Looking For A Headache Massage in North Vancouver?

A headache that arrives with a stiff neck is easy to live with until it starts shaping your afternoon. Many people notice the pattern: hours at a screen, shoulders creeping up, then a dull ache from the base of the skull to the temples.

Bloom Family Wellness Centre offers headache massage in North Vancouver from our clinic in Edgemont Village. Your registered massage therapist, or RMT, starts by learning how your headaches behave. Then they check the muscles of your neck, shoulders, upper back, and jaw.

Massage is not a substitute for medical care. Your first visit includes a check on whether massage suits your situation, and your RMT will tell you if a doctor should see you first.

What Is Headache Massage?

Headache massage is registered massage therapy aimed at the muscles that can contribute to head pain. It is not a separate technique. Your RMT works through the neck, shoulders, upper back, base of the skull, scalp, and jaw, choosing methods to match how your headaches show up.

Tension-type headaches, often described as a tight band or steady pressure around the head, are commonly linked with muscle tension in these areas. Trigger points, which are small, tender knots in a muscle, can refer pain, so you feel it away from the knot itself. Your RMT looks for these patterns and treats the tissue that seems to be involved.

Our RMTs treat on Edgemont Boulevard, and you stay in charge of pressure throughout the session.

Who Can Benefit From Headache Massage?

People book massage for headaches for different reasons. These are some of the most common.

Screen-heavy workdays

Hours with your head forward and your shoulders raised can leave your neck and upper back working overtime. If your headaches build as the workday goes on, soft tissue care may help ease that load.

Jaw clenching and grinding

Tight jaw muscles can add to temple and ear-area aches. A TMJ massage treatment, which focuses on the muscles around the jaw joint, is available if jaw tension is part of your pattern.

Stress and short sleep

Busy stretches tend to settle in the neck and shoulders. A regular session gives those muscles a chance to unload.

Massage may not suit everyone. Please see a doctor or go to an emergency room first if you have a sudden, severe headache or a headache after a head injury. Seek urgent care too for a fever with a stiff neck, vision changes, weakness, or confusion. If a doctor has diagnosed migraines, massage can sit alongside the plan they give you.

Signs You May Benefit From Headache Massage

You may notice one or more of these signs.

  • A dull ache or pressure that starts at the base of your skull and spreads toward your forehead.
  • Shoulders that sit close to your ears by mid-afternoon.
  • A stiff neck that turns less easily to one side.
  • Headaches that tend to follow long days at a screen, long drives, or poor sleep.
  • A sore, tight jaw when you wake up.

You may already have tried stretching, a new pillow, or over-the-counter pain relief. If the pattern keeps coming back, headache massage may be a reasonable next step so the muscles can be assessed. Tingling or numbness in an arm, or weakness that is getting worse, also deserves a visit to your doctor.

How Massage for Tension Headaches Helps

Massage for tension headaches may help by easing the muscle tightness that can feed head pain. Your RMT chooses methods based on what they find, and may combine several in one visit.

Trigger point therapy

Steady pressure on a tender spot in a muscle, used to ease tension that may refer pain into the head.

Fascial and myofascial work

Slower, lengthening strokes through the connective tissue around the muscles of your neck and shoulders.

Deep tissue work

Firmer pressure for the larger muscles of the upper back and shoulders, always at a level you set.

Your RMT may also suggest stretches or posture changes to try between visits. Many people find that regular sessions reduce how often tension headaches show up and how strong they feel. Results vary, and no therapist can promise an outcome.

What to Expect From Your Headache Massage Visit

Your first headache massage visit is planned around your headaches. Most sessions run 60 minutes.
assignment

Your headache history

Your RMT asks when your headaches started, where you feel them, what seems to set them off, and what you have already tried. Mention any medications, injuries, or health conditions too.
healing

Assessment and treatment

Your RMT checks how your neck and shoulders move and where the tissue feels tight, then treats those areas. You can ask for lighter or firmer pressure, or a pause, at any point.
self_improvement

Aftercare and next steps

Your RMT may suggest water, gentle movement, and a few stretches. Mild soreness can follow deeper work, so say if anything feels worse. How many visits you need varies from person to person.

Our Approach to Headache Massage

Headaches rarely trace back to one spot, so headache massage here covers your neck, shoulders, jaw, posture, and the shape of your day. Bridget Falls describes the aim as finding the source of a problem and not only easing the symptom.

Every treatment starts with an assessment, and you often leave with home care suggestions such as advice or simple exercises. Our RMTs also bring different training and techniques, so if one approach does not suit you, a colleague may offer another.

Meet the RMTs Behind Your Headache Massage

You can book headache massage with any of our registered massage therapists. Here are three of them.

Bridget Falls, RMT

Bridget graduated from West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 2007 and has built her practice in Edgemont over the past 19 years. Her techniques include deep tissue, trigger point therapy, craniosacral, and fascial work. Read her full profile.

Anna Celak, RMT

Anna completed a diploma at the London School of Sports Massage and graduated from Vancouver College of Massage Therapy in 2024. She practised in London, UK for more than 13 years. Her work includes repetitive strain from office and computer work, and she offers TMJ massage treatments in 45 and 60 minute sessions.

Elise Bradwell, RMT

Elise completed her training at West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 2016 and joined Bloom in 2017. An injury from a motor vehicle accident led her into massage therapy. She uses an evidence-based, orthopaedic assessment approach with a proactive view of health.

Meet the rest of the team on our team page.

Headache Massage Fees, Coverage, and Booking

Headache massage is offered in person at 3036 Edgemont Boulevard in Edgemont Village, North Vancouver.

  • A 60 minute massage is $145 with any of our RMTs. Other session lengths are listed on our massage session pricing page.
  • No referral is needed to see an RMT in British Columbia. Some insurance plans ask for a doctor's note before they reimburse you, so check yours.
  • We direct bill many extended health plans, including Blue Cross, Greenshield, and Sun Life, plus Telus Health, which administers plans for several insurers. Bring your plan details to your first visit, and see our coverage page for the details.
  • If you have an approved ICBC claim, you pay at the visit and we give you a receipt to submit. We do not direct bill ICBC.
  • You can book online and choose your RMT, session length, and time.

Why Choose Bloom for Headache Massage?

Bloom is an Edgemont Village clinic with eight registered massage therapists on one online booking page. You can choose your therapist, appointment time, and session length for your headache massage, with options from 30 to 90 minutes depending on the RMT.

We also offer extended hours, so a visit can fit around your workday.

Related Services and Resources

Headache Massage FAQs

It may. Massage for tension headaches works on neck, shoulder, and jaw muscles, and many people find it eases how often headaches show up. Your RMT will say if your pattern needs a doctor's assessment first.
Some people feel tired or notice a mild headache after deeper work on the neck. Drinking water and resting can help, and you can ask your RMT for lighter pressure next time. Contact your doctor if a headache is severe or unusual for you.
See a doctor first if your headaches are new, sudden, severe, or follow a head injury. If a doctor has already assessed your headaches, you can book an RMT directly.
Many people prefer to rest during a severe migraine. Booking between episodes is common, and your RMT can talk with you about timing and pressure that feel comfortable.
Only if you are comfortable with it. Many headache sessions focus on the neck, shoulders, and upper back, and your RMT may add the scalp, temples, or jaw with your consent. Tell your RMT what you prefer at any point.
Drink some water, eat something light, and wear clothing you can relax in. Jot down when your headaches happen and what you have tried so far. That short note helps your RMT plan the session.
Check with your doctor or midwife first, especially if a headache is new or severe. If they have cleared massage, our prenatal massage page explains how sessions are adapted.

Book Headache Massage in North Vancouver

Your first visit starts with your headache history

Give your neck, shoulders, and jaw the attention they may need. Book headache massage in North Vancouver online, choose a therapist from our team, and start your first visit with a conversation about your headaches.

This page is general information and not medical advice. Results vary from person to person, and no outcome can be promised. In an emergency, call 911.

BOOK NOW

Bloom Family Wellness Centre

3036 Edgemont Blvd.,
North Vancouver , BC
V7R 2N4

604-988-1411

bloom@shawbiz.ca

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