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May 15, 2020
Trigger Point ((X) and red referred pain for the Occipitalis muscle
How to Relieve the Occipitalis Headache
In addition to being annoying and painful, headaches can keep us from being fully engaged in our daily activities. They make it hard to concentrate. They drag us down. They worry us: “Is this an aneurysm?! “ They can sap our patience with our family, friends, co-workers and others. They can fatigue us, especially at the end of the day.
Ibuprofen and acetaminophen can help, but very often headaches can be eliminated by releasing tight head and neck muscles. Even though there are many types and causes of headaches, massage can help generally with overall relaxation and specifically with the release of tight, knotted muscles.
Migraine headaches, for example, are unique and complex, have triggers, and frequently require medication. The intense pain and discomfort from a migraine can cause head and neck muscles to tense and spasm causing additional pain. Massage techniques, especially trigger point therapy, can often lessen the overall intensity of pain.
When working with a client who suffers from headaches, my approach is to ask where exactly they feel the pain and then work on all of the usual suspects: certain muscles of the head, neck and upper back, which can refer pain to those specific areas of the head.
Let’s say you have pain behind your eyes and at the side of your head. The occipitalis muscles above the base of your skull refers pain there (see photo). Working this muscle can lessen or eliminate pain in those areas!
Pretty cool, huh? I learned about Trigger Points (TPs) in massage school. They are knotted up muscle fibers or sections of parallel fused tight “taut band” fibers caused by misuse, overuse or injury, which can include many of our activities of daily living. The right amount of pressure on these areas allow the fibers to loosen and the surrounding fascia to soften. When first learning about TPs, I was thrilled to read from Janet Travell’s thick manuals containing extensive information about where they were located and where in the body they refer pain. I enjoyed researching whatever ache or pain I happened to have and reading about where and how to work. Most of the time the discomfort would disappear.
Often, one treatment can do the trick, especially if the spasm is new. I often recommend self treatments including pressure on TPs, clinical stretches and strengthening exercises. But if it has become chronic, a skilled approach over several massage therapy sessions is needed.
Here’s an example of one you can try on yourself:
Self-Treat: If you feel pain behind your eyes and/or above your ears near the top of your head, try vigorously cross-frictioning the occipitalis muscles (see photo above) with your fingertips or knuckles in firm back & forth, up & down motions. This in itself may relieve your headache. Next, find the trigger point - the X marks the spot in the drawing above - by pressing around until you feel an intense, “hurts so good” feeling. If the pain is too intense, back off the pressure a little. Hold a steady pressure for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the pain subsides. Your headache should be gone! If not, work on it a little more and also poke around for other TPs. If the pain reoccurs, repeat the treatment as needed and/or schedule a therapeutic massage appointment.
May 29, 2020
Move, Move Move! Drink, Drink Drink!
The Fascial Web
After giving a therapeutic massage, I often make recommendations for self care for pain relief. For example, if a client has recurring pain in a specific muscle, I might show where & how to apply pressure to trigger points and demonstrate clinical stretches & strengthening exercises. As they leave, I frequently find myself saying “ And remember: "Move, move, move! Drink, drink, drink!”
The reason? Fascia. To get an idea of its appearance, think of preparing chicken for cooking. The gelatinous white stuff you see under the skin is fascia. But that fascia is just one of many forms fascia takes. It can be spider web-like or a solid sheet to name two.
Fascia is ubiquitous in our bodies. It’s inside our muscles and also encases them and assists with movement. It surrounds muscle groups. It’s under our skin and also supports our organs. It’s an interwoven system of connective tissue that supports and protects. And, it’s so all-encompassing that it needs to be removed during cadaver dissection in order to see the muscles, tendons, bones and organs. Fascia holds nerves, blood vessels and adipose (fat) tissue in place. It allows adjacent muscles to slide over one another during movement and when supple, allows us to move freely without restrictions. However, if we don’t fully move our bodies or drink enough liquids, fascia can thicken and restrict movement
So, it’s important to know that in order to keep our fascia moist and supple, we need to MOVE and we need to HYDRATE. Fascia requires motion and hydration to stay moist & flexible.
Think about the stiffness many of us feel in the morning after a night’s sleep. Not much movement or water drinking occurs while we’re sleeping. But, in the morning, we get out of bed, quench our thirst and start moving and stretching. Eventually, we’re no longer aware of the stiffness.
To learn more about fascia, watch the quirky PhD Gil Hedley’s “Fuzz Speech”. Also, the ‘fascia-nating’ look at microscopic fascia in motion. Note: The “fuzz” in The Fuzz Speech is fascia, and the video shows small sections of human cadavers.