Primary Headaches
A primary headache is said to be due to the headache “condition” by itself. Primary headaches they say are the most common.
The most common primary headache types are:
- Migraine Headache
- Tension-Type Headache
- Cluster Headaches
Secondary Headaches
A secondary headache is a headache that is caused by another condition other than the headache itself.
The most common secondary headache types are:
- Cervicogenic Headache (This literally means a headache due to a neck problem)
- Post-Traumatic Headache (ex: Car accident trauma, again likely a neck problem)
- Rebound Headache (ex: Overuse of drugs)
- Sinus Headache
- Illness Headache (ex: Meningitis, Stroke, Aneurysm, Brain Tumor, etc.)
The Most Common Cause of Chronic Headaches
Whether your headache is primary or secondary if we go with the law of averages the most common cause of chronic headaches is by far an underlying neck problem. The truth is there is overlap between primary and secondary headaches. This is why in our opinion primary and secondary headache definitions are a poor way to categorize headaches. All headaches are caused by something so these definitions make it confusing. We feel there is no need for the distinction of primary or secondary headache. We should also point out that the majority of people that suffer with chronic headaches will appear to have a stable predictable sequence of symptoms that will occur again and again over months and unfortunately in many cases years.
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