Almost every individual has experienced headaches. Head pain can range from a dull ache to back of head pain to sharp head pain. Headaches can occur on one or both sides of the head, radiate across the head or be isolated to one specific area. Many cases of head pain are treated with over-the-counter pain medications, caffeine or rest. In cases where the pain gets progressively worse or comes on abruptly, a pain physician may be needed to help alleviate the pain and diagnosis any underlying health condition. OPTIMAL Pain & Regenerative Medicine® assists patients living in the Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas area by providing a number of pain management treatments designed to lessen head pain.
Facts on Head Pain
Physicians do not fully understand what causes 90 percent of headaches. The blood vessels in the head and neck, the tissues surrounding the brain and the nerves originating in the brain are linked to head pain since they can signal pain. Other structures of the body can cause head pain, including the scalp, sinuses and neck muscles and joints.
Patients can typically alleviate a headache by simple at-home treatments. Certain headaches require medical attention, including:
- An unusually severe headache
- Headaches that steadily worsen
- Headaches accompanied by loss of motor functions, fever, confusion or seizures
- Head pain after a direct blow to the head
- Head pain that begins abruptly
There is an estimated 300 types of headaches. The primary headaches many patients are familiar with include tension-type headaches, migraines, cluster headaches and sinus headaches. Sources of secondary headaches include dehydration, influenza, ear infections, concussions and trigeminal neuralgia.
Facts on Back of Head Pain
Back of head pain is a typical pattern in many types of headaches, including cluster headaches and migraines. Pain in the back of the head is also associated with other conditions, including:
- Prolonged, uncomfortable neck positions
- Compression of the nerve roots as they exit the spinal cord
- Raised intracranial pressure
- Sleep apnea
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Back of head pain is quite common and can be treated with home remedies in many cases. If the pain is severe or occurs after trauma to the head, a pain physician should be contacted as quickly as possible.
Facts on Sharp Head Pain
Sharp head pain commonly occurs in migraines and cluster headaches, but can also occur in an isolated headache type called an ice pick headache. Ice pick headaches are characterized by stabbing, sharp head pains occurring mostly in the eye, temple or parietal areas. The sharp head pain only lasts a few seconds and may persist throughout the day.
Ice pick headaches are difficult to treat since the sharp head pain lasts such a short amount of time. Some patients who suffer from migraines report an improvement with stabbing head pain with better migraine control.
The pain physicians at OPTIMAL Pain & Regenerative Medicine® are skilled and experienced at treating a wide range of head pain, including headaches with sharp head pain and back of head pain. Contact our team today to schedule a consultation.