Condition · Head & Neck
Migraines
How Myofascial Release addresses it, and what to expect.
A migraine is a type of headache disorder characterized by recurrent, throbbing headaches that typically affect one side of the head. Migraines often come with additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light (photophobia), and sound (phonophobia). The pain and accompanying symptoms can be severe and disabling, lasting anywhere from a few hours to several days. There are two main types of migraines: those with and without auras. An aura is a specific warning sign before the onset of the headache that can include visual disturbances and other neurological symptoms.
Why fascia is involved
The neck and jaw are often part of the migraine picture.
Migraines are neurological, but the tissue around the head and neck can raise the baseline that triggers them. Restricted fascia at the base of the skull, along the neck and in the jaw muscles increases tension, limits blood and lymph flow, and irritates the nerves that share pathways with migraine pain. Many people with migraines also carry years of neck tension without connecting the two.
Myofascial Release does not replace a migraine care plan; it works alongside it by lowering the physical load that feeds attacks. Therapists gently release the suboccipital region, neck, jaw, face and upper shoulders, and help the nervous system move out of a constant state of alert. People often report fewer and milder episodes as that tension resolves.
MFR Resource
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Every therapist in the Directory is trained in the John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Approach®.