A tension headache is the most common type of a headache. At Welling Homeopathy speciality clinics for headaches, we advice more than 10,000 patients with headaches every year. And the majority of them are migraine and tension headaches. Our specially formulated homeopathy treatment for headaches can cure tension headaches completely.
Meet our specialists today for a detailed assessment of tension headaches.
Recent international studies have shown the average prevalence as 36% for men and 42% for women. Tension-type headaches are the most common form of a headache, occurring in about three-quarters of the general population. They can range from the occasional mild headache to daily disabling headaches in some cases.
Tension-type headaches have been called by various names over the years, including a tension headache, stress headache, ordinary headache, essential headache, idiopathic headache, and psychogenic headache. Of those names, only “tension headaches” is still fairly frequently used.
As you can see from the names that a tension-type headache has been known by, it was at one time thought that the cause of a tension-type headache was primarily psychological, caused by the mind or emotions. There have now been studies that strongly suggest a physical (neurobiological) cause.
Symptoms of Tension Headache
Tension headache (TTH) is usually described as a pain that feels like a tight band around your head or a weight on top of it. Your neck or shoulder muscles may also hurt along with a headache. The pain can last from 30 minutes to several days or may be continuous.
A tension-type headache can develop into a chronic tension-type headache when it becomes more disabling.
Differences between a tension headache and a migraine
If you have TTH, it will produce a mild to moderate pain whereas the pain of a migraine can reach disabling severity. Normal movement during everyday activities shouldn’t make TTH worse, unlike a migraine, which can be aggravated by movement.
There is an overlap in the triggers of a migraine and TTH, as both may be brought on by stress or tiredness. Head and neck movements are important triggers in patients with TTH whereas hunger and odour were significantly common triggers in a migraine.
Common Treatment for Tension Headache
Obviously removing the cause of headaches would be the best treatment. Over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen, aspirin, paracetamol and naproxen are commonly used to treat TTH and remain the mainstay of treatment for TTH. It shouldn’t be necessary to take stronger medications. Using painkillers more than twice a week, however, can increase the risk of TTH developing into a chronic daily headache. This occurs when ‘rebound headaches’ form as each dose of medication wears off and is especially common if the painkillers contain caffeine or codeine.
Psychological factors affecting your headaches are hard to tackle. You may find it helpful to learn relaxation techniques and avoid stressful situations as much as possible. If you find you can’t reduce, or even identify the causes of stress in your life, that may be triggering your headaches, you may find it beneficial to seek help from a Welling Homeopathy specialist.
Homeopathic treatment of a Tension Headache
Visit Welling Homeopathy Clinics today for a detailed assessment of tension headache and to discuss our specially formulated homeopathy treatment of tension headache.