tension headache relief

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches. It is estimated that over one’s lifetime anywhere from 30 to 78% of people will experience this type of headache. Interestingly enough, tension headache are also the least studied. Perhaps this is due to earlier beliefs that these headaches were brought on by psychological conditions such as stress and anxiety. Only now is it becoming clear that tension headaches are neurological in nature.

The most current research indicates that tension headaches could be caused by low level activation of migraine. If you have tried everything to cure your tension headaches and yet low level pain in your head and neck persists – consider the migraine alternative.

Infrequent Episodic Tension-Type Headache

This is what the average person thinks of when they think “headache.” Infrequent Episodic Tension Type headaches can last from minutes to days, with pain on both sides of the head. The sensation of pain is usually described as a “tight band” or “pressing” in sensation. Pain levels are usually mild to moderate and the pain is not made worse by regular physical activity like walking or climbing stairs. Nausea is not experienced but sensitivity to light or sound is not uncommon.

Does this sound like you? If so ask yourself:

Do I have these headaches less than once per month?
Do my headaches last 30 min to 7 days?
Do I experience at least two of the following: Do I feel the pain on two sides of my head? Is it a tight pressing pain and not a pulsating sensation? Is my pain mild to moderate? Meaning, can you go about daily tasks if you need to? Is my pain unaffected by physical activity?
Do I have nausea or vomiting? I am sensitive to light or sound but not both.
I know this condition cannot be attributed to other factors.

If your answer to each point is yes, then you are likely experiencing Infrequent Episodic Tension-Type Headache. This type of headache is also frequently accompanied by the feeling of bruised or tender skin on the head, face or neck[1].

Frequent Episodic Tension Type Headache

This essentially the same as Infrequent Episodic Tension-Type Headache except the occurrence rate increases from less than once per month to:

More than one day per month but less than 15 days per month over at least three months.

If this sounds like you, then you likely suffer from Frequent Episodic Tension Type Headaches. Frequent Episodic Tension Type Headaches are also accompanied by sore or sensitive skin in the head, face, or neck.

Chronic Tension Headaches

Chronic tension headaches occur more than 15 days per month, sometimes even daily, for at least three months. Many people note that their frequent episodic headaches evolve into chronic headaches over time. If one experiences a headache daily for at least three days in a row, the term “New daily-persistent headache” may be used. In the cases where chronic tension headaches are suspected, it is important to eliminate any possibility the cause is due to medication overuse which can lead to rebound headaches (this will be described in detail in Chapter 4.) If this is indeed a concern, this condition cannot be diagnosed until medication use has stopped for two months. If at that point all criteria are met, then chronic tension headache can be diagnosed.

Some individuals who experience higher level of pain may also develop symptoms that resemble migraines. Likewise, migraine sufferers also can come to develop frequent tension type headaches. This is useful to note if you are wondering why your headaches vary

Finding Tension Headache Relief

One technique for treating tension headaches is to prevent them altogether. Many people find that their tension headaches can be triggered by stress, fatigue, anxiety, skipping meals, cigarette smoke, lack of sleep/poor quality sleep, bright lights, bad posture, or a neck injury. As you may notice, a lot of these triggers overlap with migraine triggers. This helps support the latest theory that tension headaches may be low level migraine activation. If you are not able to find relief from your tension headaches by reducing stress and improving your workspace ergonomics – consider that migraine may actually be the cause!

Of course, there’s more to relieving tension headaches and preventing migraines than this – to learn more, be sure to sign up for our newsletter!