A headache can range from a minor, dull ache to the full-blown pounding of a migraine. Instinctively we rub our painful head, but a massage from someone else is even better. Try out the following steps for general headache relief, always checking the pressure: on some occasions you can be so sensitive that only the lightest touch will do. First massage the neck, the cause of many headaches, moving the pain up and away the head. Headaches may signal illness or infection, but are often due to digestive disorders, tension, eye strain, poor posture, sinus and menstrual problems, or reactions to food, drink or pollution. Try lavender, rosemary or a little peppermint oil, or simply relax in a lavender bath.
The neck
Turn your partner’s head to one side, supporting it on your hand. Then, ease your fingers along the top of the shoulder to the base of the neck. Keeping to the side of the spine, gently pull upward over the neck muscles to the base of the skull. Repeat several times, releasing tension with your fingers.
Base of the skull
Place your fingertips at the base of your partner’s skull. Gently begin to rub the pads of your fingers in small circles, covering the base and back of the skull. Imagine any tightness releasing with your touch and your partner’s pain literally dissolving. Repeat until you feel the tension releasing.
The forehead
Place your thumbs together just above the eyebrows in the centre of your partner’s forehead. Press downward with the pads of your thumbs and gently draw outward to the temples. Repeat a number of these strips, each time beginning a little further toward the hairline. End by stroking very lightly.
The eyebrows
Place the tips of your thumbs to either side of your partner’s nose, just below the inner part of the eyebrows. Now, slowly draw your thumbs up and outward, following the line of the brow to the temples. This will help to relieve congestion. Lift your thumbs gently away. Repeat the stroke several times, with the idea of drawing tension away from the eyes.
