Nearly everyone has had a headache at one time or another. Most are tension headaches that come and go within a few hours. Recurrent headaches, however, can last for days and have a significant impact on your daily activities. When headaches start to disrupt your life, a pain management specialist can help.
Teddrick Dunson, MD, of Thrive Pain Management in Irving, Texas is a highly regarded interventional pain management specialist with a stellar reputation for providing nonsurgical treatments for a wide variety of conditions related to chronic pain. Epidural injections are one the many effective therapies Dr. Dunson offers for relief from pain, including recurrent headaches.
Read more about epidural injections and why Dr. Dunson may recommend an injection for your headache pain.
Understanding Recurrent Headaches
Recurrent headaches are common and come in a variety of types, which include:
- Tension headache
- Migraine headache
- Allergy-driven or sinus-related headache
- Headache caused by hormonal fluctuations
- Headache related to caffeine consumption and/or withdrawal
- Rebound headaches, related to various medications
Treatments for these headache types may include over-the-counter pain medication, effective therapy for allergies, or various therapies to reduce the muscular stress and strain responsible for tension headaches.
Another type of recurrent headache is the cervicogenic headache (CGH), which arises from problems within the cervical spine (neck). This type of headache requires a different treatment approach than other kinds and may respond well to epidural steroid injections.
What causes cervicogenic headaches?
CGHs are characterized as secondary headaches which are caused by underlying issues. Conditions that irritate and inflame nerves, muscles, and other tissue structures in the cervical spine include:
- Whiplash injury or other trauma
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Nerve irritation and inflammation caused by herniated disc/degenerative disc disease
CGH can be difficult to diagnose because patients may feel the symptoms in the head rather than the neck. Often, it mimics other types of recurrent headaches, including migraine and tension headaches.
What are the symptoms of CGH?
Symptoms related to CGH may be intermittent initially but often become more constant as the underlying condition advances.
Common signs of CGH include:
- Pain starting at the back of the neck that radiates (travels) to the forehead and areas around the eye, temple, and ear
- Decreased flexibility of the neck
- Radiating pain along the shoulder and arm
The symptoms related to CGH most commonly occur on one side of the neck and head but may affect both sides.
How do epidural injections help with CGH?
The epidural injections Dr. Dunson provides at Thrive Pain Management contain two medications. One is a corticosteroid that reduces inflammation and swelling. The other medication is an anesthetic or numbing agent such as lidocaine.
Epidural injections are precisely targeted and delivered to the exact location of your pain. This procedure provides instant relief from your symptoms and decreasing inflammation. It also helps soothe irritated nerves for long-term benefits.
For relief from any chronic pain issue, including recurrent headache pain, schedule a visit at Thrive Pain Management today.
