The Most Common Type of Headache

Headaches can be a real pain in the…head! They can affect people of all ages and backgrounds and have a variety of different causes. They can range from mildly annoying to completely debilitating. But the good news is the vast majority of cases are resolvable through natural methods and there is much you can do on your own to heal.

In this article, we’ll look briefly at the different types of headaches but will focus on the most common one, it’s causes and most importantly what you can do about it.

By far the most common type of headache is the tension headache. About 70-80% of headaches are actually tension headaches.

I’ve seen so many people suffering from headaches who’ve been misdiagnosed as having migraines, told only drugs can help, and their doctor never even put their hands on them to properly examine them. Of course the ones who end up coming in to me haven’t had relief and and are still suffering and looking for answers.

In many cases, simply examining the muscles, fascia, and joint mobility of the neck, shoulders and jaw will lead to a more accurate diagnosis and direct solutions. The simple concepts of releasing excess muscle and fascial tension, improving movement in the joints, and improving overall posture and muscle firing patterns will, if not fully resolve the problem, help get you to a much better place.

Sometimes there’s more of an emotional stress component which requires attention. Often it’s a combination of physical/mechanical and mental/emotional factors.

Other Types of Headaches

Before getting further into tension headaches, let’s briefly go over other types of headaches.

Migraines: The classic presentation of migraines is recurrent attacks of moderate to severe throbbing pain, usually on one side, sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sound. About 12-15% of the general population experiences migraines at some point, with a higher prevalence in women. Migraines can be more stubborn and complicated, but are also resolvable.

Cluster Headaches: These present with severe, one-sided pain around the eye or temple that occurs in clusters or episodes. They occur in less than 1% of the population.

Rebound Headaches (Medication Overuse Headaches): These occur from the overuse of pain relief/headache medications, leading to increased headache frequency and intensity. It’s estimated that they affect 1-2% of the general population, particularly among those with frequent headaches.

Caffeine Withdrawal Headache: These headaches occur when someone who regularly consumes caffeine stops abruptly. They will typically resolve within a couple of weeks when the body adapts to the lack of caffeine.

Food and Dehydration Headaches: Dehydration and eating patterns can cause headaches. Certain foods can trigger headaches in some individuals. Fasting or skipping meals can also cause headaches in some people due to blood sugar imbalance.

Sinus Headaches: Pain and pressure in the forehead, cheeks, and around the eyes along with symptoms of sinusitis can indicate sinus headaches. They are often misdiagnosed though and thought to be rare.

Exertional Headaches: These headaches are triggered during or shortly after physical exertion and present with throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head.

Hypnic Headaches: These occur exclusively during sleep, often waking the person. They are very rare and usually affect older adults.

Red Flag Headaches: These are secondary headaches due to serious illness or conditions such as tumors, stroke, hemorrhage, infection, hypertension, temporal arteritis, hydrocephalus. These are rare but important to be aware of as they can be potentially life threatening. Sudden severe onset, feeling of explosion in the head (known as “thunderclap headache”), or headache with other symptoms such as fever, confusion, numbness, tingling, weakness, difficulty speaking or seeing may indicate red flags and should be evaluated immediately by a physician.

What Exactly Are Tension Headaches?

Now back to tension headaches, which are again, the most common type of headache.

Tension headaches usually present as a dull, aching sensation and/or a feeling of tightness or pressure across the forehead, sides, or back of the head. Sometimes there can be neck pain or stiffness associated with the headache, but not always. They don’t usually involve nausea as in the case of migraines, but they can be just as debilitating and frustrating.

Causes of Tension Headaches

The pain of tension headaches typically originates in the muscles and fascia of the head, neck, and shoulders. Imbalances such as hypertonic (tight) muscles, trigger points, fascial tension are often the key pain generators.

Sometimes the sensory nerves that innervate the head can be irritated by joint or muscle tension causing pain. Sometimes the muscles and/or fascia itself can cause and refer pain on its own.

From a biomechanical standpoint, this can be caused by poor posture, traumatic injuries such as whiplash, repetitive strain, TMJ (jaw) problems, and emotional stress.

Poor posture is a massive problem in the modern world. People are hunching over computers and looking down at smartphones which leads to chronic tension in the muscles, fascia, and joints of the cervical spine. Over time this often leads to tightness, pain and repetitive strain injuries.

Other factors that contribute to tension headaches are:

• Mental/Emotional Stress: Psychological factors such as stress and anxiety can play a major role in headaches and all chronic musculoskeletal issues. These emotional states can manifest physical changes in the body, leading to muscle and fascial tension. In addition to being a causative factor for chronic tension, emotional stress can also act as an amplifier for physical issues already present in the body. So for example, if there is muscle tension present from poor posture or repetitive strain, emotional stress can make it worse.

• Eye Strain: Eyestrain from excessive screen time can cause fatigue and strain in the eye muscles and lead to headaches. This can be coupled with postural issues as described above which maybe compound the effects of the headache.

• Dehydration and Nutritional Imbalances: dehydration can contribute to muscle and fascial tension. Nutrient deficiencies such as vitamin D, magnesium, and B vitamins can cause and contribute to tension headaches and other musculoskeletal problems.

• Lack of Sleep: Inadequate sleep impairs the body's natural recovery/restorative processes. Lack of sleep has been associated with increased pain sensitivity, emotional stress, depression and headaches.

Often, there is a combination of the above factors that contribute and then worsen the headache. This is why a comprehensive holistic approach is helpful as it can address these different components.

Natural Solutions to Tension Headaches

As a natural practitioner, when tension headache has been properly diagnosed, I prefer beginning a course of care with the least invasive, holistic approaches that will give maximum benefits. It’s also important to educate people on the condition and on how to best take care of themselves going forward. Playing an active role in your care helps you realize the power you have over your health and body.

When dealing with a headache, first and foremost, it’s essential to determine what’s actually going on and to have an accurate diagnosis. Seeking the help of a knowledgable professional is always recommended for a thorough evaluation and proper guidance on how to implement strategies to improve as quickly as possible.

If any red flag symptoms are present as described above (headaches comes on severely and suddenly, headache with fever, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, visual or speech changes), seek immediate medical attention.

While every situation is different, there are some basic concepts to consider and address that will apply to varying degrees depending on the individual.

Here are the key concepts to consider that will help you overcome tension headaches and prevent future recurrences:

• Posture and Ergonomics: Maintaining healthy posture is a key component in musculoskeletal health. It will help prevent excess muscular and fascial strain and decrease unnecessary stress load on the joints and intervertebral discs. Ergonomic chairs, properly aligned workstations, computer monitor height are some common examples that can make a significant difference. Building good postural habits can take time and requires consistent work, but it can be done and is absolutely worth the effort.

• Mindfulness Techniques: Mindfulness practices are powerful tools for managing stress and even relieving pain. These techniques promote conscious awareness, calm the nervous system and reduce muscle tension that often triggers headaches.

• Regular Physical Activity: Regular exercise helps improve both physical and mental health. Low-impact activities like walking and swimming improves circulation, activates the nervous system, lubricates and mobilizes joints and can help reduce tension in muscle and connective tissue. Yoga and Tai Chi are also great ways improve movement, posture, flexibility and balance. The benefits of healthy physical activity are vast - it literally affects every aspect of health.

• Nutrition and Hydration: Clean, healthy food, proper timing and eating habits, and adequate hydration is vital. Deficiency of basic nutrients can trigger headaches. Also, exposure to certain foods and toxins present in many processed foods can trigger headaches. Vitamin D, B complex, and magnesium are common deficiencies that are associate with headaches.

Practitioner based therapies can be extremely helpful for tension headaches. Some of these include:

• Chiropractic: Chiropractors adjust the joints of the spine and extremities in order to improve movement and nerve function. This can be extremely helpful for helping to overcome tension headaches.

• Acupuncture: Acupuncture helps to regulate the brain and nervous system, release tension from the fascia and muscles, release muscle trigger points, improve circulation and relieve pain.

• Soft-Tissue Therapies: Therapies such as Stecco Fascial Manipulation and Active Release techniques work by releasing tension in the fascia and muscles, improving movment, circulation, and nerve function. This is a huge component in relieving tension headaches, as the muscles and fascia are often direct pain generators.

• Massage Therapy: Massage is another way to help relax tight muscles, relieve stress and improve circulation, which all can help to relieve tension headaches.

• Physical Therapy or Training: Working with a good physical therapist or fitness professional can be extremely helpful for setting up a proper exercise program to increase strength and stability and condition healthy posture and movement habits.

• Psychotherapy/Mental Health Counseling: Working with a mental health professional can help with chronic tension headaches especially if not responding well to hands on therapies. They can provide tools to help with the emotional/mental stress components that can contribute to or drive chronic pain and tension.

Using a combination of the above approaches when possible is ideal for addressing all contributing factors and creating the most comprehensive and lasting solutions.

Conclusion

Tension headaches are extremely common in the modern world but are fortunately manageable and resolvable with natural methods in most cases. Understanding their causes and why your body manifests the symptoms is an important and empowering part of the healing process.

Taking action and addressing the physical, mental and environmental components that contribute to and cause tension headaches will not only help improve the condition, but will help in overall health and life. As always, maintain hope and continue to seek solutions. Headaches can be frustrating, but there is always a solution and you have much power over your health.