ANTI-HEADACHE TECHNIQUE #10-A: MORPHINE FOR THE MIND
Acupressure, or shiatsu massage, is an ancient Oriental method of pain relief that can often stop a minor headache in just a few minutes. Given a Hole longer, it has been known to subdue the most stubbornly resistant tension or migraine headache.
Scientifically, acupressure has been found to excite small nerve fibers in muscles, causing nerve impulses to be transmitted to the spinal cord and midbrain and on to the pituitary and hypothalamus glands. These glands then release endorphin and enkephalin. While acupressure won’t remove the underlying cause of headache pain, it often provides startling relief. All you do is apply gentle but steady pressure on certain “pressure points” on the body using the bails of the tips of both thumbs, or sometimes the fingers. While applying pressure, you also use thumbs or fingers to provide a rotating massage. Pressure is usually applied for 7 to 18 seconds, then withdrawn. You can return and repeat the massage a few minutes later. And you can give any number of acupressure applications. Frequently, however, two or three applications are all that is required.
Be extremely careful not to use the nails. Women with long nails may be unable to perform acupressure or any other type of massage. Naturally, you can also use acupressure on anyone else.
These are the principal points favored by acupressurists for headache relief.
1. By far the most popular, is the Hoku Point, the fleshy web between forefinger and thumb on each hand. Place the fingers inside the hand with the thumb on the outside of the web. Using the thumb to press and massage, work around the middle part of the web.
Experience has shown that a single 15-second application here can relieve most minor headaches. By repeating every few minutes over a half-hour period, a persistent tension or migraine headache may disappear. Hoku point massage seems most effective in relieving tension headaches or migraines that center in the eye.
Most acupressurists recommend alternate massaging of hoku points in both left and right hands. However, if the pain is focused on the left side of the head, they will usually massage the left band twice as often as the right.
2. Gently pinch the lower part of each earlobe and maintain a circular massaging motion.
3. Pinch the bridge of the nose between ringer and thumb of one hand and massage. Stay far away from the eyes or eye sockets.
4. Bend the wrist of one hand at a right angle. With the thumb of the other hand, press and massage the side of the arm facing you approximately half an inch above the bend of the wrist. Work around and massage this entire area. Repeat on the other wrist.
5. Clasp the hands on top of the head, with fingertips meeting over the crown. Using the thumbs, massage the hollow in back of the neck, at the base of the skull and level with the ears. Press and massage all around this area.
6. Press and massage the temple areas down to the level of the eyes. Stay on the flat, bony side of the face and stay far away from the eyes or eye sockets.
7. For a tension headache, gently press and massage the points at the hinge of the jaw just below the ears on each side.
8. Using the tips of the forefingers, gently massage the hollow area underneath each earlobe. Remember, we said gently.
9. Locate the median line running from the crown of the head down to the bridge of the nose. Along this imaginary line, and on each side of the line about one inch parallel to it, are a cluster of headache-relieving acupressure points.
Using three fingers of each hand, begin at the hairline and work up and back towards the crown. Gently press and massage the area along the median line first, applying pressure for onló seven seconds at a time. Then move fingers one inch away from the line. And once again press and massage points all the way from hair line to crown.
From the crown, you can continue to press and massage all along the median line down to the back of me neck. Next, do the same thing along an imaginary fine leading from the crown down the scalp to a point in front of the ears. Finally, press and massage along another imaginary line running from earlobe to earlobe around the back of the neck.
Acupressure points on the scalp tend to be about one inch apart.
10. Place the hands on the back of the skull with fingertips touching. Use the thumbs to press and massage points on die outer side of die neck muscles all the way from the base of the skull to the bottom of the neck. Using acupressure on this area often provides fast relief from tension headaches.
11. Massaging the feet to stop a headache sounds like reaching the attic through the basement door. Yet the feet bristle with nerve endings that respond well to acupressure-type massage. When acupressure is used on the feet, it is known as reflexology. In reflexology, however, both thumbs are used together, side by side, to press and maintain a circular massaging motion on one foot at a time.
Nor is pressing and massaging the feet limited to 15-second bouts. One may continue to massage the feet for as long as desired. After massaging one foot, the other foot is usually given the same treatment.
For headache relief, begin by pressing and massaging both sides of each big toe, then massage the fleshy underside of each big toe. Give these areas a thorough working over. If you feel any tender spots, concentrate these points. They are often the key to headache relief.
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