Headache

Conditions and Treatments

There are two types of headaches: primary, in which the headache is the disorder itself and secondary, in which the headache is caused by another condition, such as brain tumor; hemorrhaging or bleeding in the brain; meningitis, an infection causing inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord; or giant cell arteries, a disorder involving inflammation and damage to blood vessels, particularly those in the neck.

The most common types of primary headache are migraine, cluster headache and tension-type headache. Many patients often overuse headache medications such as pain killers or migraine treatments. This can cause a condition known as medication overuse headache (MOH), which must be treated first by your doctor before other therapies can be prescribed.

Inpatient Care

People suffering from headache that does not respond to usual treatments or who have frequent or prolonged headache, and those who have developed medication overuse headaches (MOH), may benefit from inpatient care at the UCSF Headache Center. Patients with the following may be candidates for treatment:

• Chronic daily headache (CDH)
• Chronic migraine (CM)
• Hemicrania continua
• New daily persistent headache
• Chronic cluster headache (CCH)
• Medication overuse headache (MOH)

Each patients treatment plan is uniquely tailored to their headache disorder. Our goal is to manage patients headache symptoms and improve their quality of life by reducing anxiety and depression, dependence on medications and the number of days they are disabled due to headache.

Inpatient treatment may include:

• Detoxification — The majority of inpatients suffer from medication overuse headache (MOH), which requires medication withdrawal, using other medications to help the process.
• Medication therapy — Most patients are prescribed drugs to help manage their headaches and symptoms.
• Lifestyle management — Some patients may be disabled due to their headaches and require help managing everyday tasks. Experts also help educate patients about how to prevent trigger factors that may cause headaches.
• Physical therapy — Patients may require physical therapy services depending upon their level of motor functioning.
• Patient Education — Resources are provided to patients and their families about headaches and how to most effectively manage the condition.
• Discharge planning — All patients are discharged with an appropriate plan for follow-up care, dietary and medication management.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated September 18, 2008