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Postural Distortions & Massage 
Part 7 of my new series!
In this series, I will attempt to describe some of the common problems that could be helped through massage therapy. If you are afflicted with any of these, massage could be used on it's own or along with your doctor's administrations. Just be aware that some of these problems may take some time to achieve results.
Atypical Migraines and temporal headaches:
I first want to say that migraines and headaches may be caused by other factors than trigger point pain patterns. I also want my readers to be aware that working the problem trigger point may also aggresively stimulate the "headache" to reappear. That being said - some pain patterns are housed in over tight muscles that have developed these trigger points, and working within the laws of neuromuscular therapy, relief can be found.
The muscle I want to focus on today is the Sternocleidmastoid (such a big name! let's call it SCM). This muscle is the most visible muscle on the front of the neck. It has so many different pain referral patterns that working this part of the neck should be a critical part of your massage therapy plan. With active trigger points, it can mimic the typical migraine arc pain above the eyes and spilling down into the face. It also refers a lot of pain to the temples, behind the ear and on the forhead.
I personally find that work here can be on the painful side - but when it is done, I find that my neck has more mobility and my head feels lighter. If you have any concerns with your therapist working on the SCM - please, let your therapist know and ask any questions you may have. I want my clients to be informed of the work I am doing and will try to describe it as well as I possibly can.
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