3.5.4
Tension Headache
Malawi Standard Treatment Guidelines, 6th Edition, 2023. Chapter 3, Central Nervous System Conditions.
Clinical Description
- Headache over the back of the head, but sometimes over the entire head, described as a tight band around the head, usually worse in the afternoon.
General Measures
- Refer to medical rehabilitation Services for muscle relaxation techniques. The importance of this diagnosis is the exclusion of other, more sinister conditions.
Exclude analgesia overuse headache.
Pharmacological
- Amitriptyline, oral, 10-75 mg at night.
Complications and Referral Criteria
- When there is atypical pain, suggestive of alternate diagnosis.
- When there is poor response to therapy.
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