At New York Pain Medicine Associate, our specialists have multiple minimally invasive solutions to stop headaches and migraines in their tracks. Whether your pain is minor or severe, our qualified and friendly staff is here to help you.
Many people often mix up migraines and headaches, however, they do differ from one another. While a headache can be a dull pain, a migraine is classified as an intense, throbbing headache that may be accompanied by nausea or dizziness. Migraines can last from hours to several days. While many people experience an occasional headache, those with migraines or other types of chronic headaches may be missing out on a fulfilling lifestyle. Our pain management experts are committed to helping patients find relief and regain control of their everyday lives.
Migraines may be treated with pain-relieving medications and with rest in a darkened room. People who experience migraines regularly may also take medications such as beta blockers or antihistamines. These can reduce the frequency and severity of the headaches.
A headache describes discomfort or pain in your head. This pain can also radiate into your neck and scalp and range from mild to intense.
There are a number of health and environmental factors that can increase your risk for a headache. In a primary headache, your pain may relate to dysfunction in the processes of your brain.
a recurrent throbbing headache that typically affects one side of the head and is often accompanied by nausea and disturbed vision.
Headaches that are caused by tension in the muscles that wrap around the neck and skull
These are very intense headaches that affect only one side of the head, usually around one eye. Cluster headaches are often a form of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia.
In a secondary headache, the root cause of pain typically relates to an underlying medical condition, disease, or other trigger like:
Another secondary headache cause could be degeneration of the discs in your spine due to aging or trauma. This can cause cervicogenic headaches when the discs press on your spinal column.
To determine the cause and type of headache you’re having, the team at the New York Pain Medicine Associate takes time to review your medical history, your lifestyle, profession, and other aspects of your life that may have an impact on your overall wellbeing.
Often, they can determine the type of headache pain you’re experiencing based on your symptoms and the location of pain, such as:
Cluster headaches cause intense, burning pain in one side of your head or behind one eye only, with the pain feeling like it is “clustered” all in one area. They can even cause a runny nose or nasal congestion and may last for days or weeks at a time.
Migraine headaches cause severe, throbbing pain usually on one side of your head. Migraines can be considered chronic if you experience 15 or more headache days a month.
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. They cause you to feel a tightening around your head. This kind of headache can occurs when the muscles in your neck or scalp are overly tight, often due to lifestyle factors like stress and poor posture.
Thunderclap headaches are a warning sign that may indicate you have an underlying blood vessel issue, and should be taken seriously. These headaches come on suddenly and severely, lasting up to five minutes. Although they are brief, severe headaches should be timed and symptoms should not be ignored.
If you experience a thunderclap headache, you need to get immediate medical attention at the nearest emergency room or by calling 911 to prevent serious health complications.
When you experience recurring or chronic headaches that aren’t respondin to treatment with over-the-counter medicines, don’t delay an evaluation at New York Pain Medicine Associate.
While various treatment options are available, your specific treatment plan for recurrent or debilitating headaches will depend on the type of headache you are experiencing and its cause.
The team of specialists at New York Pain Medicine Associate customizes your treatment plan and may recommend a combination of treatments to address existing pain and prevent additional headaches and migraines.
To find out which headache treatment is right for you, call us or request an appointment online today.