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Student Case Study: Migraine Headache Case Report

Migraine, can massage effectively manage symptoms? A Case Study

ABSTRACT

Background: Participant is a 62 year old female that presents migraine with associated aura and nausea for this study. Participant has suffered with migraine since she was 10 years old. Participant is determined disabled and qualifies for SSDI as a result of migraine. Associated conditions are neck pain that radiates to left upper back and low back pain that radiates to front of left thigh. The neck has a loss of cervical lordosis. Both the neck and low back have vertebral disc and foraminal issues which may have been exacerbated by a rear-end automobile accident about 4 years ago. Pharmaceutical medication is the primary method of controlling migraine.

Purpose: Object of this case study is to describe the affects therapeutic massage has on the participants symptoms and daily living impairments due to pain and associated conditions of migraine.

Research Design: A case study in a private school: The Center for Neurosomatic Studies. Assessment and application of treatment was performed over a 5 week period with 9 sessions of 1 to 1½ hours each session. Common Swedish type masage and myo-fascial techiques were applied. Assessment and therapeutic massage was based in neuromuscular therapy. Massage and myo-fascial release techniques were applied to the head, face, jaw, neck, back, thigh and viscera. Progress measures utilized a numeric analog pain scale and The Pain Disability Questionnaire.

Conclusion: This case study provided an observation of the effectiveness of dural membrane and fascial release has on tonus tissue. It also observed how relevant trigger point therapy is in the pain pathway of migraine. The study also endured the effect emotional stress has in migraine. There is a lot of research regarding migraine but little in regards to the benefit regular massage may have for migrainnures. Additional research may be warranted in not only massage’s effect on migraine but a lifestyle evaluation as well.

Key words: migraine disorders, aura, nausea, hemiplegic, familial, classic migraine, cervical migraine, massage

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