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Headaches (HA)

by Nicole Berardoni M.D, Paul Lynch M.D, and Tory McJunkin M.D

headache cure

Headaches are a pain or discomfort that can be generalized or local affecting any part of the cephalum (head). There are many causes of HA, some originating from the head region itself, others are referred from the neck and upper back, as well as ophthalmologic origins Most causes of HA’s are benign and have no underlying significant pathology, however, it is important to have a physician or pain specialist rule out more severe causes before beginning treatment for the benign causes. Headaches themselves are one of the most common complaints from people visiting a physician. A physician will then classify the HA as “Primary” or “Secondary.” Primary HA’s are not caused by an underlying pathology or disease. Meaning, they are benign HA’s which can further be subdivided as Cluster, Tension, and Migraine headaches. Secondary HA’s are associated with a pre-existing pathology causing the pain, which may be benign or malignant of origin. There are many causes of secondary headaches that should be excluded by a physician before assuming a HA is of primary origin. Some of the more severe causes that require immediate treatment are intracranial hemorrhages/ hematomas, meningeal infections (viral, bacterial, fungal), strokes, and malignant hypertension. Other pathologies that are more subacute, or have an insidious onset may be malignant tumors (primary or malignant) or ophthalmologic (glaucoma, cataract). There are other diseases associated with HA and these all should be evaluated by your physician before treating your HA. Your physician may wish to order radiological studies (MRI, CT scan), neurological exam, blood work, or an eye/vision assessment to help rule out some of the causes of secondary HA Primary headaches are much more common and can be broken down into three categories; Cluster, Tension, and Migraine headaches.

Cluster Headaches:

In Cluster HA, men are more commonly affected than women with a peak age of onset around 25 years. Patients will present with a severe, unilateral, pulsatile, periorbital pain that typically lasts anywhere from 20 minutes to 3 hours. Patients describe the pain associated with Cluster HA to be far more severe than is experienced in Tension or Migraine HA’s. Risk factors for Cluster HA are vasodilating medications as well as recent alcohol or illicit drug use. A specific trait to Cluster HA’s are that they occur in “clusters”, hence the name, meaning they affect the same location of the head, around the same time of day, during the same time of year. Patients may also experience tearing from the eye on the same side of the head as the pain as well as nasal discharge or stuffiness, or neurological complications (Horner’s syndrome, ptosis). In contrast with the other two types of primary HA, emotion and food are NOT triggers in Cluster HA.’s

Tension Headaches:

Tensions HA’s are considered the most common HA diagnosed in adults. The pain is described as a restrictive, band like pain that is being wrapped around the patients head. Patients describe it as an insidious (slow) onset and can be exacerbated by bright lights, noise, and especially stress. A patient experiencing Tension headaches may also have an associated Depression, sleep disturbance, or poor concentration. These typically occur towards the end of the day and are located in the upper neck and occipital (back of head) region. Unlike Cluster and Migraines, Tension HA are not associated with any neurological disturbances and are usually a diagnosis of exclusion.

Migraine Headaches:

Migraines are more common in women and affect a significant portion of the population. Migraine HA’s can be experienced in children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric patients and varies significantly with each person. They can be seen in anyone! The pain associated with Migraines is described as either unilateral (one-sided) or bilateral (both sides), intense and throbbing that typically lasts over an hour but less than 24 hours. Migraines are further classified as “Classical” and “Common.” In Classical Migraines the pain is unilateral and is preceded by an aura . A Common Migraine is often bilateral and has no associated aura or neurological manifestation. One of the known phenomena of a Migraine HA is that many people, although not all, have an associated aura that may occur before, during, or after the onset of the migraine. Some patients describe the aura as scintillating flashes of light, a particular smell, spots of vision loss, as well as numbness of one or both sides of the face, unsteadiness, weakness, or an altered level of consciousness. Nausea and vomiting are also common among patients who suffer from Migraine headaches. There are many occurrences that can “trigger” a migraine attack. Some of the most commonly associated triggers are loud noise, bright lights, certain foods (chocolate, peanut butter, avocado, banana, citrus, dairy products, and fermented/ pickled foods, MSG), certain medications (birth control pills, migraine medications), menstrual cycle fluctuations, exertion activities, as well an underlying emotional and/ or psychiatric diseases, such as Depression.

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Mechanism:

In the past scientists thought that migraines were caused by changes in blood vessels within the brain. However, recent research has led scientists and physicians today to believe that the pain originates within the brain itself, involving various nerve pathways and the neurotransmitters within the brain in addition to the vasodilatory affects. Cluster HA are considered to be from the vasodilatation (opening) of the blood vessels in the brain. This causes the acute and severe pain by compressing and irritating Cranial Nerve V (Trigeminal), which innervates the sensory and some motor function of the face. The etiology of Tension HA’s are less understood, however, is thought to be due to neurotransmitter or chemical changes surrounding the brain due to stress and emotional factors. Another theory is continued musculoskeletal (myofascial) irritations may cause Tension HA’s (2007 Ashina). Examples of continued myofascial irritation or stimulation includes jaw clenching as well as poor posture of the back or neck. Migraine Headaches are thought to be vascular in origin, similar to Cluster HA, and also associated with a imbalance in the neurotransmitter Serotonin. Migraines are also considered to be familial, which means there is a genetic link involved. The theory is that some patients with a family history of Migraines have gene that predisposes them to the causes of Migraines (2007 Goadsby). A study conducted in 2003 by the Departments of Anesthesia and Critical Care of Harvard University showed that the cranial parasympathetic outflow contributes by sensitizing intracranial nociceptors producing peripheral and/ or central desensitization occurring within a migraine attack. (2003 Yarnitsky D). This can intensify and aggravate the pain that is actually caused by the migraine. Sensitizing desensitization is a development involving both the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the central nervous system (CNS). Local tissue injury and inflammation activate the PNS, which sends signals through the spinal cord to the brain. Central sensitization is where there is an increase in the excitability of neurons within the CNS, (brain and spinal cord) so that normal inputs from the PNS begin to produce abnormal responses. Low-threshold sensory fibers activated by very light touch of the skin activate neurons in the spinal cord that normally only respond to noxious, or more severe, stimuli. As a result, an input that would normally produce a harmless sensation now produces significant pain. This occurrence is classically seen in patients who suffer from primary HA, especially Migraines.

Treatment:

Pharmacologic treatment for primary headaches can be classified as “abortive” or “preventive.”

Abortive therapy:

Abortive therapies are directed at terminating the pain immediately. Although this may provide relief from the HA, it does not decrease the frequency/ intensity nor does it prevent the attack from recurring. They also are not equally effective each time and efficacy varies from person to person. Typical over the counter medications have no use for Cluster headaches. Some commonly used abortive therapies for HA’s are:

  • Oxygen – most commonly used acutely in Cluster HA.
  • Ergots
  • Triptans
  • NSAID’s
  • Anti-emetics
  • Opiates
  • Butalbital with aspirin or acetaminophen

Although many patients may experience relief with these treatments, there is also a concern of overuse and dependence that may develop. In May 2007 the National Neurological Institute in Milan Italy published an article stating “Most patients with frequent headaches eventually overuse their medications, and when this happens, the diagnosis of medication-overuse headache is clinically important, because patients rarely respond to preventive medications whilst overusing acute medications” (2007 Grazzi). Therefore it is very important to monitor a patient on abortive therapy because if overusing their medications, their headaches may become refractory to the preventive therapy causing their attacks to be more frequent and severe.

Preventive therapy:

Medications and techniques that are considered Preventive therapies are directed at reducing the frequency and severity of the attacks. Unfortunately, most of these medications are not able to terminate an acute episode so they are typically used in conjunction with the abortive therapies during an attack. Some of the common preventive medications are:

  • Cardiovascular drugs (Beta blockers, Calcium channel blockers)
  • Antiseizure medications
  • Antidepressants
  • Antihistamines

In a recent publication from 2007, the relationship between Depression/ Anxiety Disorders in people with Migraines were evaluated and showed a linked association. Therefore it is recommended that people who are experiencing migraines or migraine-like symptoms should also be screened for Depression/ Anxiety disorders. By treating both aspects, the physical and the mental, then the quality of life and symptom management may improve (2007 Frediani F). Treatment for these disorders can be through medication or behavioral therapy. An extremely important aspect to treating headaches is through behavioral interventions and modifications. Behavioral modifications, including biofeedback training, mind and body relaxation (yoga, acupuncture, massage), and cognitive behavior therapy have been identified as successful treatments for migraine headache (2006 Holroyd). Arizona Pain Specialists know the importance of these treatments and therefore offer for their patients:

Recently there has been a flood of investigations going on to determine the efficacy of Botulinum A toxin (Botox) injections for the treatment of Migraines. Some people receiving Botox injections for their facial wrinkles have noted improvement of their headaches. Essentially, the Botox is injected in the same or similar locations as is for the treatment of wrinkles in cosmetic practices. In 2007 The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science compared results of two large trials that investigated the efficacy of Botox for the treatment of Migraines and Tension HA. They reported there were positive findings in the association of the treatment of these HA’s with Botox (2007 Freitag). Another publication in 2006 stated that 75% of patients treated with Botox injections for the prophylactic treatment of migraines reported compete relief of their headache. No adverse effects were reported by the treatment group either and was therefore quoted as “Botox (BTX-A) showed good efficacy and tolerability as a prophylactic agent” (2006 Anand). Qualified pain physicians, such as those at Arizona Pain Specialists offer an array of injections and procedures that have proven efficacious in treatment of headaches, including the Botox injections. Some of the other injections and treatments they offer are: Botox injections have shown good efficacy in reducing the frequency of Migraine Headaches

  • Botox Injections
  • Occipital Nerve Stimulation
  • Cervical Facet Injections
  • Cervical Epidural Steroid Injections
  • Sphenopalatine Nerve Blocks
  • Occipital Nerve Blocks
  • Supratrochlear Nerve Blocks
  • Supra/ Infraorbital Nerve Blocks

There have been numerous studies and publications on the effectiveness of these treatments for the relief of headaches. Many of them stated that the conventional therapies are often not effective in treating the associated facial pain and peripheral/ central desensitization that is commonly associated with Migraines. The results of some of the reports are given: In a study conducted by the Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Management in Italy, 85% of patients responded positively with a favorable response when treated with blockade of the supraorbital and greater occipital nerves in the treatment for Migraines. Caputi therefore concluded that the blockade of the supraorbital and greater occipital nerves were shown to be effective in the treatment of Migraine HA (1997 Caputi). Transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) block injections are also helpful in Migraines but have also had positive results in treating medication- resistant Cluster headaches. A number of surgical treatments have been attempted in cases of Cluster HA resistant to pharmacologic therapy, of which SPG blockade has been shown to have the most successful results. “These results should be considered rather good because, unlike other frequently used techniques, SPG blockade is not invasive and should therefore always be attempted before submitting patients to more invasive surgical approaches” (2006 Felisati). Also printed in 2006 was “Transnasal sphenopalatine gangion block provides a safe, low-cost, therapy that, if effective, oftentimes can be self-administered for pain relief.” (2006 Obah). Another author published, ”The nerve stimulator-guided occipital nerve blockade significantly relieved cervicogenic headache and associated symptoms at two weeks following injection.” (2006 Naja). Therefore, a combination of therapies have been proven to reduce the symptoms associated with Migraines and other headaches. You should discuss what the best and most beneficial options would be for you particular headache and associated complaints with your pain specialist.

Headache Journal

If you have headaches you may wish to download the Arizona Pain Specialists Headache Journal to document what you are experiencing. This record can be extremely useful during your next visit with one of our doctors or clinicians, and it takes the pressure off of you to remember and describe your exact symptoms.

Use our journal to document the details of your headaches, possible causes, what treatment you attempted (medication, herbal remedies, dark room…) and the effects of that treatment.


Articles/ Studies:

Pathophysiology of tension-type headache: potential drug targets. Ashina M. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2007 Aug;6(4):238-9 PMID: 17691978 Headache. 2003 Jul-Aug;43(7):704-14 Yarnitsky D, Goor-Aryeh I, Bajwa ZH, Ransil BI, Cutrer FM, Sottile A, Burstein R. PMID: 12890124 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE Migraine and depression. Frediani F, Villani V. Neurol Sci. 2007 May;28 Suppl 2:S161-5 PMID: 17508165 Recent advances in understanding migraine mechanisms, molecules and therapeutics. Goadsby PJ. Trends Mol Med. 2007 Jan;13(1):39-44. Epub 2006 Dec 1 PMID: 17141570 Chronic headaches: pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment. Grazzi L, Usai S, Bussone G. Neurol Sci. 2007 May;28 Suppl 2:S134-7 PMID: 17508160 Behavioral approaches to the treatment of migraine. Semin Neurol. 2006 Apr;26(2):199-207 Holroyd KA, Drew JB. PMID: 16628530 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE Botulinum toxin type A in chronic migraine. Expert Rev Neurother. 2007 May;7(5):463-70 Freitag FG. PMID: 17492897 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Botulinum toxin type A in prophylactic treatment of migraine. Am J Ther. 2006 May-Jun;13(3):183-7 Anand KS, Prasad A, Singh MM, Sharma S, Bala K. PMID: 16772757 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Occipital nerve blockade for cervicogenic headache: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial. Pain Pract. 2006 Jun;6(2):89-95. PMID: 17309715 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Naja ZM, El-Rajab M, Al-Tannir MA, Ziade FM, Tawfik OM. Intranasal sphenopalatine ganglion block: minimally invasive pharmacotherapy for refractory facial and headache pain. J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother. 2006;20(3):57-9 Obah C, Fine PG. PMID: 16931483 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Sphenopalatine endoscopic ganglion block: a revision of a traditional technique for cluster headache. Felisati G, Arnone F, Lozza P, Leone M, Curone M, Bussone G. Laryngoscope. 2006 Aug;116(8):1447-50 PMID: 16885751 Therapeutic blockade of greater occipital and supraorbital nerves in migraine patients. Caputi CA, Firetto V. Headache. 1997 Mar;37(3):174-9 PMID: 9100402