Forty-five million adult Americans live with chronic headaches. The International Headache Society lists 200 causes! For people suffering with headaches, one of the most challenging parts is identifying the root cause, because without knowing that, it’s simply a “hit and miss” game to treat this debilitating symptom.
To make it a bit easier, the International Headache Society has broken the causes down into three main categories: Primary, Secondary and Cranial Neuralgia/Primary Facial Pain/Other. (FYI, I make it a little easier in the Say Good-bye to Headaches class.)
Primary Headache Pain
Primary headache disorders are said to occur independently, in that they result from changes in blood vessels, nerves and muscles, not as a secondary response to disease or injury. The most familiar primary headaches are associated with stress: migraine, cluster and tension.
Secondary Headache Pain
Secondary headaches are actually symptoms of underlying disorders or diseases, such as high blood pressure, injury, dental problems, sinus infections, drug over use, psychiatric problems, etc. The pain is your body’s way of informing you that something serious is going on and that you need to pay attention! Unfortunately, many people don’t, just brushing it off as “another headache”.
Cranial Neuralgia/Primary Facial Pain/Other
The causes of these headaches are many times idiopathic, and generally affect the nerves that enervate the face and head.
Both reflexology and gentle massage therapy techniques are well known to help tension and migraine sufferers (Primary headaches).
Secondary headaches, on the other hand, are more challenging to address, as one must first identify the cause of the headache. If the pain results from a physical injury, both reflexology and massage may be beneficial. If pathology is the culprit, this is where reflexology excels, because reflexology can address and support the physiological systems of the body, unlike massage, which addresses the soft tissue only.
The 1-day Say Good-bye to Headaches course is a class that could change everything – for both your clients who suffer from this life-limiting condition and you, the therapist. By transforming the lives of people living with head pain, you can transform a sluggish practice into a thriving, focused business. In addition to designing individualized hands-on session protocols, you will leave with the materials and skills needed to coach one-on-one or offer small classes in your community to those people who are sick and tired of living with headaches.
Act now. Class is next Saturday, June 8th and is open to reflexologists and massage therapists.
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