At Craniofacial Pain Center Of Colorado, we specialize in determining the causes of and proper treatment for all kinds of craniofacial issues. This includes sleep apnea and snoring issues, TMJ disorder, and headaches of all kinds. Occasionally, we treat patients who believe they may suffer from migraines, when in reality the problem is a muscular headache. What are the differences between the two, and possible treatment options for muscular headaches?
Nearly 30 million Americans suffer from migraines. They are characterized by intense pain and can include other symptoms, such as feeling nauseous and sensitive to light and noise. They can be brought on by triggers, but many people don’t have any. They are not headaches.
Muscular headaches, on the other hand, are often brought on by tension in muscles due to clenching and grinding teeth (bruxism.) While they may cause intense pain, they are not related to migraines and should be treated differently.
But when pain strikes, how can you tell if it is a migraine or not? One sign you have a muscular headache is if migraine medication doesn’t provide relief, but normal pain medications do. Since their causes are so different, the two types of medication aren’t typically effective on both headaches and migraines. Muscular headaches also tend to be localized in the back of your head, behind your eyes, or in your temple.
If you can’t control symptoms of muscular headaches with the occasional aspirin, we may recommend more extensive treatment, such as a night guard. To learn more about craniofacial pain or to schedule an appointment, please call our office in Arvada, CO, today.
