Chronic Headaches? It May Be Time to Seek Professional Treatment

Headaches are a common experience that most individuals expect to deal with periodically. However, when the pain becomes severe or frequent, it can interfere with even the simplest daily activities.

Dr. Mikael Sarij is a board-certified pain management specialist who leads the team at Integrated Spine & Pain Care in Farmingdale and Deer Park, New York. Dr. Sarij successfully treats individuals experiencing chronic pain, including headaches, with highly effective, conservative therapies that address the pain and get you back to enjoying life again.

Find out what this top-rated expert has to say about chronic headache pain and the treatments that work.

Understanding headache pain

Life can cause headaches. Most individuals experience occasional headaches that come and go with life’s many adventures. These headaches typically last four hours or less and are often related to a tension that stresses or strains neck and scalp muscles.

Causing dull, aching pain that may feel like a band of tightness across your forehead, tension headaches are often caused by temporary stress, a long workday, or activities such as driving that force your head/neck into one position for several hours.

On the other hand, chronic headaches typically last longer than four hours and occur two or more times a week.

Types of chronic headaches

Chronic headaches frequently occur, even daily, and can be categorized as:

• Chronic migraines
• Chronic tension-type headaches
• Cluster headaches
• Allergy or sinus headaches
• Headaches related to medication use
• Headaches related to concussion, whiplash, and other injuries
• Headaches related to nerve irritation and spinal issues such as degenerative disc disease

The type of pain you experience with these headaches often helps determine the underlying cause.

Symptoms of chronic headaches

Symptoms related to chronic headaches can vary greatly according to type. For instance, migraines often cause throbbing or pulsating pain accompanied by sensitivity to light or sound and nausea and vomiting. Pain related to tension-type headaches typically occurs on both sides of your head and does not throb.

A cluster headache, so named because they tend to occur in bouts or clusters, causes crippling pain in or around one eye or on one side of the head. Cluster headaches may frequently occur for several weeks to months and then stop before beginning again.

Treating chronic headaches

Effective treatment for your chronic headache pain starts with an accurate diagnosis of what’s causing your pain. After a thorough evaluation, Dr. Sarij may recommend:

• Prescription medication
• Steroid injections to relieve inflammation and soothe irritated nerves
• Cervical facet radiofrequency neurotomy or selective nerve root block
• Botox® injections for chronic migraines
• Trigger point injections to relieve muscular strain

You may also benefit from guided physical therapy designed to improve posture and relax tense muscles, decreased caffeine consumption, or activity modification related to post-concussion syndrome headaches.

The good news? You don’t have to live with the pain. Regardless of what’s causing your chronic headaches, Dr. Sarij can help. Schedule a visit to Integrated Spine & Pain Care today.