Chapter 4: Recognizing Headaches 1 CE Hour
By: Kerry Davis, LMT, CMT, CPT Learning objectives Recall the criteria for each headache type.
Apply unstructured conversation techniques to the intake process. Formulate a treatment plan. Recognize the warning signs of an underlying life- threatening condition. health outcomes. Addressing implicit bias in healthcare is crucial for achieving equity in medical treatment. Strategies to combat these biases involve education and awareness programs for healthcare professionals. These programs help individuals recognize and acknowledge their biases, fostering a more empathetic and unbiased approach to patient care. Additionally, implementing policies and procedures prioritizing equitable treatment for all patients can play a pivotal role in reducing healthcare disparities. Ultimately, confronting implicit bias in healthcare is essential to creating a more just and equitable healthcare system where everyone receives fair and equal treatment regardless of their background or characteristics.
Identify the major muscles indicated in headache pain. Employ the appropriate assessments during the intake process.
Implicit bias in healthcare Implicit bias significantly affects how healthcare
professionals perceive and make treatment decisions, ultimately resulting in disparities in health outcomes. These biases, often unconscious and unintentional, can shape behavior and produce differences in medical care along various lines, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and socioeconomic status. Healthcare disparities stemming from implicit bias can manifest in several ways. For example, a healthcare provider might unconsciously give less attention to a patient or make assumptions about their medical needs based on race, gender, or age. The unconscious assumptions can lead to delayed or inadequate care, misdiagnoses, or inappropriate treatments, all of which can adversely impact
INTRODUCTION
of Headache Disorders (ICHD) was first released in 1988 and last updated in 2013 under the name ICHD-3 beta. Created by the International Headache Society (IHS), the ICHD-3 beta categorizes headaches as primary; secondary; or cranial neuropathies, facial pains, and other headaches (International Headache Society, 2016). Primary headaches include pain that is repetitive, or cyclical, and harmless. Migraines, tension-type, and cluster headaches are the major types classified under the primary category. Headaches classified as secondary are caused by a disease, injury, or infection. Cervicogenic, thunderclap, and cervical artery dissection headaches are some examples of secondary headaches. The final category – cranial neuropathies, facial pain, and other headaches – covers head pain that results from damage to one or more cranial nerves, such as trigeminal neuralgia and occipital neuralgia, but also includes headaches unclassified elsewhere. For a headache to receive diagnosis, a list of criteria must be met, including subcategories. For example, migraine could be diagnosed in a subcategory of either familial hemiplegic migraine or sporadic hemiplegic migraine, depending on whether a family member also experiences or has experienced the same characteristic migraine. This helps to aid not only in treatment but also in research as scientists proceed to understand patterns that will give information regarding causes for each type of headache already classified as well as structure for those currently unclassified. This places primary care physicians, chiropractors, and massage therapists at the forefront of research in this area (International Headache Society, 2016; Johns Hopkins, 2017; Wikipedia, 2017e). According to a 2017 survey conducted for the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), 78% of massage consumers indicated a medical reason for receiving a massage that listed headache pain in the definition.
Perhaps the most prevailing disorder in society is headaches. The first recorded headache dates back to 4000 bce in Mesopotamia. From there, the Ebers Papyrus (1550 bce) refers to the central nervous system in relation to headaches by the ancient Egyptians. The next major empires to chronicle headache pain and treatment were the Greeks and Romans, who recognized the difference between migraine and other headaches. Through the careful documentation of this disorder, these civilizations not only provided proof that humans have been plagued by headache pain for millennia but also helped the advancement of research and treatment through consistently recording the use of willow bark to heal headache pain. Eventually, scientists discovered the presence of salicylic acid in the willow bark and leaves, which contains anti-inflammatory properties. With this information, they were able to successfully isolate the salicylic acid and create aspirin. As the health care field continues to progress, massage therapists are now in an important position to assist in furthering research and documentation that will lead to better understanding and new discoveries in regard to this affliction (Diamond, 2015). Sometimes referred to as cephalalgia in the medical community, the term headache denotes pain in the head or neck region. This pain can range from a dull ache to a severe stabbing pain and can be caused by numerous factors. Although most headaches are benign, or harmless, some types could be life-threatening. An example of headache pain indicating an emergency is that arising from an aneurysm, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or a tear in the carotid artery. Because of the wide complexion of headaches, a classification system has been created to assist medical professionals in diagnosis. The International Classification
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Book Code: MNJ0524
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