The most common headache suffered in Western Society is the Tension Headache.  Tension Headaches are responsible for a large number of missed work-days and millions of dollars spent on over the counter pain medication.

Tension Headaches come in a wide range of severity, from the mildly annoying daily headaches through to those with a similar severity to the most painful of all headaches.  The cause of these headaches is muscle spasm in the muscles of the head or neck (or both) which are generally the result of either physical or psychological stress.

Disturbances in the neck due to postural problems or physical trauma (like a whiplash injury) can cause spasms in those muscles which attach to the “occipital” region of the back of the head.  The tension in these muscles can cause “Occipital Headache” which is a tension headache in the occipital region.

Sometimes, the tension in these same neck muscles puts pressure on certain nerves which travel from the occipital region, over the head to the forehead.  This can cause a tension headache in the frontal region above the eyes, or across the temples. 

Disturbances in the way the teeth fit together – bite disturbances – can cause strain in the muscles in the side of the face.  This commonly causes tension headaches in the temples – from the side of the eyebrow back to above the ears.

Tension in other chewing muscles will often cause headaches that are felt “behind” the eyes.

With all tension headaches, the site of the pain gives a clear indication of which muscles are in spasm and causing the headache.  To treat the pain, the best approach is to treat the muscle which is in spasm.

During a tension headache, the best way to treat the muscle is to massage it and apply heat.  The massage should be firm, and involves massaging along the direction of the muscle, and into the muscle attachments if possible.  The muscle attachment is where it attaches to the bone.

In the case of the neck and face muscles involved in tension headaches, they are all essentially vertical muscles, so the direction of massage should be up and down. 

The best way to apply heat is with a hot water bottle or a more sophisticated heat pack.  In either case, it is best to wrap the heat source in a moist face-washer or flannel (use hot water to moisten it and wring it out so it is not soaking).  The moisture helps the heat to penetrate deeper into the muscle fibres to improve the effect.

The best course of action, however, is to prevent the tension headaches.  Most tension headaches can be effectively prevented, or at least greatly reduced in frequency and severity, by properly treating the bite disturbance or the postural strain or neck trauma.  This requires accurate diagnosis by a well-qualified dentist or chiropractor – or better still, a dentist AND a chiropractor working together to help make you as healthy as possible.

You don’t need to suffer with Tension Headaches.  They can be successfully treated, without needing to resort to drugs, if you find the right health care professionals to provide the best in modern treatment. 

Dr Trevor Baret has been helping people with their Tension Headaches in his practice in Bondi Junction since 1980.  In 2006, he published an e-book about headaches, their proper diagnosis, treatment and prevention "Headache Solutions". 
To learn more about this book, or to purchase your own copy, visit - Headache Solutions