Phases Of A Migraine Attack
Often a migraine attack involves distinct phases, though people can experience them differently, says Roderick Spears, MD, a neurologist and headache specialist at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia.
Prodrome Phase This first phase of migraine can occur hours to days prior to the attack, says Dr. Spears. It typically involves a change in mood and energy certain cravings or excessive yawning can be a sign of prodrome, he says.
People sometimes confuse these prodrome, or premonitory, symptoms, with migraine triggers. Thats to say, a person who craves chocolate as a prodrome symptom may mistakenly believe that consuming chocolate triggered the migraine attack, according to MigraineAgain.
Aura About 25 to 35 percent of people with migraine have aura, says Spears. The most common aura is a visual change with a kaleidoscope-like phenomenon that can last anywhere from five minutes to an hour but usually much less than an hour, he says. Other aura symptoms may include tingling sensations, numbness, garbled speech, and clumsiness or weakness.
Headache Phase This stage can last 4 to 72 hours, and in most patients, its marked by a headache on one side of the head thats throbbing and pulsating in quality. Typically, the pain is described as moderate to severe, says Spears.
The headache phase is also associated with becoming sensitive to the environment, he adds. Light, sound, and odor sensitivity are common, as are nausea and vomiting, he says.
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Other Types Of Headaches
Doctors have diagnosed hundreds of conditions associated with headaches. Here are just a few:
Medication headaches. Many drugs number headaches among their side effects. And although it seems paradoxical, many medications used to treat headaches can also cause medication overuse headaches or rebound headaches. Migraine sufferers are particularly vulnerable to a vicious cycle of pain leading to more medication, which triggers more pain. If you have frequent headaches and use medication, OTC or prescription, or both, for more than 10 to 15 days a month, you may have medication overuse headaches. The way to find out is to discontinue or taper your medication but always consult your doctor first. A corticosteroid such as prednisone may help control pain during the withdrawal period.
Sinus headaches. Acute sinusitis causes pain over the forehead, around the nose and eyes, over the cheeks, or in the upper teeth. Stooping forward increases the pain. Thick nasal discharge, congestion, and fever pinpoint the problem to the sinuses. When the acute infection resolves, the pain disappears. Sinusitis is not a common cause of chronic or recurrent headaches.
Ice cream headaches. Some people develop sharp, sudden headache pain when they eat anything cold. The pain is over in less than a minute, even if you keep eating. If you are bothered by ice cream headaches, try eating slowly and warming the cold food at the front of your mouth before you swallow it.
Link Between Migraine Headaches And Back Pain
Usually, when a person encounters a migraine headache, they do not associate it with back pain. Is there really a link between migraine headaches and back pain? If so, how are they linked?
First, we need to look into the difference between back pain and neck pain, where it comes from, and how this pain could be linked to a migraine headache.
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How Are Cervicogenic Headaches Treated
It is important to try to determine exactly which structures in the neck are causing the headaches. Once this has been done, an appropriate treatment may be prescribed.
Initially, cervicogenic headaches are treated with pain medications and physiotherapy. Avoidance of aggravating activities is important.
Constant cervicogenic headaches arising from the facet joints may respond to percutaneous radiofrequency denervation . A facet joint block with local anaesthetic is usually performed first to confirm the diagnosis.
C2 radiofrequency pulse ganglionotomy is another technique which may benefit some patients, particularly if C2 nerve root compression is thought to be involved in the production of the headaches.
Cervicogenic headaches secondary to cervical disc prolapse or nerve root compression often improve with microsurgical discectomy and fusion.
Peripheral nerve stimulation of the greater and lesser occipital nerves is an effective technique in patients with cervicogenic headaches . It appears that around 70% of patients who are resistant to other conventional therapies may benefit from this fairly low-risk surgical technique.
Headaches Caused By A Neck Problem
Headaches stemming from a neck problem are usually chronic and vary in type depending on the cause. Common examples include:
- Cervicogenic headache . CGH usually begins as a dull ache in the neck and radiates upward along the back of the head, almost always affecting just one side. Pain may also spread to the forehead, temple, and area around the eyes and/or ears. CGH is caused due to an underlying disc, joint, muscle, or nerve disorder in the neck.
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Common Causes Of Migraines
Doctors arenât totally sure what causes migraine headaches, but they think imbalances in certain brain chemicals may play a role.
The trigeminal nerve in your head runs your eyes and mouth. It also helps you feel sensations in your face and is a major pathway for pain. Your levels of a chemical called serotonin may fall at the start of a migraine, and this nerve can release chemicals called neurotransmitters that travel to your brain and cause pain.
Arthritis In The Spine
There is less mysterious explanation for many cases in which lower back pain co-exists with migraine or tension headaches, and it has to do with arthritis of the lower spine. This may sound puzzling. What would bone deterioration in the lower spine have to do with headaches?
Lets return to the central nerve trunk, the spinal cord, that is housed within the spine itself. The spine is made up of a stack of backbones called vertebrae, each of which has a central opening that holds the spinal cord. The spine is sturdy yet flexible. It has cushions that absorb the shock of movement, and hinges that allow a certain amount of bending and twistingall the while protecting the spinal cord within it. Its a very clever system.
iYoon MS, Manack A, Schramm S, Fritsche G et al. Chronic migraine and chronic tension-type headache are associated with concomitant low back pain: results of the German Headache Consortium study. Pain. 2013 Mar 154:484-92.
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Warning Signs Of More Serious Arm & Shoulder Problems
In some instances, shoulder pain and arm pain can indicate more serious problems. These problems might include cancer, fractures, infection, severe nerve compression and ankylosis spondylitis.
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If there is cancer in the bones of the spine, this usually means metastases .
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Fractures of the spine can be caused by a direct hit, fall, accident but sometimes can occur without trauma, called spontaneous fractures. Spontaneous fractures, usually can occur in elderly people with osteoporosis or those who may be taking steroid medications that weaken the bone.
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Infections of the spine tend to occur if patients have a weakened immune system from any cause or medical condition. Sometimes infections of the spine can occur if there is an infection elsewhere in the body. People with spinal infections usually feel unwell and can have sweats and a fever.
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Nerve compression, called myelopathy, where there is a dangerous compression of the spinal cord in the neck. Myelopathy could cause symptoms that might include, weakness or problems with coordination in the arms, hands, legs, or even feet.
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Ankylosing spondylitis is progressive arthritis of the spine and can cause widespread inflammation, pain and stiffness throughout the spine.
Seek urgent and specialist medical advice if:
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How Do You Get A Toothache To Go Away Fast
Use these effective natural home remedies for toothache to reduce the pain to some extent.
Clove oil â Take a cotton ball and put 2 drops of clove oil on it. Place the cotton ball against your affected tooth itself until your ache reduces. Or, place a full clove on your tooth and chew it a little bit for releasing its oil. Keep the clove in place until the pain recedes.
Ginger-cayenne paste â Combine equal parts of these 2 spices with sufficient water and make a paste. Take a small cotton ball and roll it into enough paste in order to saturate it. Place the cotton ball on your affected tooth while avoiding your tongue and gums. Leave it until you get pain relief.
Saltwater swishes â Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of hot water. Use it as a mouthwash to remove irritating debris and food particles. Swish the saltwater for around 40 seconds and spit it out.
Peppermint tea â Add one teaspoon of dried peppermint leaves into one cup of boiling water and steep for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once the tea cools, swish the tea around in your mouth, and then swallow it or spit it out.
Swish with hydrogen peroxide â Use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash. Swish 3 percent hydrogen peroxide around in the mouth. Spit it out, and then use plain water to rinse several times. If 3 percent is a bit strong, water it down by adding some water.
Brush â Brush your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and use toothpaste for sensitive teeth.
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Can Chiropractic Offer Headaches Disorder Treatment
Headaches and headache migraines are deeply linked to our upper cervical spine. A misalignment there can weaken the soft tissues surrounding the area, distort the bodys communication by compressing the brain stem, and lowering the amount of oxygen and blood our brain receives.
The soft tissues can bring about headaches as muscles become tight or small ligaments are torn. The bodys communication, if distorted, can cause the brain to misinterpret signals from the body that makes us feel the pain that is not there.
And the lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain not only brings about headache migraines but because parts of the brain are starved for oxygen it could alter the brain in significant ways if left untreated.
Chiropractors are known to study the spine and its effects on the body, and an upper cervical chiropractor focuses on the upper cervical spine specifically and how a misalignment pressing on the brain stem can affect the rest of your bodys functions.
Why Do Neck Pain And Headaches Occur Together
There is no one special reason for headaches and neck pain to go together. Few conditions may begin as neck problems and then shoot these problems up to the head, while few problems triggered in the head are sent back to the neck. This is the reason why they both occur together.
Trigeminocervical nucleus, Dura Mater of the brain, brain tissues, and blood vessels in the head and immune system also have their role for the occurrence of these pains together. Besides, the posture of the body can also lead to both the pains at a time.
To explain it further, a combination of 1 or multiple pain mechanisms and pathways is most responsible for the cause of neck pain and headache together.
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Headaches And Back Pain
Corresponding author:
A 39-year-old woman consulted her physician because of headaches and back pain. Physical examination revealed a systolic ejection murmur and decreased pulses in both legs. She had a history of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage secondary to a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. Radiographic and imaging studies are shown below .
Similar gradient echo image of the aorta demonstrates enlarged internal mammary arteries and bridging mediastinal vessels .
DIAGNOSIS: Coarctation of the aorta.
Treatment Options For Tension
Over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and paracetamol are commonly used to treat tension-type headache. It shouldnt be necessary to take stronger medications.
Its important to discuss use of any drugs with your doctor if you are pregnant. Using painkillers more than twice a week can increase the risk of tension-type developing into chronic daily headache, and you should also speak to your doctor if you are regularly getting headaches.
As stress is a cause of tension-type headache, you may find it helpful to learn relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, avoid stressful situations as much as possible, and consider speaking to a counsellor or therapist.
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Can The Neck Cause A Headache
When the upper neck joints arent functioning at their best, they can actually refer pain up into your head. Referred pain simply means that you feel pain in a different location than the actual problem area. So in this case, even though the upper neck needs some work, you end up feeling pain in the head instead of, or in addition to, the neck. This is called cervicogenic headache .
One thing that differentiates CGH from other headaches is that it typically starts after having your neck in the same position for a long time . This type of headache is usually one-sided and starts at the back of the head, working its way up and around the ear to the forehead and behind the eye. You might even have some pain into your shoulder and arm. Youll also likely notice some stiffness and neck pain with turning your head or looking up and down.
Does any of this sound familiar?
If so, youre in luck! It turns out that physical therapy is wildly successful in treating these types of headaches.
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Tumors And Back Of The Head Pain
Tumors grow over time and usually dont trigger any symptoms until theyve reached a considerable size . If youre having constant headaches, especially if they are in the back of your head, see your doctor for a checkup. They can diagnose any issues that you might have!
The most common tumors are benign brain tumors called meningiomas. However, there are other types of tumors located elsewhere in the body that can cause pain to be felt in different parts of the skull .
These tumors could also be cancerous or not-its impossible to tell just based on where the pain is being felt.
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Heat Or Ice Treatment
Warm compresses or cold compresses can help to quickly relieve pain in your rib cage caused by injuries, inflammation, or other painful causes.
According to researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center, a cold pack or compress can help to reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation in the first 48 hours after an injury. After that time, you should use a warm compress to increase circulation and reduce muscle spasms and stiffness.20
To make a warm or cold compress to treat rib pain in your middle or upper back, this is what you should do:
Cold compress for injuries to your middle back
Warm compress for back rib pain
Hot and cold compresses are also excellent natural remedies for relieving lower back pain.
Shoulder And Neck Referred Pain
Because of the close connection of the nerves serving them, shoulder and neck pain are often mistaken for one another.
You may feel a pain in the shoulder thats actually coming from your neck, and vice versa. This is called referred pain.
Some of the symptoms of referred pain from your neck include:
- stabbing, burning, or electric-like tingling pain
- pain that radiates to your shoulder blade, elbow, and hand
- pain that radiates down your arm when you twist your neck
- pain thats relieved when you support your neck
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What Are Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are dull pain, tightness, or pressure around your forehead or the back of your head and neck. Some people say it feels like a clamp squeezing their skull. Theyâre also called stress headaches, and theyâre the most common type for adults.
There are two types:
- Episodic tension headaches happen fewer than 15 days per month.
- Chronic tension headaches happen more than 15 days a month.
These headaches can last 30 minutes to a few days. The episodic kind usually starts slowly, often in the middle of the day.
Chronic ones come and go over a longer period of time. The pain may get stronger or ease up through the day, but itâs almost always there.
Although your head hurts, tension headaches usually dont keep you from your daily activities, and they donât affect your vision, balance, or strength.
Where does it hurt?
This type of headache can:
- Start at the back of your head and spread forward
- Become a band of dull pressure or squeezing pain around your entire head
- Affect both sides of your head equally
- Make the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and jaw feel tight and sore
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Can Neck Pain Cause A Headache On One Side
Along with causing headache neck pain at times can be observed on only one side of the neck like right side neck pain or left side neck pain with a headache. This kind of pain on the particular side may be the offshoot of many underlying conditions like injuries, blood vessel problems, and inflammatory diseases. Tension headaches and migraines can also lead to pain on one side of the head.
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