Massage to relieve headache

Can driving your car give you a headache?

"I tend to get 2-3 headaches a week", a client of mine complained recently. In my usual Miss Marple style, I started my investigations to get to the root of the problem. I am always looking for root causes - sometimes our physical pain stems from an emotional issue or incorrect posture.

During the conversation with my client I discovered that the pain was travelling from the left shoulder all the way up the neck, over the head and terminating at the forehead. By manipulating the top layers of muscles in the left shoulder I then discovered an area of tension with an accumulation of toxins due to an over-contracted muscle resting on top of a nerve. That nerve connected to the neck and head, causing a number of tension headaches. So we found the physical root of the headaches but a problem still remained: what movements or daily war and tear were causing that pain? Again, asking further Marple-esque questions, I found out that my client spends many hours driving and the gear box of his car was fairly stiff: the additional effort he puts into shifting gears had caused a chain reaction which ultimately brought about the headaches.

A few massage sessions later, my client was happy to report that the number and intensity of his headaches were much reduced (1 headache or less a week) and that he has been sleeping better.

So, next time you are behind your steering wheel, ask yourself: is driving my car giving me headaches? Rest assured that there are some simple solutions to prevent tension headaches - here's some tips:

• Posture. Mare sure you are not slouching on the car seat. Check that your back is straight and that your shoulders are relaxed, not raised and close to your ears.
• Self-massage. With your right hand "pick up" the top muscle on your left shoulder; repeat at least 10 times and swap sides. The area should feel warmer after a few minutes.
• Stretch. Tilt your head sideways until you feel a good side stretch in your neck. Do the same on the other side. To give your upper back a stretch, bend your head slightly downwards and sideways, then swap sides. Ensure you hold your stretch for 10 seconds.