Trying Out An Electric Neck Massager to Help with Migraines
I used to find massages very helpful for my migraines. Most of my migraines are cervicogenic in nature - meaning they are either triggered or abetted by spasms and pain in my neck/cervical spine. So, a nice neck and shoulder massage used to go a long way. But I noticed in the past year or so, as both my neck issues and migraines really ramped up - and started being accompanied by vertigo - that massages actually seemed to hurt more than they helped.
What did massages start doing?
If I was already in an active flare, it made it worse. If I was feeling okay at the time, I found a massage (often given by my acupuncturist or chiropractor) could actually trigger an attack. I asked at first to lighten pressure or avoid certain movements or parts of the neck. While that helped a little sometimes, I still found more often than not, I got a migraine afterward. So I eventually requested they stop touching my neck altogether (I still sometimes allow some light massage of my shoulders, which can still be beneficial at times).
Would an electric massager help?
That being said, I wondered if a portable electric massager might be helpful for my neck since the pressure on the neck would be lower than what human hands could do, and I would have more control over the strength and frequency of the pressure. With that in mind, I recently purchased one online. I have tried it a handful of times, and I must say it does seem to help as long as I:
- Keep the pressure fairly light
- Don't use it too long (a maximum of 10 minutes, which is usually when it turns off automatically anyway)
- Only keep to certain "modes" that my body responds positively to (the massage has certain modes like "pulse," "shiatsu," etc. - some, like "pulse," I find irritating and others more soothing)
In some respects, the massager functions similarly to a TENS machine.
How do I use it?
The massager looks like a machine neck brace and has two small steel plates that go at the top of the neck right below the base of the skull, and another set of slightly larger steel plates that are placed right near where the neck meets the shoulders (a definite source of pain and tension for me). I have to keep these plates clean and before I use the massager, smear them with a light dabbing of aloe vera gel to conduct the electric pulses (initially, I didn't read the directions and tried the massager without the gel on the plates, and it HURT - it felt like getting electric shocks. I was relieved when I realized it was because it needed gel and wasn't supposed to feel like that).
So what are my overall thoughts?
The massager also has a heat function to warm the neck, which sometimes I use, and it helps, and sometimes I do not. I like that, unlike a TENS machine, I don't have to have sticky pads that I have to keep replacing and struggling to find where to put them on me. As I said, while it helps, I find I have to keep the pressure pretty light and not use it too long - or I can actually make myself feel worse. I then usually follow a session with the massager by putting on some arnica gel and tiger balm on my neck and shoulders.
Have you ever used an electronic neck/shoulder massager or TENS machine? Did it help with your migraines, or make them worse? Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.
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