Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Cure Tension Headache

Question:
My husband has had a headache for the past 7.5 years. It seems to be a muscle tension headache. It is centered in the back of his head, just above the neck. He has tried many things including: Medical doc who specializes in headaches, he did an MRI, all okay he prescribed elavil and an antiflammatory, no help He tried biofeedback, no help He was treated by three different chiropractors, no help He has had long series of deep tissue massage, small help He has been treated by two different accupuncturists, no help Up to 4 advil do not affect it. He has tried heat and ice, no help The headache gets worse and it improves but never goes away. It has become worse during times or stress and overwork as well as times of relaxation and vacation. We are willing to try most anything at this point. Any ideas?

Answer:
This suboccipital location indeed describes a muscle-tension type headache (cf. vascular HA) and it seems from the litany of interventions, that you have tried quite a bit. I didn't notice a course of straight-forward physical therapy included. If the condition is not relieved by position and worse by the end of the day, I would recommend investigating more than one anti-inflammatory (4 advil only constitutes a one-time 800mg dose). Better recommendations can be made if a more extensive description of the headache and its pattern are offered. In the meantime, however, it might also be worth looking for something that occurred 7.5 years ago which may be viewed by your husband as 'a real headache' or 'pain in the neck.' It may be career related or personal....a child, or, if you'll pardon me, a wife. The latter two circumstances of course wouldn't be readily acknowledged since they quite literally represent a 'conflict of interest.' Nonetheless, we often overlook the role of the rest of our life when looking at disease, and in particular, chronic musculoskeletal disorders, and especially those that defy satisfactory intervention. A condition like this that won't quit, can be very frustrating and depressing. What does your husband think is the cause of his headaches?