Q I get a tension headache every day. If it becomes chronic, is it hard to cure?
A Chronic tension headache (15 or more days per month, lasting over 3 months) requires treatment, but if the causes (cervical structure, medication overuse) are corrected early, it can revert to the episodic form. The longer it is left untreated, the more entrenched the chronic state becomes.
Detailed Answer
Chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) is a state in which headaches occur on 15 or more days per month for over 3 months. Risk factors for chronicity include medication overuse, sleep disorders, depression and anxiety, musculoskeletal pain, and social stress. The longer the chronic period lasts, the more time recovery takes, but if the cause is accurately identified and corrected, it can be returned to episodic tension headache.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, chronic tension headache is a state of long-accumulated Qi stagnation with blood stasis, in which blood stasis and phlegm-retention build up in the cervical fascia and the pain becomes fixed. At Dongjedang, we release the structure with Chuna manual therapy, remove blood stasis and phlegm-retention with heat-clearing herbal medicine that promotes Qi-and-blood circulation, and directly resolve local trigger points with pharmacopuncture. For chronic patients in particular, at least 8 to 12 weeks of consistent treatment is the key to recovery.
Related FAQs
-
Q
Is it possible to cure tension headaches completely, or do I have to manage them for life?
#Possibility / Realistic Goals
-
Q
Whenever I have a tension headache, neck and shoulder pain always come with it. Do they all get better with the same treatment?
#Comorbidities
-
Q
I have insomnia and anxiety along with my tension headache. Are they related? Can Korean medicine treat them together?
#Comorbidities
-
Q
Are there stretches or posture corrections I can do at home to reduce tension headaches?
#Lifestyle Management
-
Q
How important are sleep and stress management for tension headaches? Please tell me specific methods.
#Lifestyle Management