Bodywork & Holistic Wellness Training

12/02/2025

If you are a massage therapist who wants to up their neck routine or pain management practice, this knowledge is for you!

This course teaches you the lymphatic system and the superficial lymphatic flow that directly influences injury recovery. Don’t skip out on a chance to upgrade your massage strokes and potentially help your clients with their bodies. Take it now to start the year off with something new to add to your practice.

Get it free here:

https://stan.store/mo_signature_studio/p/free-lymphatic-flow-for-massage-therapists-

11/28/2025

I like this. So many people, so tired. Who does acupressure?

10/20/2022

08/04/2022

Don’t forget these guys. ❤️

🔈 HEADACHE AT THE BACK OF THE HEAD

There are many different types of headaches. One of the more common headaches is the suboccipital headache.

At the base of the skull there is a group of muscles, the suboccipital muscles, which can cause headache pain for many people. These four pairs of muscles are responsible for subtle movements between the skull and first and second vertebrae in the neck.

When the suboccipital muscles go into spasms they can entrap the nerves that travel through the suboccipital region. By compressing the suboccipital nerves they set off a series of events that lead to either a tension or a migraine like headaches.

CAUSES

The suboccipital muscles commonly become tense and tender due to factors such as

- Eye strain, wearing new eyeglasses.
- Sitting at a computer with our head forward and our head slightly tipped these muscles are doing a significant amount of work. This poor posture eventually causes the muscles to become tired, fatigue, and injured.
- Grinding the teeth, slouching posture, and trauma (such as a whiplash injury).

SYMPTOMS

Common signs and symptoms of a headache stemming from the suboccipitals include

- Pain, stiffness, and a dull ache in the upper neck and base of the skull
- Pain on the back of the head, and pain in the forehead and behind the eyes.
- Sometimes there may be visual disturbances or nausea, but those tend to be more common in migraine type headaches.

TREATMENT

People often feel relief when icing, stretching, or rubbing the suboccipital muscles. In the early stages rubbing the suboccipital region can reduce or eliminate a headache.

When the headaches progress often palpating the suboccipital muscles intensifies the headache. Some people feel a tension band or headache that moves towards the eye. When pushing on the suboccipital muscles, it may increase the intensity of eye pain.

Suboccipital headaches are improved with over-the-counter NSAIDs, ice, stretching, therapy, electric, ultrasound, and cold laser treatments. Goals of treatment are to decrease muscle spasms of the suboccipital muscles and trapezius. The poor posture of slouching forward and tipping the head up causes additional injury and spasms to the trapezius and upper back muscles. Treatment always looks at improving these muscles as well.

Treatment will focus on improving posture when standing and sitting, to relieve stress and strain on the muscles. In addition massage therapy is excellent at decreasing muscle spasms, pain, tenderness, and tension in these muscles. Stretching will be utilized to enhance flexibility. Strengthening exercises will be utilized for the weak muscles of the neck and shoulder complex.

Graston Technique is a very effective tool at decreasing the scar tissue and spasms associated with poor posture, headaches, and suboccipital spasms. Often people with suboccipital headaches have had poor posture for many years, and grass and helps decrease the fascial adhesions and scar tissue from years of poor posture.

01/18/2022

Learning techniques to trigger the Vagus nerve are key when giving a therapeutic massage. I first learned about controlled breath when I became a Trauma Touch Therapist.

09/13/2021

The superior nuchal line using static pressure is my go to point prior to releasing the upper Trapezius. Neck & shoulder work is easy when the right points are pressed. Save your hands and impress your clients. ❤️

🔈 TRAPEZIUS ANATOMY

The trapezius provides a direct attachment of the pectoral girdle to the trunk. This large, triangular muscle covers the posterior aspect of the neck and the superior half of the trunk. It was given its name because the muscles of the two sides form a trapezium. The trapezius attaches the pectoral girdle to the cranium and vertebral column and assists in suspending the upper limb. The fibers of the trapezius are divided into three parts, which have different actions at the physiological scapulothoracic joint between the scapula and thoracic wall.

Descending and ascending trapezius fibers act together in rotating the scapula on the thoracic wall in different directions, twisting it. The trapezius also braces the shoulders by pulling the scapulae posteriorly and superiorly, fixing them in position on the thoracic wall with tonic contraction; consequently, weakness of the trapezius causes drooping of the shoulders.

To test the trapezius (or the function of the spinal accessory nerve [CN XI] that supplies it), the shoulder is shrugged against resistance (the person attempts to raise the shoulders as the examiner presses down on them). If the muscle is acting normally, the superior border of the muscle can be easily seen and palpated.