What is the Best Tension Headache Treatment?

There are many different kinds of headaches, so it can sometimes be difficult to know which one you’re suffering from. If you’re very stressed, it’s likely that your symptoms might be caused by tense muscles. Even if you’re quite sure that this is the case, it is important to go and get an accurate diagnosis of your headache from doctor, in order to come up with the best tension headache treatment plan.

Background

A tension headache is one of the most common types of headaches. Patients usually describe this pain as having a tight band wrapped around their foreheads. Some patients also report feeling moderate or intense pain in the neck or behind the eyes.

This type of pain usually happens in episodes that occur once or twice per month. However, some patients suffer from chronic headaches that have a very negative impact on the quality of their lives.

In order to prevent these kinds of symptoms from taking over your life, it’s important to assess a variety of tension headache treatment options, which we will explore below.

What is the Best Tension Headache Treatment?

Most patients try to find a cure on their own. One of the most popular tension headache treatment option is relying on over-the-counter (OTC) medications(1) or painkillers that relieve the pain. However, OTCs should be only taken in moderation and under the supervision of the doctor. It’s important to be aware of becoming too dependent on these painkillers as they can cause a different type of headaches known as rebound headaches. These are not triggered by the natural headache triggers but simply happen when the effect of your painkiller starts to wear off.

Prescription drugs are the second route to go. Nevertheless, people usually go to the doctor for prescription drugs only after taking OTCs for a very long period. Some of these prescription drugs are very strong painkillers. In that case, you should always stick to the dosage guidelines to avoid adverse side effects.

In some cases, this type of headache is caused by tight muscles that actually feel like they are squeezing your head. When your doctor runs a few tests, they will be able to identify the cause of your headache and hence prescribe the proper medication. In such cases, a muscle relaxant is used to relieve the tension and eliminate the pain.

Some patients suffer from this kind of pain as a result of being under too much stress. Stress normally leads to a hormonal imbalance which can cause headache pain, along with a considerable variety of other health problems. In this case, the doctor may describe an antidepressant or a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI). In this case, it’s important to be aware that although SSRIs have minor side effects, you should always stick to the doctor’s orders and not take too much or too little.

What are Some Other Options?

Most patients agree that there are alternative tension headache treatment options that work hand in hand with the prescription or OTC drugs that they take. In fact, some even report that they were able to forego the drugs altogether after a while. One of these remedies is stress management classes. These help patients better cope with the kind of stress that usually triggers tension headaches.

Another restorative option is yoga. This also helps patients relax and deal with muscle tension that is directly related to the tension pain. A lot of patients also consider acupuncture as a method of dealing with stress and tension. By inserting fine needles into specific parts of the body, the patient is more likely to experience little or no pain over a period of several sessions

Conclusion

There are many different options for getting relief, and only you can find out which ones will be best for you, in consultation with a medical professional.

Keeping a headache journal is also one of the best ways that will help you pay attention to your particular headache symptoms in order to determine the best option. By taking note of the nature, location, and intensity of the pain, you can provide a list of factors to your doctor, which will enable them to diagnose your symptoms correctly and rule out any other possibilities.

When it comes to taking prescriptions or OTC drugs, it is very important to consult your doctor before you attempt to mix medications or to consider alternative remedies. By being aware of what approaches could work well together, and which ones won’t, you will be well on your way to forming the best tension headache treatment for you.

This approach will not only help you to get rid of the pain, it will also give you the opportunity to take charge of your overall health.

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