Migraines vs Headaches treatment

Are headaches and migraines the same – or different? The majority of the time we tend to use a migraine to describe a particularly painful annoyance, and while they do share several characteristics that they can present themselves in very different ways. Both may differ between mild/moderate/severe pain and influence one side or the whole of their mind. Occasionally they may pass quickly and at other times they could last for days.

The key difference is that tension headaches tend to present only a tight sharp pain, while migraines endeavor more constant throbbing qualities and contain other symptoms which are more ‘flu-like’. It’s typical for migraines to be accompanied by light sensitivity, nausea, and a lack of energy. Exertion – even very mild exercise like climbing stairs — may make migraines suddenly become much worse, while others have a tendency to remain quite constant and steady.

Before we look further into this subject it’s worth mentioning that anybody who has suddenly developed intense head pain ought to think about visiting a medical doctor or physiotherapist very rapidly, especially if it’s accompanied by lightheadedness, confusion, and nausea.

So, what causes Headaches & Migraines anyway?

It may be surprising to learn but there’s not a good understanding of what exactly causes tension style headaches. While it’s long been thought that some sort of muscle strain played a part (especially around the neck area ) there must be some sort of chemical reaction that people can’t yet identify. As we will see later, massage therapy can assist with reducing the frequency and severity of headaches but there’s still no scientific, permanent solution besides painkillers, which we don’t advise.

Fortunately, there is a lot more information and understanding when it comes to migraines. These seem to be due to changes in the blood circulation through the skull resulting in swollen veins that use pressure to the nerves. It’s worsened by numerous chemical reactions that accentuate the throbbing pain that soothes migraines.

While headaches may just look for no apparent reason there are several common factors considered to provoke migraine attacks. These vary from meals (alcohol, dairy products, citrus fruits), weather/atmospheric pressure changes, inadequate sleep, gluten intolerance, hormonal fluctuations, and even certain scents. Complementary therapies and treatments will look to identify the causes which seem to begin a migraine attack.

Another interesting difference between the two Is that stress appears to play a vital role in creating headaches while not much if any of a role in provoking migraines. Psychological assessments often demonstrate that individuals suffering acute stress very often exhibit a much greater proneness to severe headaches. Migraines, on the other hand, seem far more likely to result from specific environmental factors.

The first stage of treating severe head pain Is to rule out the possibility that it might be brought on by another ailment. Your physician will ask you to clarify the frequency of your attacks, where the pain is located, and the form that it takes. From this, they may then discuss more personal factors like stress levels, mental health history, and any family history of similar issues. Although do be aware these two conditions aren’t currently thought to be hereditary.

In the first case, it is likely that your doctor will ask a blood screen that ought to be sufficient to eliminate any other possible causes. In just about all cases they will ask you to maintain a headache/migraine journal that records the length of the strikes and will hopefully suggest whether there are some environmental causes. Remember to include what it is you are eating, how you’re sleeping, and minutes of particular stress.

Most people who consult a physician will have used painkillers to try to deal with their pains, again, we don’t recommend this and advise you to reach out to a physiotherapist before you attempt to medicate. If you do not have any success using generally accessible painkillers then you may script from your physician for stronger drugs. Medication varies for both.

Migraine Medicine: These are often Triptan based and promote the blood vessels in the skull to contract. Often these are very powerful as they directly counteract the physiological cause of migraines, but it might take a while to set a suitable dose. Many users report many different relatively benign side effects. These include but aren’t limited to tingling, hot flushes, dry mouth, minor lethargy/heaviness, drowsiness and sometimes nausea.

Triptans may not be ideal but it does tend to work for all but the most severe of cases. Anyone suffering long-term daily migraines could be steered towards attempting BoTox but notice that this is ineffective for other sorts of headaches. Your physiotherapist will have a number of alternatives that you can select from and have more natural steps to locate pain relief.

Headache Medicine: Assuming that overall painkillers aren’t successful (there are many to attempt to set a suitable/safe dose requires medical advice ) there is a fantastic chance your physician may still suggest trying different treatments. Despite the fact that they aren’t proven to work for tension headaches, the distinction between headaches and migraines can be so slight that there’s always the chance of early misdiagnosis.

If pain persists there are other alternatives to look towards these as complementary physical therapies that help with stress reduction and pain management. These can be extremely powerful and several physicians who specialize in managing headache pain will indicate these during the first phases of treatment.

Complementary Medicine Can Help – But Only After A Medical Appointment

Mindfulness, meditation and enjoying a healthy diet are well known for helping people suffering from recurrent headaches and migraines. Physical therapy with a trained physician or physiotherapist can help alleviate the pain.

Essential oils may provide another kind of release and are frequently utilized to supplement the treatment of tension headaches. Basil, flax, lavender, feverfew, and buckwheat oils are regarded as helpful for these signs and can either be utilized in aromatherapy or gently applied to the wrists and scalp.

You may wish to consult with your physician before trying any other remedies but there are no reasons why they ought to complicate medical treatments.

There’s no permanent cure for either headaches or migraines but millions of people do manage to successfully manage and deal with the pain that they cause. As everyone is physiologically unique, treatment plans will need to be personalized in a manner that specifically addresses what might be causing their problems. Establishing exactly what this is can be hard and require a long period of experimentation, particularly in the case of regular headaches.

While migraines are often considered to be the more ‘severe’ type of head pain, the fact is, they are usually actually much easier to treat and medicate. Physical treatments can also work miracles, particularly when it comes to reducing stress levels and learning how to handle pain and frustration.