Debunking myths in headache diagnosis for the pain practitioner

Hsiangkuo Yuan; Samantha Strutner; Clara Yuh; Suwarna Anand; Gaurav Chauhan; Anand Prem; Shalini Shah; Nathaniel M Schuster

doi:10.1136/rapm-2023-104803

Debunking myths in headache diagnosis for the pain practitioner

Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2024 Aug 5;49(8):545-549. doi: 10.1136/rapm-2023-104803.

Authors

Hsiangkuo Yuan¹, Samantha Strutner², Clara Yuh³, Suwarna Anand⁴, Gaurav Chauhan⁵, Anand Prem⁴, Shalini Shah⁶, Nathaniel M Schuster⁷

Affiliations

¹ Jefferson Headache Center, Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
² School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
³ Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
⁴ Department of Anesthesiology, University of Mississippi University Hospital, Jackson, Mississippi, USA.
⁵ Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
⁶ Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California, USA.
⁷ Headache and Pain Neurologist, Center for Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA nmschuster@health.ucsd.edu.

PMID: 37816519
DOI: 10.1136/rapm-2023-104803

Abstract

With headache being one of the most common chief complaints, it is essential for pain practitioners to interpret and differentiate a variety of headache characteristics to accurately diagnose and treat specific headache disorders. Certain misconceptions often lead to misdiagnosis. This article presents and discusses six myths about several common headache disorders (migraine, tension-type headache, cluster headache, cervicogenic headache, sinus headache, and occipital neuralgia) often encountered in clinical practice. The discussion is based primarily on the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition and the latest studies. Recognizing and understanding the intricacies behind key headache diagnoses will help providers devise appropriate plans to better care for their patients.

Keywords: cervicogenic headache; cluster headache; migraine; occipital neuralgia; tension-type headache.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Diagnosis, Differential
Headache Disorders / diagnosis
Headache* / diagnosis
Humans