Types of Headache and Facial Pain We Treat

Living with headaches or fear of your next pain attack can get in the way of your busy life. But it doesn’t have to be this way. At Henry Ford Health, you’ll find a team of doctors specializing in common and complex types of headache and facial pain. This level of expertise can make all the difference in achieving lasting relief.

Headache care at Henry Ford: Why choose us?

At Henry Ford, you receive leading therapies from some of the region’s most trusted experts. Whether you’ve been dealing with symptoms for weeks or years, we can help you feel better. Our expertise spans a broad range of conditions, including rare and common types of headache and facial pain.

Common headache types we treat

Doctors and patients put their trust in us because we deliver treatments that relieve stubborn symptoms. Common headache types we treat include:

• Migraine: This inherited neurological condition occurs in people who are sensitive to changes in weather, sleep and more. Migraine attacks can be frequent making it challenging to go about your daily life. Get more information about migraine.
• Tension headache: Also known as a stress headache, this type of pain occurs when there’s tension in your head and neck muscles. Get more information about tension headaches.
• Cervicogenic headache: Pain due to problems with the upper spine, including arthritis and degenerative disc disease.
• Post-traumatic headache: Head pain that occurs within seven days of a serious injury, like a car accident. The pain may be moderate to severe.
• Exertional headaches: Physical activity triggers throbbing pain on both sides of the head. These activities may include coughing fits, exercise and sex. Symptoms start shortly after engaging in these activities.

Rare headaches and headache syndromes

You can count on us for comprehensive care of rare conditions, including:

• Cluster headaches: Recurring headaches that cause intense bouts of pain behind the eye on one side of your face. Episodes may occur daily for months at a time. Find out more about cluster headaches.
• Hemicrania continua: Days-long headaches affecting one side of the face with pain that periodically becomes severe.
• Occipital headaches or occipital neuralgia: Pain near the skull base that may spread to the neck or shoulders. This condition often occurs in people born with Chiari malformation, when the brain extends past the skull into the spinal cord.
• Pseudotumor cerebri (also known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension or IIH): We are nationally recognized experts in treating this condition. Symptoms, including abnormally high brain pressure, headaches and vision problems, are similar to brain tumors. But the condition is not cancerous.
• Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs): This group of complex conditions causes intense symptoms on one side of the head or face. Cluster headaches and hemicrania continua are examples of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias.

Trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain

Our team includes doctors who specialize in treating severe facial pain. These conditions include:

• Trigeminal neuralgia: Facial pain that stems from problems with the trigeminal nerve. This nerve provides sensation to the face and mouth. Find out more about trigeminal neuralgia.
• Geniculate neuralgia: Persistent, dull ache deep in the ear that’s often a complication of shingles (herpes zoster virus). Could also be due to compression of a nerve by a blood vessel.
• Glossopharyngeal neuralgia: Extremely rare condition that typically causes severe pain that comes and goes. You may experience discomfort in your throat, under the jaw, and in the ear. Swallowing often triggers these symptoms.
• Sphenopalatine ganglion neuralgia: Pain in and near the eyes or in the nasal passages — you may also feel it in your upper jaw or teeth.
• Superior laryngeal neuralgia: This condition causes pain on the side of the neck. Yawning, swallowing or rubbing the side of your neck may trigger pain attacks.
• Deafferentation pain: Constant pain that may be dull or intense. The condition occurs after a nerve injury, stroke or dental procedure.
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction: Pain near the ear and jaw that gets worse with chewing.