- Disease
- Tension-type Headache
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- Low Back Pain
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- Health Care Professional
Tension-type Headache
Headache disorders are among the most common disorders of the nervous system. It is has been estimated that almost half of the adult have had a headache at least once within a year. There are many types of headache disorders and the most common primary headache disorder is Tension-type headache or TTH1. It has been called by various names over the years, including muscle contraction headache, psychomyogenic headache, stress headache, and psychogenic headache2. TTH is often to occur about three-quarters of the general population, and sometimes during the teenage years, affecting three women to every two men1,2.
This headache is described as a pressure or tightness, often like a band around the head and sometimes spread along the neck and can last from 30 minutes to 7 days. The pain is generally mild to moderate and is not worse with routine physical activity. People who suffer from TTH are able to continue their daily activities without any interference1,2.
TTH is not associated with typical debilitating migraine symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, photo, and phonophobia3. It may be associated with tenderness of the pericranial (head and neck) muscles, particularly with increased frequency of tension-type headache attacks2.
There are three types of TTH2:
- 1. Infrequent episodic, which occur one or fewer episodes per month,
- 2. Frequent episodic, which occur between 1 to 15 episodes per month for one to three months, and
- 3. Chronic tension, which occur more than 15 episodes per month for three or more months. There may be mild nausea with this type of TTH
There are no diagnostic tests to confirm tension-type headache. Diagnosis is accomplished by reviewing the patient’s personal and family medical history, studying their symptoms, and conducting an examination2.
To treat TTH, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be an option to relieve the symptoms2. Besides that, muscle relaxant also can be an option to relieve the headache since TTH is associated with pericranial muscle contraction4.
References
1. World Health Organization. Headache Disorder. (Update 2016 April 8; Cited 2018 June 6) Available from https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/understanding-migraine/tension-type-headache/
2. American Migraine Foundation. Tension-type Headache. (Update 2016, August 8; Cited 2018 June 6) Available from https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/understanding-migraine/tension-type-headache/
3. Jensen, R. Tension-Type Headache – The Normal and Most Prevalent Headache. American Headache Society. 2017
4. Sheng- Yuan, et.al. The Effect and Safety of Eperisone HCL on Tension-Type Headache with Abnormal Cervical Vertebra. Chinese Journal of Pain Medicine. 2005; 11(6)
