Kiah Johnson Capstone

    Like many other medical conditions, chronic migraines and headaches occur in about two to three million people in the United States, one of them being my mother. 
For my capstone, I decided that my overall goal was to create a portable massaging tool that helps with headaches and/or migraines. This gave me the chance to take my passions of both physical therapy and computer science and apply it to something useful. With the help of many research papers, I decided to focus on the four pressure points: two on the neck, and two on the forehead, to help release the pain, by decreasing the intensity of the headache.
The most important part of this project was getting familiar with coding. This was the first code that I had to build and structure myself, and it was difficult. Just figuring out the first code for finding frequency took about four weeks, as I was trying to gain knowledge of coding through Arduino references sheets and different libraries. At one point, I got stuck on one part of the code for several days. Then, I had to make another code for the actual vibration using the Circuit Playground Express and a Haptic Motor Driver, as the power of the headband. The vibration motors were connected to the power, all soldered. After that, I placed the circuit onto a plastic material, that was easy to slide throughout the newly made headband (with zipper for easy access to the circuit and controls). 
IMG_1483
IMG_1483
IMG_1482
IMG_1482

Abraham, Nikhil. CODING FOR KIDS FOR DUMMIES. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2015. http://file.allitebooks.com/20150627/Coding%20For%20Dummies.pdf. This source provides the full language of code, understanding, and writing it. This information can easily be used to gain early knowledge on what exactly it is, and getting started on learning one of the languages. In skimming through, the beginning instructs the learner to always follow instructions and make sure it is fun for him/her, for it’s easier to learn when one is fully engaged and eager to learn about something he/she cares about.

Baumhardt, Carol, LMT. “Migraine and Tension Headaches: Using Massage to Ease the Pain.” Nationwide Children’s. December 19, 2017. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2017/12/migraine-and-tension-headaches-using-massage-to-ease-the-pain. This source provides early information about the differences between a migraine and a headache, explained by a professional, hinting on what needs to happen to treat them both. The author comments the initial signs of each and goes into deep detail with symptoms and even giving statistics on each about how many people suffer from both, or even confuse the two. It stresses the importance of knowing and telling a doctor of some sort, so help can be provided. In fact, the article does hint the readers about the success massages have had on people, especially migraine sufferers and children.

Chaibi, Aleksander, Tuchin, Peter J., and Russell, Michael Bjørn. “Manual Therapies for Migraine: A Systematic Review.” PMC, February 05, 2011. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3072494/#CR9. This source is a series of journal entries that shows multiple experiments of massage therapy being utilized on people with any type of head pain: migraines or just regular headaches. The difference between this one and the previous, is that this one was done in both the United States and New Zealand, both having the frequencies of the head pain being reduced between 31% and 71%. Along with these conclusions, the numbers can be used for programming and calculating the intensity of the massage tool, how fast it vibrates, and it would be simpler understand the effects of the tool, even with not enough testers to use the tool.

Downward, Emily. “Massages for Migraine Relief.” Migraine.com. May 2018. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://migraine.com/complimentary-and-alternative-therapies/massage/. This source provides the general information needed on massage therapy and its use to those who suffer from migraines. It also goes deeper into the fact that it is possible to have a self-massage for migraines, describing the different types of massages and what is useful for those with frequent migraines. In addition, it provides warnings as to who can/cannot use this therapy, for their health, which helps conclude that there needs to be a safer way to give the therapeutic massages. The writer of the article is not a doctor herself, but professional doctors, therapists, and college students are referenced throughout the article to prove the discoveries.

Flow - Wellness and Training. Youtube. April 11, 2017. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=SkyE24PmWgQ. This source is from a legitimate company that performs migraine massage therapy in Greece, known for their ideals and unique but successful approach to treatment and diseases. The video is showing a migraine massage being done on a patient, explaining each of their movements, along with the muscles being used and what they do to participate in the intensity of migraines. It also shows several different massages being done, all including the face and the neck. This describes the process in which needed to understand how much pressure and vibration goes into each movement and spot in which they used.

Glaser, Angie. “8 Pressure Points for Headaches You Should Know About.” Migraine Again. April 08, 2017. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://migraineagain.com/pressure-points-for-headaches-and-nausea/. This source provides information on acupressure for people who would like to self-massage, which is used mostly when a person suddenly has a terrible migraine or headache. It demonstrates with pictures showing the exact spots that ease the intensity in migraines and headaches. This could eventually be used in the instruction manual, explaining the use and safety measures of the tool. It also links to video interviews of real people with migraines and how they feel after doing therapy and using these pressure points. This can conclude the popular spot in which works the best for patients, which equal overall happiness.

Golden, Katie M. “Tackling Migraines Head-On | Massage Therapy Journal.” Amtamassage. May 23, 2017. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://www.amtamassage.org/articles/3/MTJ/detail/3704/tackling-migraines-head-on. This source is actually a journal explaining the steps in which migraines normally progress, described in phases. With a total of four phases, it tells the period in which they last, what it feels like, and the effects of each step. It also goes into depth about people with chronic tension type migraines, and how massage therapy is the best home remedy and the most effective. Along with this, it goes into more statistics about specific cases of people with chronic migraines and their lives with and without the massages.

Khan, Salman. “Planning a Programming Project.” Khan Academy. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming/programming/good-pr actices/a/planning-a-programming-project. This source gives a detailed step by step process on how to approach a coding project for beginners, seeing that beginners would need more guidance than experienced engineers would. In reading through the whole article, it was clear that the first step is to understand and determine the goals of the project, then more on to the materials and the experience one will need to be able to complete it. At the same time, it also encourages that one shouldn’t get easily frustrated and if there is a problem, to just look it up and see if anyone else has done anything like it. It also suggests to make a timeline for what needs to be done.

Kirby, Kristin J. “Is Massage Effective As A Non-Pharmacologic Treatment For Individuals Suffering From Migraines?” (2012). Student diss. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1084&context=pa_systematic_reviews. This source is a college science paper, proving that massage therapy does indeed make a difference on patients that suffer from migraines, or even just occurring headaches. There are a total of three different studies, two of them involving deep tissue massages either once or twice a week for five weeks. The patient’s outcomes before, during, and after the massage, their migraine headache frequency, and their sleep quality was recorded everyday during the five weeks, which is shown within the source. These numbers can definitely be utilized in the making of the project.

“Top 10 Best Handheld Deep Tissue Electric Massagers in 2018.” GGP. 2018. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://garagegymplanner.com/best-electric-massagers/. This source is an article from a health company that tries to encourage people to be healthy at home and suggest ways in which they can do so, without it being difficult. It evaluates the best electric massagers describing their techniques, and also other ratings that real people who have actually used the product have said about it. With judging their vibration intensity, duration, and overall appearance, it also describes what it’s best used for in certain situations, talking about the motors and types of heads that is provided. This will make it easier to pick it flaws and see important components that will be needed with the project.

Comments