Diagnosis and clinical management of headaches

In this article, we will first present an overview of the epidemiology and classification of headaches, distinguishing between primary headaches (in which the headache itself is the primary disorder) and secondary headaches (ie, headaches due to an underlying condition, such as a neoplastic and/or space-occupying lesion, a cerebrovascular accident, or other type of structural brain lesion). We will use the current classification system of the International Headache Society, focusing on primary headache disorders (migraine, tension-type headache, cluster headache), which we will discuss from the practical clinical perspectives of diagnosis and clinical management. Throughout this article, we will emphasize the chronicity and periodicity of headaches as a type of chronic pain syndrome.