Headaches Clinical Guide
This Clinical Guide presents an overview of headache disorders. We outline a broad classification framework for practitioners, while reviewing key pearls for diagnosing individual patients. We walk you through the diagnostic criteria, tell you which patients require further testing, and cover treatment regimens for the various disorders.
The most important step in helping your headache patients is determining an accurate diagnosis. In these articles, you will be exposed to the pitfalls and pearls of accurately diagnosing headache disorders. We explore both the primary headaches and secondary headaches, as well as review ominous headache events. You’ll gain the knowledge to guide your patients through diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of headache syndromes, while confidently soothing their anxieties. You will also be able to help patients recognize what might be triggering headaches and how to avoid these triggers. Once a diagnosis is established, you will be led through treatment options ranging from non-pharmacologic management steps to prophylactic and abortive medicine regimens.
What are the primary headache disorders?
- How to classify headaches
- The four causes of primary headaches
- How to diagnose migraine headaches
- What are the four phases of migraine headaches?
- How to diagnose tension headaches
- Diagnosing and treating cluster headaches
- Diagnosing the trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias
- A summary of other primary headaches
- Diagnosing and treating chronic daily headaches
A look at the secondary headache disorders
- Diagnosing and treating sinus headaches
- What’s the connection between headaches and neck or muscle pain?
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) related headaches
- Identifying and managing medication overuse headache
- SNOOPP: Recognizing red flags in your headache patients
- Diagnosing secondary sudden onset (thunderclap) headaches
- Severe conditions associated with secondary headaches
- A review of medical conditions that can cause secondary headaches
- Diagnosing and treating the three common cranial neuralgias
Characterizing your patient's headache
Completing a thorough exam for your headache patient
How to approach treatment for your headache patient
- Providing treatment options for your patient with headaches
- Migraine prophylaxis: Over-the-counter treatment options
- Migraine prophylaxis: Prescription treatment options
- Migraine prophylaxis: Newer options for migraine management
- Abortive treatment options for your headache patient
- Headache rescue medications and medication tolerance
- Putting your headache knowledge to practice with three clinical cases