Call NowTension Headache vs Migraine – Key Differences & How To Treat Them
Whether you’ve been experiencing chronic headaches for years, or if you’ve just recently started suffering from them, you know how debilitating they can be. The most important thing when it comes to treating headaches is knowing what type of headache you are experiencing.
Tension headaches are the most common headaches that we treat, but you may be surprised to know that migraines aren’t as common.
Essentially, the differences between the two all comes down to the symptoms you experience, how long the headache lasts, and how intense the pain is. Our team at Impact Medical Sun City Center discusses what you need to know.
Tension Headaches: The Symptoms
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms you may have a tension headache:
- Pain on both sides of the head
- Pain that isn’t severe
- Tight pressure rather than throbbing pain
- Soreness in your temples or tightness in your neck and shoulders
Migraines: The Symptoms
You may have a migraine if you are experiencing:
- Moderate to severe throbbing pain. May be worse on one side of the head.
- Pain that gets worse with physical activity though lying down might help.
- Pain around the eyes of temples
- Light, sounds, and smells may exacerbate symptoms
- You feel nauseous
- You may see auras, wavy lines, dots, or flashing lights
- You feel facial tingling before your headache starts
The Causes of Tension Headaches and Migraines
Tension headaches are usually brought on by stress, tiredness, or worry. These headaches cause the muscles of your scalp, neck, and jaw to tighten, causing pain.
Unfortunately, the cause of migraines is unclear. Your genes can play a role, as well as your environment. Migraines are usually caused by an increase in certain chemicals in the brain and can be brought on by triggers such as scents, hormone levels, or even bright lights.
How Are Tension Headaches and Migraines Treated?
If you only get headaches occasionally, over-the-counter painkillers like Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Aspirin can help. Also, caffeine may relieve the pain from tension headaches.
But if you find that your tension headaches have become chronic, it is best to see a doctor. While they often prescribe antidepressants for tension-type headaches, acupuncture, stretching, meditation, trigger point therapy, and stress management can be beneficial.
When treating migraines, it is crucial to find out what triggers them. We recommend tracking your migraines in a journal with notes such as:
- What you ate and drank
- How much you slept
- What activities you did that day
- Weather changes
Abortive medications are often used to stop a migraine, and they are taken as soon as a person feels a migraine coming on. Some over-the-counter ibuprofen medications are available that are specifically for migraine sufferers.
If those don’t help, preventative medications can be helpful as well as chiropractic care and manual therapy.
We may recommend:
- Neuromuscular manual therapy: This is also called trigger point therapy and focuses on soothing trigger points in the back, neck, shoulder, and head to relax the muscles that exacerbate migraines.
- Multidisciplinary care: This combines several modalities such as physical therapy, relaxation, stress management, and diet changes which often have a positive effect in reducing pain, frequency, and duration of migraines.
It is important to note that there is no cure for migraines, but with the right treatment protocols, you can live a life free from migraine pain.
Say Goodbye to Headache Pain
Tired of chronic tension or migraines? You don’t have to suffer in silence anymore! Contact our clinic at Impact Medical Sun City Center for a comprehensive evaluation and we will work with you to design a custom treatment plan to alleviate headaches so you can live a pain-free enjoyable life!
Schedule an appointment with our team at Impact Medical Sun City Center today; (813) 938-5195!
