Headaches

What are Headaches?

Headache is pain in any region of the head. It may occur on one or both sides of the head. It may be isolated to Man with headache one region of the head or feel like a “vice” squeezing the head. It may appear gradually or suddenly. The headache can be sharp pain or a throbbing ache and may last for a few hours or even days. There are numerous classifications of headaches including, tension, cluster, sinus and chronic headaches and migraines. This list is not exhaustive. There are some more serious types of headache such as tumour formation, but these are relatively rare.

Symptoms

These are dependent on the type of headache, but there are some, which can be common to all types.

Dull aching head pain
The sensation of tightness over the forehead, and/or the back of the head.
Tenderness of the scalp
Increased muscle tone in neck and shoulder muscles.

Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and or sound, throbbing boring head pain. These are dependent on the type of headache.

Self help tips

Stress is a most common headache trigger. These are the every day stresses such as being stuck in traffic, or being late for an appointment, even getting the children ready for school. These daily stresses can’t usually be removed but they can often be managed.

Try to break the stress cycle:

Try to simplify your life. Rather than trying to squeeze everything into a day leave the not so urgent things out. Don’t worry about things that you have no control over.

Try to change your attitude - try putting a positive slant on everyday things.

Work on relaxation. There are numerous formalised ways to do this such as yoga, and meditation. However just a few deep breathing exercises in the day will help. Gentle exercise such as walking. Laughter releases endorphins, which are natural substances in the body, which help you feel better and maintain a positive attitude.

Treatments

Again this will depend on the type and cause of the headache. A large majority of headaches will respond to analgesia such as paracetamol or non steroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen.

Over 70% of women and men experience a tension headache at some time. These will often improve with one of the above medications. A throbbing headache with or without nausea or vomiting may be indicative of migraine. Specific prescription medication from the doctor can help relieve these headaches. For persistent headaches a visit to the doctor to assess the headache is recommended.

Complementary Therapy Treatments

Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, Bowen, Hypnotherapy, Indian Head Massage, Osteopathy and Reiki can be of benefit in reducing the pain of headache. To find out which therapy may be of help to you, contact us at the practice.

Read about how acupuncture can help deal with headaches here.

If you would like further information please contact us here at the Earlsdon Practice by completing the form on our contact page or call us on 02476 691100.