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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What are the different types of headaches?

    Related Topics
    Migraines & Headaches Neurology
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    Migraine & Headache Australia

    The mission of Migraine & Headache Australia is to reduce the incidence and impact of the headache disorder through the provision of community awareness and … View Profile

    There are a number of different types of headaches and each person can be affected differently.  It is for this reason that it is important that you consult your doctor for advice.
     
    a.      ‘Normal’ headaches such as goggle headache (excessive nerve stimulation), ice-cream headache, hot-dog headache (food reaction), Chinese restaurant syndrome (reaction to MSG), hangover, marijuana headache, fasting headache, rebound headache, exercise headaches, coital headaches, cough headache and mountain sickness.
    b.      Recurring headaches include tension-type headache, migraine and cluster headache.
    c.      ‘Nerve’ headaches ie produced by direct irritation or compression of the nerves supplying the head, face, or neck such as trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, neuralgia after shingles, atypical face pain, pain from the eye, sinusitis, head pain caused by teeth, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and neck headache
    d.      Muscle-contraction headaches.
    e.      Medication-misuse headaches.
    f.       Head injury headache
    g.      Serious causes of headache such as hydrocephalus, sub-arachnoid haemorrhage, meningitis, encephalitis, brain tumour, cerebral oedema, high blood pressure, stroke, temporal arteritis and benign intracranial hypertension.
     
     

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    Helen Potter

    Physiotherapist

    As a Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, with extensive experience and highly advanced qualifications, as well as excellent communication skills, I can help you to: Become informed … View Profile

    There are also neck related headaches (Cervicogenic) where the joints of the neck, or muscle imbalances related to poor posture, are placing strain on the upper part of your neck. These headaches respond well to specific physiotherapy techniques with postural correction and muscle retraining if needed.
    The most important challenge you have is to get an accurate diagnosis of your headache. Only then can you pick the best treatment.
    Helen Potter Specialist Physiotherapist Subiaco WA

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    Dr Zak Nishanian

    Chiropractor

    Advanced Care Chiropractic is a private practice providing safe, gentle and effective care for conditions such as back and neck pain, migraine headaches, jaw pain, … View Profile

    Diagnosis of the correct headache type is essential before treatment begins.
    The most common types of headaches are migraines, tension, sinus, cluster, and rebound headaches.
    Tension type headaches are by far the most common, affecting about of 75% of all headache sufferers. People describe tension headaches as a constant dull, achy feeling either on one or both sides of the head, and may produce a feeling of a tight band or dull ache around the head or behind the eyes. The cause is generally from neck spinal joints losing their motion and becoming fixated, which then irritate the nerves, causing pain or headaches. This is generally associated with trigger points or very tight muscles around the shoulders and neck, which need to be relieved by soft tissue techniques and stretching. Chiropractic treatment can certainly help these types of headaches using methods such as mobilsation and/or manipulation of spinal joints, and trigger point therapy.

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