Medical management of adult headache

Abstract

We review the therapies for primary headache disorders: migraine, chronic migraine, tension-type headache, and cluster headache. Recommendations follow the evidence-based treatments so far as is possible with expert opinion to give clinical guidance. Headache has 2 levels of care: acute treatments designed to stop a headache from progressing and alleviate all symptoms associated with the headache and preventive therapies for patients whose headache frequency is such that by itself produces significant disability and impact on quality of life, or where the frequency of use of acute medications, regardless of efficacy, poses risks in terms of overuse or adverse events.

Keywords: Analgesics; Anti-epileptic drugs; Beta blockers; Natural therapies; Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; Triptans; US consortium guideline.