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Tension-type headache

MedGen UID:
18737
Concept ID:
C0033893
Disease or Syndrome
Synonyms: Headache, Idiopathic; Headache, Psychogenic; Headache, Stress; Headache, Tension; Headache, Tension-Type; Headaches, Idiopathic; Headaches, Psychogenic; Headaches, Stress; Headaches, Tension; Headaches, Tension-Type; Idiopathic Headache; Idiopathic Headaches; Psychogenic Headache; Psychogenic Headaches; Stress Headache; Stress Headaches; Tension Headache; Tension Headaches; Tension Type Headache; Tension-Type Headache; Tension-Type Headaches
SNOMED CT: Psychogenic headache (66551002); Stress headache (66551002); Tension-type headache (398057008); Tension headache (398057008)
 
HPO: HP:0012228

Definition

A type of headache that last hours with continuous pain of mild or moderate intensity, bilateral location, a pressing/tightening (non-pulsating) quality and that is not aggravated by routine physical activity such as walking or climbing stairs. [from HPO]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • Tension-type headache

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Robbins MS
JAMA 2021 May 11;325(18):1874-1885. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.1640. PMID: 33974014
Lee E, Moloney S, Talsma J, Pierce-Talsma S
J Am Osteopath Assoc 2019 Oct 1;119(10):e40-e41. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2019.096. PMID: 31566700
Burch R
Med Clin North Am 2019 Mar;103(2):215-233. Epub 2018 Dec 3 doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2018.10.003. PMID: 30704678

Curated

UK NICE Guideline CG150, Headaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management, 2021

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Al-Khazali HM, Krøll LS, Ashina H, Melo-Carrillo A, Burstein R, Amin FM, Ashina S
Musculoskelet Sci Pract 2023 Aug;66:102804. Epub 2023 Jun 16 doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2023.102804. PMID: 37394323
Corum M, Aydin T, Medin Ceylan C, Kesiktas FN
Complement Ther Clin Pract 2021 May;43:101319. Epub 2021 Jan 24 doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101319. PMID: 33517104
GBD 2016 Headache Collaborators
Lancet Neurol 2018 Nov;17(11):954-976. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30322-3. PMID: 30353868Free PMC Article
Loder E, Rizzoli P
BMJ 2008 Jan 12;336(7635):88-92. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39412.705868.AD. PMID: 18187725Free PMC Article
Silver N
Am Fam Physician 2007 Jul 1;76(1):114-6. PMID: 17668850

Diagnosis

Lindemann CR
JAAPA 2023 Apr 1;36(4):42-43. doi: 10.1097/01.JAA.0000921272.86882.2d. PMID: 36976033
Ashina S, Mitsikostas DD, Lee MJ, Yamani N, Wang SJ, Messina R, Ashina H, Buse DC, Pozo-Rosich P, Jensen RH, Diener HC, Lipton RB
Nat Rev Dis Primers 2021 Mar 25;7(1):24. doi: 10.1038/s41572-021-00257-2. PMID: 33767185
Nat Rev Dis Primers 2021 Mar 25;7(1):23. doi: 10.1038/s41572-021-00263-4. PMID: 33767173
Burch R
Med Clin North Am 2019 Mar;103(2):215-233. Epub 2018 Dec 3 doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2018.10.003. PMID: 30704678
Semenov IA
Dis Mon 2015 Jun;61(6):233-5. Epub 2015 Apr 14 doi: 10.1016/j.disamonth.2015.03.006. PMID: 25882693

Therapy

Jull G
Musculoskelet Sci Pract 2023 Aug;66:102787. Epub 2023 Jun 3 doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2023.102787. PMID: 37301672
Repiso-Guardeño A, Moreno-Morales N, Armenta-Pendón MA, Rodríguez-Martínez MDC, Pino-Lozano R, Armenta-Peinado JA
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023 Mar 2;20(5) doi: 10.3390/ijerph20054466. PMID: 36901475Free PMC Article
Cumplido-Trasmonte C, Fernández-González P, Alguacil-Diego IM, Molina-Rueda F
Neurologia (Engl Ed) 2021 Sep;36(7):537-547. Epub 2020 Apr 7 doi: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2017.12.005. PMID: 34537167
Álvarez-Melcón AC, Valero-Alcaide R, Atín-Arratibel MA, Melcón-Álvarez A, Beneit-Montesinos JV
Neurologia (Engl Ed) 2018 May;33(4):233-243. Epub 2016 Aug 1 doi: 10.1016/j.nrl.2016.06.008. PMID: 27491303
Silver N
Am Fam Physician 2007 Jul 1;76(1):114-6. PMID: 17668850

Prognosis

Steel SJ, Robertson CE, Whealy MA
Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2021 Oct 2;21(10):56. doi: 10.1007/s11910-021-01138-7. PMID: 34599406
GBD 2016 Neurology Collaborators
Lancet Neurol 2019 May;18(5):459-480. Epub 2019 Mar 14 doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30499-X. PMID: 30879893Free PMC Article
Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 Collaborators
Lancet 2015 Aug 22;386(9995):743-800. Epub 2015 Jun 7 doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60692-4. PMID: 26063472Free PMC Article
Loder E, Rizzoli P
BMJ 2008 Jan 12;336(7635):88-92. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39412.705868.AD. PMID: 18187725Free PMC Article
Silver N
Am Fam Physician 2007 Jul 1;76(1):114-6. PMID: 17668850

Clinical prediction guides

Al-Khazali HM, Krøll LS, Ashina H, Melo-Carrillo A, Burstein R, Amin FM, Ashina S
Musculoskelet Sci Pract 2023 Aug;66:102804. Epub 2023 Jun 16 doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2023.102804. PMID: 37394323
Repiso-Guardeño A, Moreno-Morales N, Armenta-Pendón MA, Rodríguez-Martínez MDC, Pino-Lozano R, Armenta-Peinado JA
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023 Mar 2;20(5) doi: 10.3390/ijerph20054466. PMID: 36901475Free PMC Article
Azhdari N, Kamali F, Vosooghi O, Petramfar P, Rahimijaberi A
J Man Manip Ther 2023 Aug;31(4):246-252. Epub 2022 Sep 2 doi: 10.1080/10669817.2022.2107446. PMID: 36052499Free PMC Article
Corum M, Aydin T, Medin Ceylan C, Kesiktas FN
Complement Ther Clin Pract 2021 May;43:101319. Epub 2021 Jan 24 doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101319. PMID: 33517104
Speciali JG, Eckeli AL, Dach F
Expert Rev Neurother 2008 May;8(5):839-53. doi: 10.1586/14737175.8.5.839. PMID: 18457540

Recent systematic reviews

Repiso-Guardeño A, Moreno-Morales N, Armenta-Pendón MA, Rodríguez-Martínez MDC, Pino-Lozano R, Armenta-Peinado JA
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023 Mar 2;20(5) doi: 10.3390/ijerph20054466. PMID: 36901475Free PMC Article
Onofri A, Pensato U, Rosignoli C, Wells-Gatnik W, Stanyer E, Ornello R, Chen HZ, De Santis F, Torrente A, Mikulenka P, Monte G, Marschollek K, Waliszewska-Prosół M, Wiels W, Boucherie DM, Onan D, Farham F, Al-Hassany L, Sacco S; European Headache Federation School of Advanced Studies (EHF-SAS)
J Headache Pain 2023 Feb 14;24(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s10194-023-01541-0. PMID: 36782182Free PMC Article
Vázquez-Justes D, Yarzábal-Rodríguez R, Doménech-García V, Herrero P, Bellosta-López P
Neurologia (Engl Ed) 2022 Nov-Dec;37(9):806-815. Epub 2022 Jun 2 doi: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2019.09.010. PMID: 35659858
Cumplido-Trasmonte C, Fernández-González P, Alguacil-Diego IM, Molina-Rueda F
Neurologia (Engl Ed) 2021 Sep;36(7):537-547. Epub 2020 Apr 7 doi: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2017.12.005. PMID: 34537167
GBD 2017 US Neurological Disorders Collaborators, Feigin VL, Vos T, Alahdab F, Amit AML, Bärnighausen TW, Beghi E, Beheshti M, Chavan PP, Criqui MH, Desai R, Dhamminda Dharmaratne S, Dorsey ER, Wilder Eagan A, Elgendy IY, Filip I, Giampaoli S, Giussani G, Hafezi-Nejad N, Hole MK, Ikeda T, Owens Johnson C, Kalani R, Khatab K, Khubchandani J, Kim D, Koroshetz WJ, Krishnamoorthy V, Krishnamurthi RV, Liu X, Lo WD, Logroscino G, Mensah GA, Miller TR, Mohammed S, Mokdad AH, Moradi-Lakeh M, Morrison SD, Shivamurthy VKN, Naghavi M, Nichols E, Norrving B, Odell CM, Pupillo E, Radfar A, Roth GA, Shafieesabet A, Sheikh A, Sheikhbahaei S, Shin JI, Singh JA, Steiner TJ, Stovner LJ, Wallin MT, Weiss J, Wu C, Zunt JR, Adelson JD, Murray CJL
JAMA Neurol 2021 Feb 1;78(2):165-176. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.4152. PMID: 33136137Free PMC Article

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    Clinical resources

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      See practice and clinical guidelines in NCBI Bookshelf. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.

    Curated

    • NICE, 2021
      UK NICE Guideline CG150, Headaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management, 2021

    Consumer resources

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