The Headache Pain Epidemic

The Headache Pain Epidemic

            In the United States, an estimated 45 million chronic headache pain sufferers are reported each year. According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, 150 million workdays are lost annually to headaches, and among those with headache pain, nearly 75% have never been diagnosed and, therefore, never sought treatment beyond over-the-counter pain relievers.

However, with headache pain being so prevalent—it’s among the number one causes of doctor visits—it is no wonder that numerous published articles describe headaches as having reached epidemic status. To make research more difficult, headache is a broad term describing pain anywhere from the base of the neck to the head and face. Due to the way those parts of the body “feel pain,” often more than one type of pain is involved.

Headache Pain

There are four different classifications of headache pain: vascular (vein and blood vessel); muscle contraction (tension); traction; and inflammatory (swelling) headache. There is also an element of “referred pain”, which is headache pain originating from another ailment or part of the body, such as a neck, spine, or facial injury.

 Vascular headache pain is caused by a constriction of blood vessels in the neck and head due to fever, high blood pressure, or idiopathic (unknown) causes. They cause severe pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and, in some cases, nausea, dizziness, and vision impairment. Typically this headache pain is called migraine or cluster headache.

Traction headaches are caused when pain-sensitive parts of the head, neck, or face are pulled, stretched, or displaced. Examples of this are eye-strain or whiplash. An imbalance in these areas can cause long-term headache pain that the person affected may or may not correlate with a strain injury.

Inflammatory headaches are sometimes a symptom of a more serious condition, but are attributed to simple inflammation (or swelling). Usually this type of headache pain correlates with diseases of the sinuses, spine, neck, ears, and teeth.

Muscle contraction or tension headaches are most common, usually causing a band of pain around the top and both sides of the head and neck. These headaches are caused by a tightening in the head, neck, and facial muscles, and can be induced by motion activities or something as simple as a forward head tilt for reading or typing.

Research and Treatment

 All headache pain refers to “force imbalances” that affect blood vessels, muscles, and nerves in the head, face, and neck region. The part of the brain that senses headache pain is called the trigeminal nucleus. This is the “spider web-like” structure of nerves that senses your face, ears, neck, and throat—and the reason why an injury or stress to any of those areas can cause chronic headache symptoms.

            Typically once the type of headache pain is determined, treatment options are discussed. These have typically included one or a combination of herbal remedies, stress-reduction exercises, massage, acupuncture, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), narcotic pain relievers, anti-seizure medications, chiropractic adjustments, anti-depressants, or sedatives.

Since everyone has a different definition of pain, level of intensity, duration, and level of debilitation from headache pain, it is difficult to create a regimen of treatments that can ease or remove pain in all patients. However, as headache pain is being realized as a medical affliction reaching epidemic proportions, research is being conducted to determine what the best treatment options are for the broadest spectrum of headache sufferers in order to achieve the longest-lasting relief.

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