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If the pain in your head slowly increases until it feels like there’s a vice around your head, you may have tension headaches. For effective relief, contact John East, DO, at Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine in Addison, Texas. The team offers a full range of services to help you manage your pain and improve your quality of life. To learn more about how the team can treat your tension headaches, contact the office by phone or book an appointment online today.
What causes tension headaches?
When the muscles of your neck and scalp tense up and stay contracted, pain is the inevitable result. This tension may be due to anxiety, a head injury, depression, or stress. While anyone can get a tension headache, it usually occurs in adults and is more common in women.
Tension headaches usually cause a dull, pressure pain, rather than throbbing or stabbing pain. You might feel like you have a tight band around your head, and the pain is usually all across your head, not just on one side. You may feel it most in your temples, scalp, the back of your neck, and maybe down into your shoulders.
Some other triggers of tension headaches include:
- Consuming too much caffeine or withdrawing after reducing your intake
- Grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw
- Smoking or drinking excessively
- Extreme fatigue
- A cold, flu, or sinus infection
Tension headaches can also co-occur with a migraine.
What treatments are available for tension headaches?
After a thorough physical examination to diagnose your headache pain, the Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine team may recommend medications to prevent or treat it. Treatments may include:
Non-narcotic medications
If you have mild or moderate pain, you may benefit from oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, or neuropathic pain medications. Antidepressants like amitriptyline or mirtazapine or muscle relaxants like Zanaflex® may prevent tension headaches.
Botox®
The team can expertly administer Botox injections, which have a proven track record of combating headache pain.
Chiropractic care
Chiropractic adjustments can ensure proper alignment of your head and body, relieving pressure on overtaxed muscles and nerves so you can heal naturally.
Trigger point injections
Trigger point injections treat areas of collected tension in your muscles, allowing them to let go and stimulating healing.
Nerve block procedures
Occipital nerve blocks can be useful for treating chronic tension headache pain.
These are only some of the treatment options available. The team at Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine will tailor your treatment plan to your unique needs so you know you are receiving the most effective care.
How can I reduce my tension headaches?
The team may recommend some lifestyle changes and useful home remedies for you to try. These might include:
- Managing your stress levels
- Applying cold (e.g., ice packs or towel-wrapped frozen vegetable packages)
- Applying heat (e.g., heating pads, hot-water bottles, warm compresses, hot towels)
- Taking a warm bath
- Improving posture
- Getting a massage
The team firmly believes you deserve the most effective care for chronic tension headaches. To learn more about how the team at Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine can treat tension headaches, contact the office by phone or book an appointment online today.