JOPLIN, Mo. — National Headache Awareness Week continues through Saturday — a time set aside each year to focus on a condition than can literally become a pain in the neck.

There are different kinds of headaches, said Dr. Kent Sutterer, a family practice physician specializing in osteopathic manipulation at St. John’s Regional Medical Center.

“The two types of headaches that most people are familiar with are tension headaches and migraine headaches,” he said.



Tension vs. migraine

Sutterer describes a tension headache as a headache that usually starts with muscular tension in the neck, which will often develop into a headache in the base of the neck. It often then turns into what many have described as a band squeezing the head.

Migraines, on the other hand, are headaches that prevail mostly on one side.

“Migraines most often present as a one-sided headache that is pounding in nature, often with sensitivity to light and loud noises,” Sutterer said. “Migraines occasionally start with an aura, which can be flashing lights or unusual smells.”



Treatments

Tension headaches can sometimes be remedied with over-the-counter medication.

“Tension headaches are best treated with an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, such as Ibuprofen or Naprosyn. Other treatment and preventive measures include osteopathic craniosacral treatment, stretching and exercise,” said Sutterer.

However, these methods of treatment will sometimes fail to work on a migraine, he said.

“Migraines are often more difficult to treat and more persistent in nature. If over-the-counter treatments fail, your doctor may prescribe stronger pain medicine or an abortive headache medicine in the triptan family,” he said. “With severe persistent migraines, your doctor may prescribe a medicine to take daily to decrease the frequency and severity of your migraine symptoms.”



When to see a doctor

There may be a time when a headache has become so severe or frequent that you wish to seek medical help.

The decision, Sutterer said, often depends on how the headache symptoms affect a person’s life.

“In practice I see patients who have two to three headaches per month who will do anything to alleviate them, and others who have 15 a month who seem to think it’s normal,” he said. “There are occasional headache symptoms that are an indication of more serious problems, so you should mention these symptoms to your doctor even if you are not interested in treatment.”



Rachel Kubicek writes for The Joplin (Mo.) Globe.