Headache & Migraine Pain

What it means

Frequent headaches and migraine can affect work, sleep and family life. Several types of headache respond to different treatments, so an accurate diagnosis matters. This topic collects our coverage of headache and migraine care.

Symptoms and warning signs

• Migraine: moderate to severe throbbing or pulsing pain, often on one side, lasting hours to days
• Nausea, and sensitivity to light, sound or smells during an attack
• Warning symptoms before an attack (aura), such as flashing lights or zigzag lines, in some people
• Tension-type headache: a steady, pressing pain on both sides, often with tight neck and shoulder muscles
• Occipital neuralgia: sharp, shooting pain starting at the base of the skull, often tender to touch
• Urgent warning signs: a sudden 'worst ever' headache, headache with fever and stiff neck, with confusion, weakness, trouble speaking or vision loss, or after a head injury

Causes and risk factors

• Migraine is thought to have a genetic basis; attacks are set off by triggers that vary from person to person
• Common triggers include stress, changes in sleep, skipped meals, hormonal changes, bright or flashing lights, strong smells, weather changes, caffeine withdrawal and some foods or drinks
• Taking pain medicine for headaches on too many days a month can itself cause more frequent headaches (medication-overuse headache)
• Occipital neuralgia involves irritation of the occipital nerves at the back of the head, sometimes after injury or with tight neck muscles
• Risk factors for migraine include being a woman (about three times more common than in men), a family history, and conditions such as depression, anxiety and sleep disorders

Conditions in this group

As listed by SEVA Healthcare on its headache & migraine pain page.

• Migraine
• Occipital neuralgia
• Tension headache
• Cluster headache
• Facial nerve pain
• Post-traumatic headache

How clinicians evaluate it

Clinicians usually ask about the pattern of headaches, triggers, medicines already tried and other symptoms, and carry out a neurological examination. A headache diary can be very helpful. Imaging is only needed in some situations.

Treatments SEVA Healthcare lists

Copied from the official page. Listing a treatment does not mean it suits every patient or is available at every clinic — a doctor decides after an evaluation.

• Occipital Nerve Block
• Stellate Ganglion Block
• Botox and Trigger Point Injections
• Ketamine Infusion Therapy

How SEVA Healthcare treats headache & migraine pain

Everyday self-management

General education, not a plan for you. Check with your clinician before changing activity or medicines.

• Keep a headache diary: timing, triggers, sleep, food, medicines and how long attacks last — it is the single most useful thing to bring to an appointment
• Regular sleep, meals and hydration, and steady caffeine intake, reduce attacks for many people
• At the start of a migraine, a dark quiet room and treatment taken early (as advised by your clinician) usually work better than waiting
• Track how many days a month you take pain relievers; if it is more than 10–15, discuss it with a clinician
• Gentle neck stretches and posture breaks can ease tension-type headaches

Questions to discuss with a clinician

• Which type of headache do I have, and could there be more than one type?
• Are my attacks frequent enough to consider preventive treatment?
• Could my current medicines be contributing to the headaches?
• What should I do when an attack starts, and when should I seek urgent care?
• If a nerve block or injection is suggested, what does it involve and how long does relief usually last?