When one talks about using massage for headache relief, you typically picture someone being massaged around their temples or even the back of the neck but what I’m going to talk about in this article has nothing to do with that, in fact you can actually massage headaches away by making use of acupressure points that are nowhere near your head.

What many people don't realize is that the acupressure points for the head are based in the hand and there is one in particular that can give wonderful headache relief. This point is found in the webbing that is between the forefinger and the thumb - right in that tender area. When pressure is applied to this area in a consistent and circular motion, many people report relief from all types of headaches although it seems to work particularly well for tension headaches.

So how do you massage headaches away?

This is one of the simplest headache relief methods. Simply take the thumb and forefinger of one hand and massage in between the thumb and forefinger on the other hand - you want to get right in the webbing and massage with a firm pressure. You want to go in a circular motion about two or three rotations per second. Some people say that you should massaged the hand of the side that your headache is on and others say that doing both hands is ideal. If you don't have someone standing by to massaged both your hands for you, you can do one side yourself and then the other one afterwards. Massage each side for a couple of minutes.

This technique will actually relieve most types of head pain including sinus pain and even toothache however, anyone who is pregnant should avoid this massage technique because it has been known to cause contractions.

Now there are also other massages for headaches thAT do involve massaging the head and, depending on the type of headache you have these can also be very effective. Some involve massaging the front of the head while others involve massaging the base or neck. If you have a tension headache that is due to strain then these could be quite effective.

All in all, using massage for headache relief is a great way to try to find pain relief that won't leave you with side effects. You can use it in conjunction with any prescriptions that your doctor has given you or, if you prefer not to take prescription drugs you can combine it with other alternative methods such as aromatherapy and acupuncture.