Headache
Pain Definitions
Following are the definitions for terms commonly used in the diagnosis and treatment of headaches.
Abortive Agents: medications used to reverse, abort or reduce headaches once they start
Acupuncture: a complementary therapy. Originating in China, this age-old practice involves inserting extremely slender needles into specific points along the body, called meridians, to relieve pain or discomfort.
Analgesics: also referred to as pain-relievers or "pain-killers," some types of these medications can be purchased off the grocery or drugstore shelf, while other – stronger – analgesics require prescriptions
Aura: specific neurological symptoms that accompany certain types of migraine headaches. The most common aura symptoms are visual, such as bright zigzag lines, sparkling moving figures, blind spots and distorted objects.
Biofeedback: a technique that involves a learning process whereby certain visual or auditory (sound-based) feedback allows individuals to train themselves to initiate responses that help control or normalize their psychological responses to pain and may help reduce muscle tension and spasm contributing to pain
Complementary Therapy: a recognized therapy, such as acupuncture, biofeedback, hypnosis, massage, relaxation techniques, etc., used alone or in combination with other forms of treatment, such as medications, injections or surgery
Computerized Tomography (CT) Scans:a non-invasive diagnostic procedure used to rule out brain tumors or lesions in headache patients
Dilate: expand
Homeopathic Medicine: an alternative approach used to treat illness and relieve discomfort in a wide range of health conditions. Homeopathy, which uses very small amounts of a substance, is based on using the "law of similars" to stimulate a healing response. The law of similars states that a substance that will cause disease symptoms in a normal person can, when given in homeopathic dilutions to an ill individual, prompt the same set of symptoms to initiate a healing response.
Medications: agents that help counteract a condition's effect on the body
Photophobia: sensitivity to light that can accompany headaches, particularly migraine and tension headaches
Physiological: part of the body; typically refers to the physical processes governing a bodily functions, which, when disturbed or disrupted, may lead to medical conditions and disorders
Postdrome: symptoms that can occur after a severe migraine attack, such as feeling tired or "washed out," irritable and listless
Post-Traumatic: occurring after an accident or injury
Primary Headache Disorder: a condition in which the headache represents the primary symptom of a physiological, or bodily, disorder. The more common primary headache types are migraine, tension-type, cluster and "ordinary."
Prodrome: in migraine headaches, this refers to events, such as mood changes, stiff neck, fatigue, increased sensitivity to light, sound and smells, etc., that can occur hours to days before the actual headache.
Prophylactic Agents: preventive medications prescribed when headaches occur more than twice a week and/or are extremely painful
Reactive Headache: one that is triggered by a "reaction" to something in a person's environment or lifestyle
Rebound Headache: also known as a "toxic" headache, it is caused by excessive use of certain medications, including many of the analgesics and other agents used to treat chronic headaches
Secondary Headache Disorder: a headache that arises as a symptom of another disorder. Some of the more common secondary headache types are post-traumatic, reactive, sinus and rebound
Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) Blockade: a type of neural (or nerve) blockade that involves the injection of a nerve-blocking agent into a cluster of nerves along the skull behind the face
Tinnitus: ringing in the ears
Vascular: related to blood vessels
Vertigo: a spinning sensation
Visual Imagery: the practice of using one's imagination to create mental pictures in a way that can help persons become relaxed and help relieve pain
Abortive Agents: medications used to reverse, abort or reduce headaches once they start
Acupuncture: a complementary therapy. Originating in China, this age-old practice involves inserting extremely slender needles into specific points along the body, called meridians, to relieve pain or discomfort.
Analgesics: also referred to as pain-relievers or "pain-killers," some types of these medications can be purchased off the grocery or drugstore shelf, while other – stronger – analgesics require prescriptions
Aura: specific neurological symptoms that accompany certain types of migraine headaches. The most common aura symptoms are visual, such as bright zigzag lines, sparkling moving figures, blind spots and distorted objects.
Biofeedback: a technique that involves a learning process whereby certain visual or auditory (sound-based) feedback allows individuals to train themselves to initiate responses that help control or normalize their psychological responses to pain and may help reduce muscle tension and spasm contributing to pain
Complementary Therapy: a recognized therapy, such as acupuncture, biofeedback, hypnosis, massage, relaxation techniques, etc., used alone or in combination with other forms of treatment, such as medications, injections or surgery
Computerized Tomography (CT) Scans:a non-invasive diagnostic procedure used to rule out brain tumors or lesions in headache patients
Dilate: expand
Homeopathic Medicine: an alternative approach used to treat illness and relieve discomfort in a wide range of health conditions. Homeopathy, which uses very small amounts of a substance, is based on using the "law of similars" to stimulate a healing response. The law of similars states that a substance that will cause disease symptoms in a normal person can, when given in homeopathic dilutions to an ill individual, prompt the same set of symptoms to initiate a healing response.
Medications: agents that help counteract a condition's effect on the body
Photophobia: sensitivity to light that can accompany headaches, particularly migraine and tension headaches
Physiological: part of the body; typically refers to the physical processes governing a bodily functions, which, when disturbed or disrupted, may lead to medical conditions and disorders
Postdrome: symptoms that can occur after a severe migraine attack, such as feeling tired or "washed out," irritable and listless
Post-Traumatic: occurring after an accident or injury
Primary Headache Disorder: a condition in which the headache represents the primary symptom of a physiological, or bodily, disorder. The more common primary headache types are migraine, tension-type, cluster and "ordinary."
Prodrome: in migraine headaches, this refers to events, such as mood changes, stiff neck, fatigue, increased sensitivity to light, sound and smells, etc., that can occur hours to days before the actual headache.
Prophylactic Agents: preventive medications prescribed when headaches occur more than twice a week and/or are extremely painful
Reactive Headache: one that is triggered by a "reaction" to something in a person's environment or lifestyle
Rebound Headache: also known as a "toxic" headache, it is caused by excessive use of certain medications, including many of the analgesics and other agents used to treat chronic headaches
Secondary Headache Disorder: a headache that arises as a symptom of another disorder. Some of the more common secondary headache types are post-traumatic, reactive, sinus and rebound
Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) Blockade: a type of neural (or nerve) blockade that involves the injection of a nerve-blocking agent into a cluster of nerves along the skull behind the face
Tinnitus: ringing in the ears
Vascular: related to blood vessels
Vertigo: a spinning sensation
Visual Imagery: the practice of using one's imagination to create mental pictures in a way that can help persons become relaxed and help relieve pain