Head Pain
Tension Headache
(Wikipedia)
A tension headache (renamed a tension-type headache by the International Headache Society in 1988) is the most common type of primary headache. The pain can radiate from the lower back of the head, the neck, eyes, or other muscle groups in the body. Tension-type headaches account for nearly 90% of all headaches. Approximately 3% of the population has chronic tension-type headaches.[2]
Signs and symptoms
Tension-type headache pain is often described as a constant pressure, as if the head were being squeezed in a vice. The pain is frequently bilateral which means it is present on both sides of the head at once. Tension-type headache pain is typically mild to moderate, but may be severe.
Frequency and duration
Tension-type headaches can be episodic or chronic.[3] Episodic tension-type headaches are defined as tension-type headaches occurring fewer than 15 days a month, whereas chronic tension headaches occur 15 days or more a month for at least 6 months. Tension-type headaches can last from minutes to days, months or even years, though a typical tension headache lasts 4–6 hours.
Causes & Treatment
Our treatment of tension headaches focuses on muscles located in the sub occipital triangle, and the associated nerves.
Through Active Release Techniques, we work to eliminate adhesions both within the musculature, and between the nerves and muscles. This alleviates the compression on the nerve that is causing the headaches. This allows us to eliminate the cause of the tension headaches.
Related Articles:
ART – Active Release Techniques
Tendonosis vs. Tendonitis
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^ Muscle Contraction Tension Headache at eMedicine
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^ Nestoriuc Y, Rief W, Martin A (June 2008). “Meta-analysis of biofeedback for tension-type headache: efficacy, specificity, and treatment moderators”. J Consult Clin Psychol 76 (3): 379–96. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.76.3.379. PMID 18540732.
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^ Fernández-de-las-Peñas C, Alonso-Blanco C, Cuadrado ML, Miangolarra JC, Barriga FJ, Pareja JA (2006). “Are manual therapies effective in reducing pain from tension-type headache?: a systematic review”. Clin J Pain 22 (3): 278–85. doi:10.1097/01.ajp.0000173017.64741.86. PMID 16514329.
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