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Migraines are a complex neurological condition that can significantly affect a client’s comfort, daily activities, and quality of life. Massage therapists may work with clients who experience migraines, making it important to understand migraine symptoms, potential triggers, and appropriate massage therapy considerations.
This 6 CE hour course provides massage therapists with a practical overview of migraines, including common signs and symptoms, risk factors, prevention strategies, diagnosis, and treatment approaches. You’ll also explore massage techniques and pressure-point methods that may be incorporated into care, along with important benefits, contraindications, and client safety considerations.
By developing a better understanding of migraines, massage therapists can make more informed decisions about treatment and provide a more individualized approach for clients who experience migraine headaches.
In this course, you will learn:
What a migraine is and how it differs from other types of headaches
Common signs and symptoms associated with migraines
The different stages of a migraine headache
Common migraine risk factors and potential triggers
Strategies that may help with migraine prevention
How migraines are diagnosed and treated
Different types of massage that may be used with clients who experience migraines
Pressure-point techniques that may be incorporated into massage therapy
Potential benefits of massage for clients with migraines
Important contraindications and safety considerations
How to adapt massage sessions based on a client’s symptoms and needs
When it may be appropriate to refer a client for further medical evaluation
Why take this course?
Clients who experience migraines may have different triggers, symptoms, and responses to massage. Understanding these differences can help massage therapists create a more comfortable and appropriate treatment approach.
Whether you regularly work with clients who experience migraines or simply want to expand your knowledge of headache-related conditions, this course provides practical information you can apply to your massage therapy practice.
Define migraine and distinguish migraines from other types of headaches.
Identify common signs, symptoms, and stages of migraine headaches.
Recognize common migraine risk factors and potential triggers.
Describe strategies used for migraine prevention.
Explain how migraines are diagnosed and treated.
Identify massage modalities and techniques that may be appropriate for clients experiencing migraines.
Describe pressure-point techniques that may be incorporated into massage therapy.
Identify potential benefits, contraindications, and safety considerations when working with clients who experience migraines.
Explain how to adapt massage sessions based on a client's symptoms and individual needs.
Recognize when referral for further medical evaluation may be appropriate.
Text: Massage and Migraines, by Melissa M. Dawahare, ND, 40 pages
Guide with instructions
Multiple choice exam of 55 questions
Course evaluation
Certificate of achievement upon completion
Unlimited phone and email support for any of your questions
The Center for Massage Therapy Continuing Education, LLC is an Approved Provider through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB); Approved Provider number 409296-00.
Our online massage continuing education courses are also accepted by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP), and most state boards.
For more information on individual state requirements and approvals, please visit our Approvals page and click on your state.
I find I freeze on written tests usually. The format of this course made it easy to be more relaxed. I was able to prepare before taking the exam. the information was very good. I learned a lot about headaches from the client's view. Thank you. - D. Hutzley
I liked that it was easy to follow the information that was given. - Rudy Dannes, LMT
Ordering was convenient, mailing and delivery was prompt. - R. Wieser, LMT
All of the triggers were interesting to me. - Amy Swanson, LMT
The course was easy to read and understand. - A. McClure, LMT
I do alot of headache work and was a migraine sufferer for many years. Still there was either new or updated information that will be beneficial to my work. - Samuel Rowley, LMT
Migraines affect how many people at some point in their life?
A. 10 – 15%
B. 18 – 38%
C. 12 – 28%
D. 38 – 48%
The goal of massage therapy treatment in migraines is:
A. To increase relaxation and decrease pain
B. To increase range of motion in joints
C. To increase production of endorphins
D. To diagnose migraine disorder
Massage modalities useful with migraine include:
A. Acupressure
B. Deep tissue massage
C. Trigger point therapy
D. All of the above
Course Author
About the Instructor
Dr. Melissa Dawahare, NMD, RN
Melissa Dawahare, NMD, RN, is a naturopathic medical doctor and a registered nurse with 30 years of experience in the medical field. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Nursing and Sonoran University of Health Sciences, formerly the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona. Dr. Dawahare is the author of several of our continuing education courses including Acupressure Basics, Essential Oils Overview, Massage and Migraines, and Massage and Fibromyalgia Syndrome.
