Further Outpatient Care
- Physical therapy for patients with headache includes warm and cold packs, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation.
- Regular exercise, stretching, balanced meals, and adequate sleep are part of a headache prevention program.
- Trigger point injections, occipital nerve blocks, or changes that improve posture may be used.
Deterrence/Prevention
Deterrence and prevention of headache may include the following:
- Physical therapy
- Biofeedback and relaxation therapy
- Cervical traction
- Injection of trigger points
Complications
Complications of headache may include the following:
- Undue reliance on nonprescription caffeine-containing analgesics
- Dependence on/addiction to narcotic analgesics
- GI bleed from use of NSAIDs
- Risk of epilepsy 4 times greater than that of the general population
Prognosis
- Headache may become chronic if life stressors are not changed.
- Most cases are intermittent and do not interfere with work or normal life span.
Patient Education
- For excellent patient education resources, see eMedicine's Headache Center. Also, visit eMedicine's patient education articles, Causes and Treatments of Migraine and Related Headaches and Tension Headache.
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