subject: Symptoms Tension Headaches - Physiotherapy Treatment [print this page] What exactly is a tension headache? Tension headaches affect more people than any other type of headache, and yet its causes are among the least well understood. Symptoms often exist within a wide range, from moderate discomfort to serious pain. Symptoms are often described as a sensation of tightness or pressure around the forehead, back of the head and sides of the head. The pain is generally described as dull and aching. There can also be associated tenderness in the scalp and occasionally patients report a lack of appetite.
Symptoms of tension headaches can also range in their duration very considerably. Some tension headaches last only 20 to 30 minutes, while others can persists for several days. And these symptoms can be fleeting, occurring only every so often, or persistent, occurring frequently. Chronic tension headaches are defined as those that occur more than half of the days in a month for three months. Otherwise, they are defined as episodic. A high incident of episodic tension headaches can be indicative of future chronic tension headaches.
Tension headaches are often confused with migraines, with the chief difference being that tension headaches are not usually associated with visual disturbances, like bright lights and blind spots, and other migraine symptoms, such as nausea, weakness on one side of the body, and slurred speech. Tension headaches are also not generally made worse by physical activity, which is the case with migraines.
The causes of tension headaches are not well understood, but recent research is pointing to changes in brain chemistry that set into motion pain pathways and inhibits the brain's ability to block pain. Other known triggers of the condition include stress, anxiety, depression, jaw clenching, and poor posture.
These headaches are more common in women, with about 90 percent of all women reporting these headaches at some point in their lives; about 70 percent of men will experience them. The headaches tend to reach their zenith for people in the 40s, though they can affect people of all ages.
It is a good idea, when consulting with a medical professional, to have a list of issues to discuss during your appointment. For example, write down your symptoms and any symptoms that are contemporaneous. Track the duration and severity of the symptoms. Communicate about any recent major stressors in your life, and make sure your doctor knows about any medications you are taking. Finally, make a list of questions for your doctor, including questions about the types of headaches you are experiencing, treatments, and preventatives steps you can consider.
Doctors might recommend undergoing an MRI or CT scan to ascertain potential causes of the symptoms.
Chronic Tension Headache Treatment
Treatments can take a wide range, from taking a warm shower to taking an over the counter pain reliever, such as Tylenol, Advil and Motrin. Sometimes combination of medications are recommended. In these cases, sedatives are given along with certain over the counter remedies. A small population will experience both migraines and tension headaches; tripan might be prescribed for these people.
It is important to remember that pain medications do not solve the problem that causes the headache, and pain relievers can lose their effectiveness over time, and they can, oddly, even cause headaches. For this reason, over the counter pain medications should not be used for more than 10 days in a row.
Rest, massage, long hot showers are also recommended for those with tension headaches.
Frequent headache sufferers might be prescribed medications that help prevent the headaches. Preventative medication can take up to several weeks to start showing affect. Acute pain relievers should be reduced (ideally eliminated) during the up to two months it can take for these preventatives to take effect. Caffeine should also be eliminated.
Stress management, therapy and antidepressants might also be recommended. Non traditional approaches include acupuncture. Tension headache sufferers are also encouraged to maintain good body posture.
Biofeedback is also sometimes recommended for people who suffer from chronic tension headaches.
Because chronic pain can set into motion a string of its own complications, those who suffer from chronic tension headaches are often benefited by various types of psychological counseling and psychotherapy. Chronic pain affects many areas of life, and having support for the stress associated with those effects is very beneficial to many. Job performance often also can be impacted by these headaches, and in some cases, resources are available to help sufferers work with employers.
Summary
Tension headaches will affect most people at some point in their adult lives. For most people, these episodes of the dull achy pain associated with the headaches will be short and infrequently. But for some people, the pain is severe, the episodes are long, and they come with great frequency. For these chronic sufferers of tension headaches, there is a variety of possible courses that can be taken to reduce the symptoms, and even prevent the recurrence of future issues. Many patients avail themselves of a broad range of treatments, and mix both traditional western medical practices with holistic medical practices. And many also benefit from counseling that is aimed to help patients manage both the stress that can cause the headaches and the stress that can be caused by the headaches.
