Headaches are often misunderstood and the wrong treatment is not given. Understanding their duration, intensity, or symptoms are important in treating them.
1. General
Not all sudden headaches are migraines, there are several types of headaches. There are Chronic headaches and acute (spontaneous) headaches.
Chronic headache is defined as a headache that has been known and familiar to the patient for at least 3 months.
Migraines, tension headaches, pseudotumor cerebral, and cluster headache are the most common types of headache.
2. Difference in duration
Migraines last between 4 to 72 hours. Tension headaches last from 30 minutes to 1 week. Pseudotumor in the brain lasts between 2 weeks and up to 6 months. Cluster pain can last between 15 to 180 minutes and appear up to 8 times a day.
3.Features
Tension headaches are not medically diagnosed because they are caused by muscle tension. The pain is usually on both sides of the skull and is not particularly severe.
Pseudotumor in the brain is characterized by an increase in intracranial pressure, without imaging evidence of the process occupying the intracranial space or of a disorder of cerebral venous drainage.
4. Treatment
There are treatments that can ease symptoms or reduce the number and intensity of attacks. But there is not yet one that fully treats migraines.
Clusters also have no definitive treatment but only supportive treatments such as steroid or calcium channel blockers.
For pseudotumor cerebral the best treatment is weight loss, overweight people are usually the most affected and losing weight makes the symptoms disappear in the majority of cases.
Treatment for tension headaches will be based on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants.
5.Role of the therapist
For each of these headaches an Osteopath can considerably reduce the symptoms with regular treatments (once or twice a month). Migraines which are due to contractions of the blood vessels in the brain can be lessened through improved blood flow through work on the base of the skull and the nervous system.
Cluster pain can be reduced by working on the muscles of the eyes and neck muscle tension.
Work on the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system also makes it possible to calm the patient and reduce the time of seizures.
Tension headaches are due to muscle tension and can be treated with massage and osteopathic treatment of the upper back, neck and pelvic rebalancing. Finally, cerebral pseudotumors must be accompanied by lymphatic drainage and manual treatment of the liver and stomach during weight loss.
Headaches are often misunderstood and the wrong treatment is not given. Understanding their duration, intensity, or symptoms are important in treating them.
1. General
Not all sudden headaches are migraines, there are several types of headaches. There are
Chronic headaches and acute (spontaneous) headaches.
Chronic headache is defined as a headache that has been known and familiar to the patient for at least 3 months.
Migraines, tension headaches, pseudotumor cerebral, and cluster headache are the most common types of headache.
2. Difference in duration
Migraines last between 4 to 72 hours. Tension headaches last from 30 minutes to 1 week. Pseudotumor in the brain lasts between 2 weeks and up to 6 months. Cluster pain can last between 15 to 180 minutes and appear up to 8 times a day.
3. Features
Migraines are usually accompanied by sensitivity to light and noise. They often force one to get into bed in the dark and quiet. An “aura” can appear before the attack and prevent pain.
Cluster is a particularly strong headache, which manifests as recurring attacks on one side of the head, usually in the eye area. Often described by patients as the worst pain they have ever experienced.
Tension headaches are not medically diagnosed because they are caused by muscle tension. The pain is usually on both sides of the skull and is not particularly severe.
Pseudotumor in the brain is characterized by an increase in intracranial pressure, without imaging evidence of the process occupying the intracranial space or of a disorder of cerebral venous drainage.
4. Treatment
There are treatments that can ease symptoms or reduce the number and intensity of attacks. But there is not yet one that fully treats migraines.
Clusters also have no definitive treatment but only supportive treatments such as steroid or calcium channel blockers.
For pseudotumor cerebral the best treatment is weight loss, overweight people are usually the most affected and losing weight makes the symptoms disappear in the majority of cases.
Treatment for tension headaches will be based on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants.
5. Role of the therapist
For each of these headaches an Osteopath can considerably reduce the symptoms with regular treatments (once or twice a month). Migraines which are due to contractions of the blood vessels in the brain can be lessened through improved blood flow through work on the base of the skull and the nervous system.
Cluster pain can be reduced by working on the muscles of the eyes and neck muscle tension.
Work on the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system also makes it possible to calm the patient and reduce the time of seizures.
Tension headaches are due to muscle tension and can be treated with massage and osteopathic treatment of the upper back, neck and pelvic rebalancing. Finally, cerebral pseudotumors must be accompanied by lymphatic drainage and manual treatment of the liver and stomach during weight loss.