Headaches
Headaches account for 1-4% of all emergency department (ED) visits and are in the top most common reasons for a patient to consult a physician. According to one study, Life long prevalence of headache was postulated to be 96% with a female predominance. 3% of the world population suffers from Chronic Headache which is defined as headache lasting more than 3 months. Many a times these Chronic headaches are misdiagnosed as migraine and patients are started on medications which do not provide them adequate relief. Diagnosing the type of headache and understanding the cause behind it is very important in effective treatment of this condition. We at JEEVISHA specialize in treatment of these non-remitting chronic headaches.
According to the International classification of Headache disorders, Headache is classified into:
- Migraine
- Tension type Headache
- Cluster Headache
- Short lasting neuralgiform headaches
- Paroxysmal hemicrania
- Hemicrania continua
1) Primary Headaches: These are Headaches where no known underlying cause is found. Over 90% of patients who come to doctors have a primary headache disorder. The postulated pathophysiology behind these headaches is activation and sensitization of trigeminal nociceptors which are located at the meninges and the meningeal vessels.Other postulated theory is regarding dysbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic neural system which causes cranial-autonomic symptoms in some headache diseases
Types of Primary Headaches:
- Infections
- Post-traumatic Headaches
- Vascular diseases
- Brain tumor
- Secondary to eye problems, ear problems, sinusitis, Temporo-mandibular joint dysfunctions, cervicogenic headaches, Drug consumption or its withdrawal
- Cranial neuralgia like Trigeminal neuralgia
- Drug overuse Headache
2) Secondary headaches: Any condition causing traction on or inflammation of pain sensitive structures around the brain produces these headaches called as Secondary headaches.
Some of the causes of secondary headaches are:
Headaches treated at our centre are:
Migraine
Migraine is a type of Primary headache which is characterized by throbbing or pulsatile pain, usually on one side of the head.
Tension type headache
Tension type headache accounts for 40% of total headaches. It is not as severe as migraine but far more common.
Cluster headache
Cluster headache is also called as the Suicide headache because of the very severe intensity orbital, supra-orbital.
Cervicogenic headache
Cervicogenic headache is a type of secondary headache in which the pathology resides in the neck structures and pain starts in neck and radiates
JEEVISHA Protocol for management of Headaches :
Management of headache starts with conservative management which includes
- Lifestyle modification: Lifestyle related issues are one of the most important trigger factors implicated in precipitation of headache attacks. These include
- Stress at work or home
- Random meal times/ skipping meals
- Inadequate sleep
- Lack of physical activity
- Excess screen time on mobiles or laptops
- Medications: There are two type of medications which
are prescribed to the patients of primary headaches specially Migraine
- Abortive: which helps to stop the current attack of headache
- Preventive: which prevents the attack of migraine in the future
Lifestyle modification, thus, becomes an important factor that needs to be addressed before starting any other treatment. At JEEVISHA, you are guided and taught various Stress management techniques that helps you get over these obstacles with ease.
Targeted treatment:
If Conservative treatments fails to provide relief to the patients then they are advicedInterventional Pain Management procedures.
- Sphenopalatine ganglion block/ Radiofrequency ablation
- Stellate ganglion block/ Radiofrequency ablation
- Greater Occipital or Lesser Occipital nerve block/ Pulsed Radiofrequency ablation
- Third Occipital nerve block/ Radiofrequency ablation
- Botox injection Therapy