Tension headaches are a very common type of headache. According to the World Health Organization 1 in 20 people in the developed world suffer with a daily tension headache. Tension headaches can be difficult to distinguish from migraines in some cases.

They are described as a mild to moderate pain pressure or tightness across the forehead, behind the eyes and into the temples. The pain can occur infrequently however it can be daily for some people. It is aggravated by certain postures or neck movements and is eased by applying pressure to the base of the skull.

These headaches most commonly originate from spasming or tight neck muscles due to poor posture or restricted vertebral movement. Other common causes include emotional stress, depression, alcohol use, skipping meals and eyestrain.

Tension headaches respond excellently to chiropractic care that involves  a combination of restoring normal spinal function stretching and strengthening exercises and lifestyle changes.

A migraine can be severe disabling pain that lasts for hours or days. It is described as a severe throbbing pain and is usually accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.

Visual disturbances, known as auras, are often experienced before a migraine. Another symptom of an impending migraine is a tingling sensation on one side of your face, arm or leg.

There are many triggers for migraines such as hormonal issues, cheeses, chemicals, alcohol and stress. The actual causes of migraines aren’t known however if parents suffer migraines there is a 70% chance that their children will get them as well.

Cluster headaches are a very painful type of headache often described as excruciating pain on one side of the head and behind one eye.  They usually occur at night and last from 15 minutes to three hours. This rare headache usually lasts over a few weeks with long periods in between episodes and affects less than one person in every 1,000.

It is believed that the hypothalamus (the part of the brain regulating our sleeping) activates the trigeminal nerve causing these headaches, however that is yet to be proven.

The symptoms of cluster headaches are as a constant piercing or burning pain behind one eye or in the region surrounding it, swollen eyes and nasal congestion.

These headaches are caused by inflammation in the upper part of the neck and the cranial nerves. The most common nerve affected is the trigeminal nerve. This sensory nerve supplies sensation to the face and can cause intense facial pain when inflamed. This is called trigeminal neuralgia.

Other cranial nerves that can be affected are the glossopharyngeal nerves which can cause pain in the throat, tonsils, tongue and ears and the occipital nerve which causes chronic pain at the base of the skull and in the upper neck.

Chiropractic, acupuncture and massage have all been found to help with this condition and should be the first treatment considered. Drugs are available that aim to suppress or block the nerves. There are some surgical procedures that can be considered however due to risks involved should be considered last.

These types of headaches occur during or after sustained, strenuous activity such as running, swimming, lifting weights or even sexual intercourse. It is described as an explosive pain that and can last from 5 minutes up to 48 hours and is located on both sides of the head.

Clinically these headaches respond very well to chiropractic care.  Restoring the normal function to the spine and is often found to relieve or stop these headaches.

Exercise headaches are usually self-limiting, however, they can indicate an underlying pathology. In older people it is important to look for any hidden underlying disease processes.

These headaches are believed to be related to changes in the level of the hormones estrogen and progesterone and can be brought on by hormone treatments, including birth control pills or other hormonal contraceptives.

Hormonal headaches are described as pain in one or both sides of the head that lasts for a few hours to a few days. They are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness and blurred vision which can all be confused with migraines.

Many women find that regular chiropractic care can lead to a reduction in both the intensity and frequency of hormonal headaches. Whether this is the effect of improved spinal function or influencing hormonal levels has not been tested or proven yet.

Dehydration occurs usually when you don’t drink enough water, especially in hot weather. Severe diarrhoea, vomiting  or a fever can also cause it. Mild to moderate dehydration is easily reversed by drinking more fluid. In severe cases an IV drip may be needed.

The symptoms of a caffeine headache are a pounding headache and also fatigue and having difficulty concentrating. They affect people trying to reduce or eliminate their caffeine intake and are cause by a caffeine withdrawal. The good news is that the pain will go, however it can take a few days or weeks.

Caffeine acts like a stimulant on the brain. Quitting cold turkey is the fastest way to remove caffeine addiction however it can cause the most severe withdrawal symptoms.

Taking caffeine-free pain relievers and abstaining from alcohol for the duration of the withdrawal period helps alleviate the pain.

The cavities in our skull above the eyes, forehead, cheekbones, and the bridge of our nose are called our sinuses. Sinus headaches are caused by inflammation, congestion or an allergic reaction increasing the pressure in these areas.

Sinusitis usually occurs after a viral infection or cold and includes thick, discoloured nasal mucus and pain in one or both cheeks. The pain is usually worse when bending forward. Other symptoms of sinusitis are pain in the upper teeth and a feeling of swelling or fullness in the face.

These headaches can be confusing as they share a number of similar symptoms with tension and migraine headaches.

Home remedies to relieve sinus pain include nasal irrigation, breathing moist air using a steam vaporizer or a humidifier. Alternating hot and cold compresses on the congested areas can also help.

Concussion occurs after a traumatic brain injury that can occur after an impact to the head or after a whiplash-type injury. Sometimes the symptoms are not immediately obvious and can last for days or weeks.

The common symptoms of concussion are headaches, loss of memory, dizziness, balance problems, confusion, nausea, vomiting and slurred speech.

A concussion can occur without any loss of consciousness so often patients won’t realize they have concussion. It is not usually life-threatening and the effects are temporary, it can however cause serious symptoms that require medical treatment.

Rebound headaches occur when pain relief medications are overused for a prolonged period of time. They usually stop once all the medication has been stopped. They typically improve with more pain relief medication but then return as the medication wears off.

Rebound headaches occur almost every day on waking up in the morning. They will improve with your usual pain relief medication but then return as the medication wears off. You may also experience nausea, difficulty concentrating, memory problems and irritability.

Hangover headaches are caused by excessive alcohol consumption however some people can experience this after light to moderate drinking and is described as a splitting headache. Remember that alcohol is a migraine trigger which means headaches could be an undiagnosed migraine.

Alcohol acts as a diuretic (it removes fluids from the body) so drinking water during your night out and before you go to bed is a great help. Dehydration causes many of your hangover symptoms.

There are no proven cures for a hangover. Some suggested cures are sweet drinks, ginger or peppermint tea and asparagus. We don’t recommend having all of these in the same glass.

Influenza is a viral infection that affects your nose, throat and lungs. The symptoms of influenza are a temperature over 38 degrees aching muscles, chills, sweats persistent cough, fatigue, sore throat and nasal congestion. It usually resolves on its own however its complications can be very serious and even deadly.

A fever and headaches at the same time can also be a sign that there’s something much more serious that is causing the symptoms such as bacterial meningitis and encephalitis.

Relieving symptoms will not help to cure the underlying illness but will make you feel better and more comfortable. For this reason medications that can lower a person’s temperature and relieve headaches can be useful.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) headaches caused by dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint are easily confused with migraines or sinus issues.

TMJ headaches are described as a dull, aching pain located around and inside the ear which can radiate toward the temple and neck area. It can be aggravated by talking excessively and chewing. When there is a structural issue with the TMJ you can feel a click in the joint on movement and have difficulty opening the moth wide.

Functional changes in the TMJ joint are often found to be caused by spinal problems and in these cases respond excellently to chiropractic care. When the joint is damaged a dentist trained in neuromuscular dentistry may help.

Headaches can be caused by high blood pressure and dangerously some patients can have no other obvious signs or symptoms of the problem. Indeed the high blood pressure is often found when investigating the headache.

The best treatment for mild hypertension is lifestyle change such as exercise and a very healthy diet. In severe cases medication can be extremely important in controlling the hypertension and stopping other potential problems such as stroke.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or severely reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. Early medical intervention can minimize brain damage and potential complications.

The most common symptoms of a stroke are a sudden dizziness, slurred speech confusion, severe headache, blurred vision, loss of balance or coordination, numbness of the face, arm or leg.

If you suspect a stroke seek urgent medical attention.

Brain Aneurysm is the bulging of one of the arteries in the brain, which can often lead to a stroke. An aneurysm will often not cause any symptoms until it ruptures and are often only found during tests for other conditions

The symptoms of are a ruptured aneurysm are a sudden, extremely severe headache, nausea and vomiting, visual disturbances, confusion, severe light sensitivity. The headache is often described as “the worst headache I have ever had.”  This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical treatment.

There are two different types of brain tumors, benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous). They can start in your brain (primary brain tumors), or they can spread to your brain from other parts of your body (secondary or metastatic brain tumours).  The most common causes of metastatic brain tumors are breast, colon, kidney and lung cancer.

The most common symptoms of a brain tumor are headaches that are new, different and usually, more severe headaches, nausea or vomiting, visual problems, loss of balance, speech difficulties, confusion behavioural changes and seizures. These vary greatly depending on the size, location and the rate of growth of the tumor.

The most common cause of the encephalitis and meningitis is a viral infection. The symptoms of this can be a sudden high fever, stiff neck, severe headache, light sensitivity, confused thinking, skin rash, seizures or changes in vision and speech.

Both encephalitis or meningitis require immediate medical attention.

An intracranial hematoma occurs when a blood vessel ruptures in or around your brain. The hematoma compresses your brain tissue, and is usually caused by trauma to the brain. Hematoma is potentially life-threatening and often requires surgery to remove the blood.

The symptoms of an intracranial hematoma may be immediate or may develop with time. As the pressure on the brain from the bleeding increases symptoms will develop such as a progressive worse headache, vomiting, progressive loss of consciousness, confusion, slurred speech seizures and unconsciousness.

Your doctor has one of the most important roles in headache treatment. They help provide the accurate diagnosis that is vital in the treatment of your headache. Indeed, when some of life threatening secondary tumors are involved, early intervention can be the difference between a good and a catastrophic outcome and in some cases an early death.

They will organise the relevant testing, provide prescription medication where necessary and arrange opinions from a wide variety of specialists such as neurologists, neurosurgeons, cancer specialists and many more to diagnose and treat your headaches.

 

Massage Therapists help headache sufferers by relaxing the muscles in the neck and shoulders which can be very effective. Sometimes you find that massage is giving you headache relief however the pain will return after a few days. This usually indicates that there is an underlying spinal problem that is causing the muscle tightness. In this case the headaches will keep returning until the spinal problem is corrected.

Massage Therapists get good results with some primary headaches and also provide some relief to some of the secondary headache types.

Physios aim to relieve headaches through relaxation of muscles in the neck. They may also use acupuncture/dry needling, massage and TENS, IFC (Interferential Current) or EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation). They will use the same exercises as the chiropractors: specific stretching and strengthening exercises.

They get good results with some primary headaches types and also play a vital role in some of the secondary headache types such as stroke where long periods of rehabilitation are involved.

Specialists There are a wide variety of specialists such as neurosurgeons, radiologists or rheumatologists who may be involved with your headache treatment. Initially they will be involved at the level of ruling out many of the secondary headache types that can be life threatening such as stokes, tumors and infections.

When necessary they will also play a vital role in the treatment of the underlying condition that is causing your headaches.

Unfortunately some patients suffer from headaches where the cause is not completely treatable and they are left with chronic look term pain. A pain management clinic can provide a multidisciplinary approach to help people  manage their pain.

These clinics can include doctors of different specialties as well psychologists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, acupuncturists or massage therapists.

Their treatment can involve medications for pain control councilling and advice on lifestyle changes

Some people don’t need medical intervention at all and respond well to improving their spinal function with chiropractic care combined with lifestyle and diet changes. Others require occasional over the counter (OTC) medications such as aspirin and iboprofun and stress management.  For those with long term severe, pain medication may be required to manage their pain and symptoms.

There many drugs that are used for the treatment for headaches including analgesics such as aspirin and paracetamol based drugs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).

Liniments that are usually made with components of natural medicines and herbs can also help relieve headaches. They are usually available without prescription.

It is important to remember that OTC medications can have both side effects and potential interactions with other prescription medications. This should be checked with your medical practitioner.

With some headaches such as severe migranes or with some of the secondary headches types, prescription medications may be needed to control the symptoms when necessary. Corticosteroids, opiod based drugs, muscle relaxants and antidepressant drugs may be recommended  in these cases.

It is often helpful to keep a headache diary can help you note any patterns or changes in how you feel. stick to healthy habits that will keep you feeling good, like regular exercise, enough sleep, and a healthy diet. Also, make your scheduled follow-up appointments so your doctor can see how you’re doing and make changes in the treatment program if you need them.