tension headaches/muscle spasms - Headaches & Migraines Message Board

shanrocks · 12-02-2003, 05:22 PM

Hi. I am new to the board and find all of the information and posts very helpful. I started having really bad headaches a few months ago. I have seen a neurologist and had an MRI and an MRA angiogram and they both came out normal. The neurologist diagnosed me with tension headaches. I have been going to a chiropractor who has helped somewhat, however, I have recently been getting what appears to be muscle spasms in my head. Has this ever happened to anyone else who has had persistent tension headaches?? It is a bit unnerving and makes me think there is something wrong, even though I know that your head contains several very large muscles.

jwass · 12-04-2003, 10:19 PM

hi there-

as i type this post, i am experiencing the very same symptoms. i have had them on and off now for a couple of months. i too went for an mri and an mra which checked out fine. it's a strange feeling though. i hope that's all it is. i have kind of diagnosed myself as having tension headaches, however i still find myself a bit nervous about it.

questions: 1.do you feel the pain in various parts of your head?
2. does the pain last seconds, minutes, hours?
3. do you ever feel the muscle spasm or tension when you cough?

mine seem to come and go in different parts of my head (top, temples, back on both sides). they last about 5-10 seconds in intensity and then my head just feels sore and tired. i also feel pain sometimes when i cough.

i'd be curious to compare our symptoms. i also grind my teeth and clench pretty badly so i assume that is contributing to the situation.

i look forward to your post.

herzel · 12-05-2003, 06:25 AM

Hi, I also get bad tension headaches. I too go to a chiropractor often for mine and he does take them away for a day or two and then they come back. Tension headaches start in the back of the neck thats how you can tell their not migranes. Lately I have been getting pulsing pains from the base of my head. They hurt so bad. I'm not sure what the pulsing is all about but I do know they hurt. The drug Fiorinol really helps tension heachaches. It is an RX though, but works better than any muscle relaxer. They can be addicting though so you have to be careful. What also helps is to take Asprin or whatever you take and drink some caffeine with it. That is what is in most RX's. I wake up with bad heachaches, usually so bad I'd like to just shoot my head off it hurts so bad. I quick take some asprin and drink some coffee and it usually takes them away but it hurts so bad until the Asprin and caffeine start to work. I don't know how to keep them from coming back. If anyone knows please let us sufferers know.

shanrocks · 12-05-2003, 12:10 PM

The pains I get are not constant, although the pressure and general tightness in my head and parts of my face is sometimes present for several days at a time. The pains I get are almost like little buzzes or electrical shocks, sometimes in my temple area, sometimes in the back portion of my head and sometimes the top. It is not necessarily painful, it's just a strange sensation. I also have been noticing that, due to the anxiety over these head pains, I have been clenching my teeth a lot at night. Not grinding, just clenching. Sometimes when I do it during the day, I can feel the muscles on the side of my head move up and down when I clench, so it makes sense that I would have muscle spasms there as well.

I really found that no over the counter medication for headaches has helped me. The best relief I've found is from going to the chiropractor who has dramatically worked on my neck. In addition to him, I have also had two one hour massages, during which I could literally feel and hear my muscles popping from being so knotted up. All in all, these things have helped me understand why I've had the head pains and muscle spams, but it is still unnerving and freaky when it occurs.

It's also relieving to know other people have experience the same things.

Take care!!

Jane13 · 12-10-2003, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shanrocks

Hi. I am new to the board and find all of the information and posts very helpful. I started having really bad headaches a few months ago. I have seen a neurologist and had an MRI and an MRA angiogram and they both came out normal. The neurologist diagnosed me with tension headaches. I have been going to a chiropractor who has helped somewhat, however, I have recently been getting what appears to be muscle spasms in my head. Has this ever happened to anyone else who has had persistent tension headaches?? It is a bit unnerving and makes me think there is something wrong, even though I know that your head contains several very large muscles.

YES!!! I had the same thing for 4 long yrs. Ask your chiro about your atlas. (c-1). These are the symptoms of a displaced atlas which, unfortunately are hard to find. A subtle shift in this vertebrae can cause a constant tension-type h.a. which makes your head, face, and trap muscles really tight. Please see if your chiro does c-1 manipulation...most don't because its a somewhat scary area to crank on. My manipulation was done by my p.t. who diagnosed the problem. She does it manually...no jarring, etc. Painless procedure...takes 15 secs. The 1 st time she performed it...it was like night and day...the pain was gone immediately. Good luck...it's really worth checking out. Let me know how it gies!!

Jane