What You Should Know About Tension-Type Headache

What You Should Know About Your Tension-Type Headache How would I know if my headaches are What should I do? tension-type? • Use a ‘headache diary’ to monitor your headache • If your headaches are not migraines (see the patterns and learn what might be causing your migraine info sheet*), are ‘episodic’ (occur some headaches or making them worse (‘triggers’). days and not others), do not come with nausea, • Adjust your lifestyle to avoid headache triggers and have 2 or more of the following features, you such as stress, poor sleep, missing meals, probably have tension-type headaches: uncomfortable positions, poor posture, eyestrain, o are on both sides of your head and taking pain medications too often. o are not pulsing or throbbing • Learn and use stress management skills are of mild to moderate intensity o • For more information on other ‘self-management’ are not worsened by physical activity o strategies, see the self-management info sheet • Although the intensity of tension-type headaches and/or the full brochure.* are usually mild or moderate, they can be severe. • Sometimes tension-type headaches occur more Should I take pain medications for my than 15 days a month and can come with mild tension-type headaches? nausea. These headaches are called ‘chronic • Everyone is different. You may need to try several tension-type headaches’. medicines before you are satisfied with the results (pain intensity reduced to mild or no pain). Facts about tension-type headaches • Over-the-counter medications such as ASA (e.g., • They can often be managed without going to your Aspirin®), acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol®), ibuprofen doctor. (e.g., Advil® or Motrin®), and naproxen sodium can • They can often be treated with over-the-counter be effective, particularly for mild or moderate medications, and prevented with lifestyle changes. tension-type headaches, but should NOT be taken 15 or more days a month. When should I get professional help for my • tension-type headaches? Muscle relaxants, narcotics, and migraine-specific medications known as triptans are NOT • If you have a new severe headache, or if your usual recommended. headache changes and is more severe. • More is NOT necessarily better. Using too many • If your headaches are not well-controlled by your headache medications may cause a headache type current treatments. called ‘medication-overuse headache’. • If you become pregnant or are breastfeeding and are taking headache medications. Can tension-type headaches be prevented or cured? Who can help me? • While there is no known cure for tension-type • Your family doctor is trained to assess and treat the headaches, there are both medical and non-medical common forms of headache, including tension-type. treatments that reduce how often they occur and • Neurologists are trained to assess the less how bad they are. common types of headache, and to help treat • If your headaches happen often and are interfering patients with more severe headache problems. with your normal activities even though you are • Chiropractors and physiotherapists are trained to taking medications for individual headache attacks, assess and treat headaches caused by neck discuss headache prevention with your doctor and muscle problems. review the self-management strategies in the self- management info sheet and/or the full brochure.* Do I need x-rays, an MRI, or laboratory tests? • For most people, these tests are not needed to *For more information on the topics covered here, diagnose headaches. see the other info sheets and the full brochure at: • Your treating clinician will order tests only if the www.ihe.ca/research- results could help you. programs/hta/aagap/headache.

Tension-Type Headache, 2013 Revised 2016