Tension Headache Treatments

Tension-Type Headaches are the most common type of primary headache, according to the International Headache society, and research suggests it can affect 60-86% of the population [1, 2]. WHO reports suggest that Tension-Type Headaches affect a large portion of the population episodically, however 20-30% of sufferers experience more chronic episodes [1].

Characterised by a sensation of tightening, squeezing or pressing around the head, tension headache pain affects both sides of the head at the same time. This sensation has led to the misconception that Tension-Type Headache is caused by muscle tension or muscle contractions around the head and face. Tension headaches are often mild-moderate in severity, and can vary in the length of attacks, as well as their frequency.

At Gold Coast Headache and Migraine Clinic, we expect to observe significant improvement within the first 3 weeks of treatment consultations. We have seen a large number of patients with Tension Headaches improve significantly following our treatment, which is invasive-free, medication-free and surgery-free. Book a consultation today.

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Tension Headache Symptoms:

Tension Headache patients normally describe their head pain as if they were wearing a tight helmet or exercise headband which can become tighter and tighter around their head. Tension headaches are not considered to be accompanied by an overly severe headache pain. The pain can last anywhere between 30 minutes and up to 7 days and the intensity can range from mild to moderate. Vomiting and nausea are not features of tension type headache however patients can have a sensitivity to sound or light.

What are the different types of Tension-Type Headache?

Episodic Tension-Type Headache

Episodic Tension-Type Headaches are defined by the frequency of attacks a person experiences, per month. Typically, a person who has attacks on fewer than 15 days per month, is experiencing Episodic Tension-Type Headaches ^[3]. These headaches tend to peak in the fourth decade of life (30-39 years) in both males and females, with a prevalence of 42% for men and 46% for women of this age. Women, on average, are most likely to experience these types of headache ^[3].

Chronic Tension Headache

Chronic Tension-Type Headache is when attacks are experienced more frequently. If a person experiences attacks on more than 15 days per month, for longer than a three-month period then their condition is classified as chronic tension headaches[1, 3]. As these headaches are more persistent, they can be very debilitating. Sometimes these people can have these headaches for between 10-30 years, and they can become resistant to painkillers.

How Are Tension Headaches Different From Migraines?

People who suffer from Tension-Type Headaches are often wrongly diagnosed as suffering from migraines. The key difference between the two is that Tension-Type headaches are described as a bilateral, tightening or pressing sensation around the head, whereas migraine sufferers describe their attacks as a unilateral, pulsating pain in the head or face. Tension-Type Headaches are often mild-moderate in terms of intensity, and migraines are often more severe.

Also, Tension-Type headaches will generally not get worse with normal activities and exercise, whereas these will aggravate a migraine.

What causes Tension-Type Headaches?

With more modern research, we now know that Tension-Type Headaches are not actually caused by a tightening of muscles around the head. In fact, EMG studies have shown that there is no increase in muscle activity in the head or face in these people at all. More recent studies are starting to identify that people who experience Tension-Type Headaches have some increased sensitisation of pain pathways in the central nervous system and brain stem ^[2].

Modern headache research suggests that Tension-Type Headaches arise from problems in the upper cervical spine (C1-3). These patients have been shown to have an ‘up-regulated’ Trigemino-cervical Nucleus (TCN) as part of a sensitised brain stem ^[3]. This sensitised brainstem then interprets information coming from nerves in the neck incorrectly, sending symptoms around the head. This pain, referred from a sensitised brainstem, is what sufferers of Tension-Type Headache patients are experiencing.

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Tension Headache Treatment

It isn’t uncommon for Tension-Type Headache sufferers to have tried most treatments, therapies, pain relief and preventive medications available, often with very limited success. In fact, being overly reliant on pain medicine can make things worse by bringing about a medication overuse headache.

A big reason why tension headache sufferers do not see effective results from treatments is because most practitioners don’t attempt to identify the cause of your headaches.

At Gold Coast Headache & Migraine Clinic, we use the experience that we have gathered from seeing countless similar patients with Tension-Type Headache, and we utilise the most current and up-to-date research to assess, treat and correctly diagnose your headaches. By assessing the joints in your upper cervical spine and using techniques to determine the level of sensitivity in your brainstem, we can determine if this is the cause of your Tension-Type Headache.

If this is the case, then we can start treatment right then and there. Our treatment technique doesn’t involve any medication or surgery and is completely non-invasive. We expect that 90% of the time, improvement will occur in the first 5 sessions, and our clinic’s results speak for themselves.