chronic headache treatment
Read and learn more about chronic headache treatment. For more, visit the Migraine Headache website MyBrainPain.com
Q: Treatment chronic headaches?
Do you suffer from chronic headaches, or do you know someone who has? I believe mine may (possibly, although not certainly) be related to allergies. Any advice from someone who has dealt with headaches, or if you’ve known someone who has been successfully treated, would be appreciated–thanks!
A: I take imitrix for migraines and midrin for tension headaches. I have tried dozens of remedies and those are the only ones that work for me.
Q: Treatment for chronic headaches?
Do you suffer from chronic headaches, or do you know someone who has? I believe mine may (possibly, although not certainly) be related to allergies. Any advice from someone who has dealt with headaches, or if you’ve known someone who has been successfully treated, would be appreciated–thanks!
A: One of first ways to start is with a calender. Write down the days you have headaches, did you wake up with one? What time during the day did you get a headache?
Then go backwards from each day you had a headache.What was the weather like that day. What did you eat, what did you drink, were you wearing perfume, around someone with perfume.
It might take a little while but, you should be able to pin down what your triggers are.
Q: What is the difference between status migrainous, chronic daily headache, and transformed migraines?
I have migraines that seem to go on forever and I don’t react well to treatment. When I’m not having pain, I’m having the other symptoms. I had a headache specialist who said I had Chronic Daily Headache and Migraines. How can I be sure that they’re just regular migraines with chronic daily headaches?
A: I have found the following in the net today as I search on and try to answer your queries;
Below lists some of the major headache types:
* Migraine
* Muscle Contraction Headache/Acute Tension Type Headache
* Chronic Daily Headache
* Cluster Headache
* Ice Pick/Ice Cream Headache
* Sinister Headache: Meningitis/Subarachnoid Haemorrhage/Cranial Arteritis
* Facial Headache: Acute Sinusitis, Post Herpetic Neuralgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Temporomandibular Joint
Today, despite the toll headaches still take on millions of people around the world, we have made enormous progress in treating them. New medications, combined with nondrug therapies, are preventing, stopping or managing some of the toughest headaches around.
Tension headache
Tension headache is the most common type of headache. Two out of three people will have at least one tension headache in their lifetime.
Sinus headaches: Sinus headaches are associated with a deep and constant pain in the cheekbones, forehead or bridge of the nose.
Ice-cream headache
Eating something very cold can cause a sharp pain in the middle of your forehead or over one temple. People who get migraines may be more likely to get an ice-cream headache — so-named because it comes on immediately after eating ice-cream.
Migraine headache
Three times as many women (15 per cent) as men (5 per cent) suffer from migraine, and hormones are thought to play a significant role.
Cluster headache
Cluster headaches are relatively uncommon and tend to mainly affect men.
Vascular headaches
Vascular headaches are related to blood vessels; includes migraines and cluster headaches.
Secondary headaches
A secondary headache is a side effect of another disorder.
Hormone headache
Some women experience severe headaches including migraines at times when their hormones fluctuate, for example, around the time of their period each month or around the time of ovulation.
Chronic progressive headaches
Also called traction or inflammatory headaches, chronic progressive headaches get worse and happen more often over time.
Eye strain headache
If you have visual problems that have not been addressed by prescription glasses or contact lenses, you can get an eye strain headache, which typically causes pain and a weighty feeling around the eyes.
Temporo-mandibular joint headache
Some people may get muscle tension and pain related to a disorder of the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ), the joint just in front of each ear, where your jaw bone connects to your skull.
Acute headaches
Seen in children, these are headaches that occur suddenly and for the first time and have symptoms that subside after a relatively short period of time.
Mixed headache syndrome
Also called transformed migraines, this is a combination of migraine and tension headaches. Both adults and children experience this type of headache.
Q: Prophylactic headache treatment?
im 18, suffer from fibromyalgia, and my worst symptoms are daily headaches, that disrupt my life. i have a problem. i cant swallow ANY pills. everytime i try, i fail. im DEATHLY afraid of chokin, and nothing will change that. for headaches, i always take childrens motrin in liquid and i finish a bottle in a week. does anyone know any type of injections ( i dont mind them) or liquid medications a doctor can prescribe for chronic headache. maybe i can mention it to them. thanks
A: Reducing tour table sugar intake might perhaps help as white sugar or refined sugar can cause headaches. Foods loaded with the killer sugar sucrose (table sugar) include desserts, ice cream, chocolate, cakes, cookies and biscuits and many others. See item 71 in http://www.rheumatic.org/sugar.htm .
Q: tension headache treatment?
I suffer from chronic tension headaches. I have seen a neaurologist and they said I have a bulging disk in my neck. Also I have recently had a car accident and was in a halo for 3 months, so have arthritis on top of that. I get prescribed pain medicine but it doesnt always seem to work. I would love some feedback from other sufferer’s on what works for them. I have tried many prescriptions and few have worked. I also get migraines at least once a month. Thank you for your time!
A: Botox on the forehead just worked for my wife.
Q: Headaches – Would/have you gone to a Massage Therapist for treatment of a headache?
Have you ever experienced chronic headaches or migraines or other bad headaches and gone to have a massage to treat it? Maybe for TMJ conditions?
If so – do you remember where in your head (or face or neck) you felt the headache?
Do you recall what sorts of techniques or treatments they performed?
Was it helpful? Would you go again?
What made you think to go have a massage? Did anyone refer you or was it your idea?
I’m a massage therapy student and wondering about the public’s general awareness or perception of massage treatment in the arena of headaches & migraines.
Thanks!
Anne – sorry for the “lingo” 
T.M.J. = Temporal-Mandibular Joint
Basically, where your jaw meets your skull… the axis that allows you to open and close your mouth. A lot of people have troubles with the muscles allowing this movement or with the joint parts themselves (articular disc & ligaments, etc.). It’s the cause of a lot of headaches!
A: I’m a MT student too. We learned about headache treatment last semester. Not sure if your school is teaching you TMJ disorder treatment (inside the mouth), but if it doesn’t make you queasy and you won’t cover it in school, I highly recommend continuing education if you’re thinking about specializing in headache care. You can market yourself to local orthodontists and dentists, because TMJ disorder is one of those chronic conditions for which treatment is often elusive.
Several years ago, I had one massage when I was just starting to get a migraine aura (often triggered by TMJ for me) and I told the MT about it. She spent lots of extra time working fascial tissue in my face, as well as around my TMJ, although she didn’t work inside the mouth. I left there and never did get the migraine that I was sure was imminent.
I never made the correlation until last semester when we discussed headache treatment. Now, I ask my classmates for a head massage when I have a headache.
Q: Has anyone had real results from wearing hematite jewelry for chronic pain treatment?
I suffer from daily neck and shoulder pain and almost constant headaches. I’ve heard some people swear by wearing hematite beaded jewelry which I think has magnetic properties or something that is supposed to help with preventing or treating the pain. Just wondered if it really worked?
A: I don’t see any reason to believe that, but it may be pretty serious what you’re having, how long are you having this?
You should really see a doctor as soon as possible.
Q: Does anyone know any effective treatment/Med for Chronic tension headaches?
Accompanied by TMJ..
A: If we offered you a miracle remedy that cures “Headaches/Migraine Headaches” would you buy it? Certainly you would. You won’t find it in a Pharmacy but at the Grocery Store.
Try the Natural Cures for Headaches/Migraine Headaches.
The common causes of headaches are allergy, emotional reasons, eyestrain, high blood pressure, hangover, infection, low blood sugar, nutritional deficiency, tension, the presence of poisons and toxins in the body, and migraine. Allergy is an often-unsuspected cause of headache, vary in different individuals. The foods to which some people are allergic and which can trigger headaches are milk and milk products, chocolates, chicken liver, alcohol, and strong cheese. Sneezing and diarrhoea are further indications of an allergy.
Intense emotions often cause headaches. Many people who outwardly appear to have a pleasant disposition may actually be simmering about a job, or may bear resentment towards a person or something. This hidden hostility may manifest itself as headache. It is important, therefore, that negative feelings should not be bottled up, but should find some safe means of expressions.
Eyestrain is a common cause of headache. In such cases, an eye specialist should be consulted and proper treatment taken. Simple eye exercises such as moving the eyes up and down and from side to side, palming, rotating the head, with neck outstretched, forward and backward three times, then thrice clockwise and thrice anti-clockwise, can relieve eye-strain. High blood pressure can cause pounding headaches. The headache usually starts at the back of the head on getting up in the morning. A safe method of treatment for this is to immerse your legs to calf-level in a tub of hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. This draws the blood away from the head and down to the feet, giving relief from the headache.
Many people get a severe headache after consuming alcohol in excess. Alcohol causes the blood vessels to swell, resulting in a painful headache. The best treatment for this is to avoid excessive consumption of alcohol. A hangover headache can be avoided by taking a vitamin B-1 (thiamine) tablet with the drink.
Headaches may occur if there is an infection, such as a cold, virus and fever. Here, it is the infection that should be tackled. Vitamin C therapy is the best all round method. For a cold, high doses of vitamin C should be taken at hourly intervals with the appearance of the first symptoms like a sore throat, runny nose, etc. Vitamin C has worked miracles, and is considered a natural antibiotic.
Low blood sugar is one of the causes of irritability and headache. Sugar is not a cure for low blood sugar, though it may raise the blood sugar temporarily and make one feel better for a while. Low blood sugar is the result of an abused pancreas which over stimulates the production of insulin in the body. It can be controlled by eating smaller meals at short intervals rather than the standard three large meals daily. The intake of carbohydrates should be cut down to the minimum and coffee should be eliminated as it over stimulates the pancreas.
A lack of iron, resulting in anaemia, is a common cause of headache. The headache sometimes appears before the onset of anaemia, due to a chronic iron deficiency. Brewer’s yeast is an excellent source of iron and anaemia can easily be prevented by taking a few teaspoons daily. Headache can also be brought on due to the deficiency of B vitamins, namely pantothenic acid, B-1 (thiamine) , B-12 and B-6 ( pyridoxine) and can be cured by taking these vitamins.
B-complex range to one’s diet in some form such as Brewer’s yeasts, liver, wheat germ, etc., otherwise too much of one factor can throw the other factors into imbalance, resulting in other problems. Actually, the entire B complex group itself serves as protection against headaches, including migraine.
Tension headaches are probably the most common of all, and are caused by emotional conflicts which result in stress. Stress causes the muscles of the shoulder, neck and scalp to tense unconsciously. Persons who are irritable, tense and lose their temper quickly usually get this type of headache. It increases gradually and passes off with the release of tension. One should try to relieve the stress which produces the headache.
Poisons and toxins admitted into the body through food, beverages and water, as well as through breathing, polluted air, can cause any number of disturbances. A headache may be the first warning that a poison has entered the body. Additives in foods and in many cases, cosmetics, skin and hair products are also serious offenders in bringing on headaches. In addition, there are toxic air contaminants which are too numerous to mention.
Migraine Headache: Migraine is an ancient and formidable malady. It bothered such distinguished persons as Caesar and Freud. It has assumed alarming proportions under modern conditions of living and is now believed to afflict about 10% of the world’s population.
Migraine can be defined as a paroxysmal affection, accompanied by severe headache, generally on one side of the head and associated with disorders of the digestion, the liver and the vision. It usually occurs when a person is under great mental tension or has suddenly got over that state. Migraine is also known as “sick headache” because nausea and vomiting occasionally accompany the excruciating pain which lasts for as long as three days. Migraine usually gives warning before it strikes: black spots or a brilliant zigzag line appears before the eyes or the patient has blurring of vision or has part of his vision blanked out. When the headache occurs, the patient may feel tingling, numbness, or weakness in an arm or leg.
Migraine sufferers have what is known as a “migrainous personality”. They are compulsive workers and perfectionists, who feel that they have to do everything right away. When they complete a task, they are suddenly laid down from a state of temporary tension to a feeling of utmost relief. Then comes the migraine. It is a purely physiological process. The head and neck muscles, reacting to continuous stress, become overworked. The tightened muscles squeeze the arteries and reduce blood flow. When a person relaxes suddenly, the constricted muscles expand, stretching the walls of the blood vessel. With every heart beat, the blood being pushed through this vessels expands them further and causes incredible pain.
When a headache strikes, one should stay on one’s feet in the daytime and do simple chores which do not require too much concentration or walk, move around and get some fresh air. The best remedy to prevent headaches is to build up physical resistance through proper nutrition, exercise and constructive thinking. As a first step, the patient should undertake a short fast. During the fast, citrus fruit juices, diluted with water may be taken six times daily. By taking the load of digestion, the patient will at once save nervous energy which can be utilised for more important purposes. The blood and lymph will also be relieved of a great burden. After a short fast, the diet should be fixed in such a way as to put the least possible strain on the digestion. Breakfast should consist of fruits, both fresh and dried. Lunch should consist largely of protein foods. Starchy foods such as whole wheat bread, cereals, rice or potatoes should be taken at dinner along with raw salads. Spices, tomatoes, sour buttermilk and oily foodstuffs should be avoided. Drinking a glass of water (warm water in winter and cool water in summer) mixed with a teaspoonful of honey the first thing in the morning, is also a good remedy.
Water Treatment: There are certain water applications which help relieve headaches. Copious drinking of water can help, as do the cleansing enema with water temperature at 98.6 o F, the hot foot bath, a cold throat pack, frequent applications of towels wrung out from very hot water to the back of the neck, a cold compress at 40 degrees to 60 degrees F applied to the head and face or an alternate spinal compress. Hot fomentations over the abdominal region just before retiring relieve headaches due to stomach and liver upsets.
Yogic kriyas like jalneti and kunjal, pranayamas like anuloma-viloma, shitali and sitkari and asanas such as uttanapadasana, sarvangasana, paschimottanasana, halasana, and shavasana are useful in the treatment of headaches.
Hope this helps, Good Luck.
Q: Chronic Headaches – Treatments?
I’m seventeen and I’ve had chronic headaches for over a year.
I’ve tried every over the counter pain killer, nose spray, allergy medication, sinus decongestant, cough syrup.
I’ve also tried several kinds of prescription painkillers, anti-anxiety medication (prescribed to me, of course). I’ve also tried anti-depressants, anti-convulsants (topamax and such).
I’ve tried herbal remedies such as homeopathic drops and tablets.
I’ve tried teas, I’ve tried aromatherapy, I’ve tried massage, and joint re-alignments.
I’ve had an MRI.
I changed out my pillows, I wash my bedding frequently, I run both an air purifier and a humidifier in my room.
I do not smoke, drink or use drugs recreationally.
My headaches are worse both when it rains, or when I first start my period for the month.
The pain is in my temples, around my eyes/eye sockets, behind my eyes, it radiates from my scalp, sometimes it goes down into my jaw, and it hurts into the back of my head and from there into my neck and upper back.
When the headaches are really bad, I see spots (both lightly colored, as though you’ve been staring at a bright light before looking away, and then darker spots that seem to splinter out in all directions like spiders.)
Does anyone have any medication suggestions or anything that could possibly help my headaches? Thank you for your time!
A: I used to have the same problem, well actually still do, I asked the pharmacist and her recommendation was to take one no doze or generic equivelant and two aleve. Since I’ve started this my headaches are gone in about ten or so minutes. The high dose of caffeine make the blood vessels in the brain stop throbbing. I can’t promise it’ll work for everyone, but it has for my husband and I and my aunt who suffered from migraines for years.
Q: Side effects of Chronic myeloid Leakeumia treatment?
I have been on Imatanib tablets for the above conidtion for two months now and I am finding that I am constantly, overwhelmingly tired all the time. I have a permanent headache and the muscle in my cheek is always twitching.
Does this sound like it is side effects from the drug or symptoms of the disease please?
A: Generally, imatanib is fairly well tolerated, and muscle pains are the usual complaint, so that may account for the muscle twitches, but patients are usually sore, not twitchy.
Are your blood counts low? Are your other laboratory tests okay? A few simple blood tests might help you out, here. Please contact your doctor, either through the nurse or a same-day appointment, or even fax/e-mail a list of your symptoms to the office. Maybe just going to the emergency room would get you some much-needed relief, and they can run lab work for your AML doc and do consultation with him/her by phone.
Please let me stress how important it is for you to have a very good relationship with your AML doctor. Don’t hold back when it comes to “inconveniencing” the doctor. They chose this profession and you pay them to take care of your needs. If you have questions, remember they work for you, and you need them answered.
My best to you.
Q: Chronic Pain Treatment?
I have chronic h/a. I never go to the e.r. unless I just cannot handle the pain. It has to be really unbearable. The staff treats me as if I am trying to go for the drugs. They have no compassion. It is like I have to have a protruding broken limb ot severe bleeding.. They will not look at my previous record. They also said the e.r. doesnot treat chronic pain. I have even had one doctor come into the room and told me that she had forgotten that I was there. My pain is real, Why do they treat me as such? I have a pain management physicianHe told me to go to the e.r. I hate to go to the e.r. That created my headache to worsen. This is a small community hospital that claims to be there and manage pain. Is there any way that I can overcome the personal insulting that results from my pain treatment.Why do they have to be so noncaring. I have reported this but they donot take my disease seriously. I have even felt like I cannot take the pain anymore.If you suffer chronic pain, I am sorry?
A: Next time you visit your Physician, ask him for a referral to a Pain Clinic in a larger town or teaching Hospital. Treatment is available for chronic pain. Acupuncture may help you too. Insurance does not cover acupuncture in most States.
Q: What is the most efficacious treatment for migraine headaches?
Migraine headaches is the biggest source of chronic pain. There is however a very thin line of distinction between Cervicogenic, Migraine and Tension headaches. I reckon drugs are the first line of defence however do other forms of treatment like physiotherapy help at all .
A: to be honest, i dont know about physiotherapy. i suffered from migraines for years until i was refered to a “headache specialist”, not a “neurologist”, but a headache specialist, after my initial consultation, she felt that my migraines were caused by a vitamin deficiency, she ordered tests, and sure enough, B12 deficient.
ever since then, i take 1000 mcg of B12 every day and have not even had so much as a hint of a headache since then.
it might be something worth checking out for you.
Q: Where could I find support for cluster headaches?
I suffer from chronic cluster headaches. Treatment helps a lot, but they are still very bad. I’ve tried contacting other “clusterheads” to talk to for support on websites like “clusterheads.com”, “O.U.C.H.”, but no one responded. Is there any body else who suffers from these?
A: go to yahoo groups, i am sure you can find a support group there
Q: Should i be upfront with my doctor that i self medicated with pain meds prior to seeking treatment for pain?
I have had chronic headaches since i was nine… I don’t want him to treat me differently… Narcotics are the only thing that work (i have tried anything you can name) I am addicted to nothing, I haven’t taken pain rx’s for a couple of years but i can’t live like this anymore, it’s seek treatment, or suicide. I’ve given myself one year to find treatment for my chronic headaches. My wife is going to help dole out my medication if it is prescribed it will be kept in a safe, should we even tell this doctor or will it make him scared i am a liability…
A: The best thing to do is to let your doctor know your past history, including your own attempts at self-medication, so that s/he is aware of the severity of your pain. It would also let him know what has worked for you in the past (and what doesn’t!) and will allow the doctor to rule out certain options of treatment, instead of starting from the beginning, where you may already know will not work. The chronic pains you may be experiencing could be the result of a treatable condition, and you may be referred to several specialists, including a pain management physician for your pain. So, in the end, it’s a good way to catch the doctor up. Health care professionals are not supposed to judge people they are caring for, so I don’t worry about that. Hopefully, this will alleviate any anxiety you may have about telling your story.
Q: How to relieve tension headaches?
I have frequent-chronic tension headaches. OTC treatments don’t often work for me. Is there anything anything else I could do to treat the headaches, holistically or otherwise?
A: http://www.wikihow.com/Relieve-a-Tension-Headache this website may help i hope anyway
