sessions to recover.

"One important benefit of trigger-point therapy is that patients don't need to take medicine," she added.

Despite the success of therapeutic massage in the treatment of chronic ailments such as a migraine, it is vital to bear in mind that prevention is still far better than cure.

Lifestyle change, the therapist suggested, is essential as it can help reduce the number and severity of migraine attacks.

For migraine patients, the key to keep the disturbing affliction under control is to understand your body's maximum capacity.

Whenever you feel too exhausted with your work or develop a migraine, stop whatever you are doing, take a short break and try to stretch your muscles when you feel tired, tense or painful.

"If you insist on pushing yourself beyond your physical limitations, migraine attacks might become so severe that the pain will interrupt your daily activity and, worse, you will take longer to recover."

And for those who have not yet developed migraines, the answer is simple: Take good care of yourself.

"First, it is important for everyone to always get enough rest every day," the therapist advised.

"Second, avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time as it may lead to muscle spasms, which is the most important factor of a migraine. Last but not least, when you feel weary especially after spending hours in front of a computer, take a break and do a little exercise.

"Always remember that to live well and to rest well is a strong shield against diseases."