Tension headache

Tension headache 1

Tension headaches are the most common type of benign (or primary) headache. They may affect all aspects of a patient’s life, including work, school and home life. Tension headaches may lead to disability, sick leave and lower quality of life. It is defined according to how often the patient experiences them in any given month. If they occur for 14 days or less out of the month, they are called ‘episodic’. If they occur for 15 days or more for more than 3 consecutive months, they’re referred to as ‘chronic’. The cause is still unknown. It is believed that changes in neurotransmitter levels may be a contributing factor.

There are two types of tension headache: episodic and chronic

  • Episodic tension headaches are distinguished by the fact that they occur for fewer than 15 days of the month. They may last between a few hours and a few days. Patients usually report symptoms like something tight being wrapped around their heads or pressure around the head and/or neck. They usually occur on both sides, but may only occur on one side. They vary from light to moderate in intensity and don’t show any of the symptoms seen in migraine.
  • Tension headaches are referred to as chronic when the symptoms persist for 15 days or more in a month over three consecutive months. Due to the moderate to severe intensity of chronic tension headaches, they are more exhausting than just episodic ones. Patients with chronic tension headaches may also experience slight nausea.

At Okto we believe that the combination of high-quality equipment, manual therapy and exercise is the right approach for treating and preventing musculoskeletal pathologies in the cervical segment of the head.

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