Handbook Of Headache

Headache disorders are among the most common disorders of the nervous system. They are pandemic and, in many cases, they are recurrent and can accompany the patient for the whole life. These disorders impose a substantial burden on headache sufferers, on their families and on society: the individual impact is measured by the frequency and severity of attacks, while the societal burden is measured in terms of loss of activity at work and school as well as of costs for the health system. As a matter of facts, headaches are ranked in the top ten, and maybe the top five, causes of disability worldwide: they are therefore extraordinarily common. Population-based studies have mostly focused on migraine, which, even if it is the most frequently studied headache disorder, is not the most common . Other types of headache, such as the more prevalent TTH and sub-types of the more disabling chronic daily headache, have so far received less attention and need to be better investigated. This book will provide a useful tool to a wide medical population, who is required specific skills to diagnose and manage these frequent and often disabling disorders .Furthermore, it could also represents a compendium for medical students who are usually introduced to this topic through multidisciplinary university programmes.

Thoroughly updated for its Second Edition, this handbook is a practical, easily accessible guide to the diagnosis and management of headache patients. Geared to both primary care physicians and neurologists, the book presents a systematic approach to diagnosis and offers expert recommendations for treating all types of headaches, including migraine, chronic daily headache, tension and cluster headaches, post-traumatic headaches, headache during pregnancy, headache in children, headaches with onset after age 50, and headaches caused by HEENT disorders. This edition includes new drug treatments such as topiramate, almotriptan, frovatriptan, eletriptan, botulinum toxin, and tizanidine. Also included are 42 case studies, patient education materials, alternative treatments, and a medicolegal section.

Headache syndromes rank amongst the most common presenting symptoms in general practice and neurology, affecting up to 15% of the adult population. Part of the Oxford Textbooks in Clinical Neurology series, the Oxford Textbook of Headache Syndromes provides clinicians with a definitive resource for diagnosing and managing patients with primary and secondary forms of headaches, either as isolated complaints or as part of a more complex syndrome. Split into 7 key sections with 59 chapters, this comprehensive work discusses the scientific basis and practical management of headache syndromes in a logical format. Each chapter is written by international experts in neurology who share their research and extensive experience by providing a wealth of practical advice for use in clinical situations. In addition, all content is up-to-date and chapters incorporate discussions on the latest International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition when relevant.

This volume describes the impact of headache disorders on public health, and their adverse consequences for society. It opens with an overview of relevant headache disorders before describing, qualitatively, how the burdens attributable to these disorders fall upon adults, adolescents and children. In the second section, beginning with a methodological introduction discussing the principles and potential pitfalls of epidemiological studies assessing prevalence, headache-attributed burden and functional impact, the burdens of headache including financial cost are examined quantitatively and in detail. The third section critically reviews society’s response, its inadequacies and the scope for improvement. Topics here include the political failure to recognize the public ill-health and cost that are the consequences of inadequate headache care; the role of the WHO in addressing the problem; headache service organization, delivery and quality; and the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions. The book closes by considering the way forward. This volume contains important messages for primary care and is likely to be of even greater interest to headache specialists and those concerned with public health and health policy.

Now in its updated Second Edition, this handbook provides the key information necessary to diagnose and treat headache. The information is presented in a practical and highly accessible manner. This edition incorporates the past few years' major advances in both diagnosis and treatment of headache. New chapters cover stratification of headache care and outcomes; serotonin syndrome; and borderline personality disorder. Also new to this edition is a chapter on what to do and when to refer in intractable cases.

This book is a pragmatic, succinct and authoritative text aimed at GPs, general neurologists and other primary care healthcare professionals dealing with patients with headache. This Oxford Care Manual advocates a multi-disciplinary team approach to care.

Headache Medicine has recently become an official medical subspecialty. Practitioners who specialize in the field come from many different backgrounds including neurology, internal medicine, anesthesiology, rehabilitation medicine, family medicine, psychiatry, dentistry and others. A great deal of research is being done in HM, and, as a result, the field is one which is growing rapidly in every way. Interestingly, most patients with headache are not being treated by specialists in HM, in large part because of the vast numbers of patients requiring medical attention for headache disorders, and the relatively small number of bona fide specialists. Thus, there is a need for resources to guide these practitioners as they manage headache patients. There are several excellent scholarly texts in the field and numerous books for the public about headache. There are really no concise manuals of HM, however, there are books aimed at the bulk of skilled practitioners taking care of the major share of headache sufferers, who wish to understand the important concepts of diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis in this complex field. This is the aim of Dr. Levin's book which consists of 4 parts: Part 1- Headache Medicine Basic Science, Part 2- Diagnosis of Primary Headache Disorders, Part 3- Diagnosis of Secondary Headache Disorders, and Part 4- Headache Treatment. Chapters in each section are concise, but include cutting edge information about these aspects of headache medicine. The organization of the contents of this book is similar to the Curriculum for Headache Medicine designed by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS) which is the organization responsible for accrediting Headache Medicine training programs and accrediting individual practitioners. The content of the book mirrors that of the UCNS board examination as well. Chapters include key tables and illustrations. Review questions are included at the end of each chapter and serve as a study resource. The editor is a charter diplomate of the UCNS HM examination and has directed board review courses for the American Headache Society and Headache Cooperative of New England. All of the eligible chapter authors have taken and passed this exam as well. The International Classification of Headache Disorders is used throughout this text and a concerted effort has been made to base content on evidence when available, rather than personal practices. Each chapter is intended as a stand alone monograph and as a result the book can be read in virtually any order.