Massage therapy can be a helpful complementary treatment for migraine headaches for some people.

 

Migraine headaches are often caused by muscle tension and spasms in the head, neck, and shoulders. Massage therapy can help to reduce muscle tension and improve circulation, which can alleviate the muscle spasms that contribute to migraine headaches.

 

Several studies have suggested that massage therapy may be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. For example, a 2016 systematic review of 9 studies found that massage therapy was associated with significant reductions in the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine headaches.