Pains in head & sore scalp

[nickieb]

Hello i was wondering if i could get some advice.

Today i have experienced in the left top side of my head almost where a hairband would sit, pains. Not all the time every once in a while. The pains are not horrendously painful but are a little painful. My scalp around that are also feels quite sore & sensitive. Do you have any ideas what this could be?

I have no medical problems other than what my doctor thinks is TMJ...i grit my teeth constantly. Are these typical of ice pick headaches? Or maybe related to my neck & shoulders aching & in pain- maybe a type of referred pain?

I would appreciate all advice

Nicola

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Your symptoms are pointing towards the diagnosis of tension headache.
A tension headache is the most common headache.A tension headache generally produces a diffuse, usually mild to moderate pain over your head. Many people have the feeling to having a tight band around their head.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tension-headache/DS00304/DSECTION=treatments%2Dand%2Ddrugs

.In many cases, there's no clear cause for a tension headache. Fortunately, effective treatments for tension headaches are available.Pls give a description of your pain to your doctor like the type of pain, including its severity, location, frequency and duration, and other signs and symptoms that you may have. If you have unusual or complicated headaches, you may need tests like CT or MRI brain to rule out serious causes of head pain, such as a tumor or an aneurysm. Also, keep a headache calendar for at least two months. Each time you get a headache, jot down a description of the pain, including how severe it is, where it's located and how long it lasts and any medications you take. A headache calendar can offer valuable clues that may help your doctor diagnose your particular kind of headache and discover possible headache triggers.

You can take OTC painkillers like acetaminophen(Tylenol) or ibuprofen(Advil).These may help. But my advise is a thorough physical examination by a neurologist to rule out other causes.

Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[MsFish]

With your mention of scalp pain and also neck/shoulder pain and aching I would say these are related to tension.  You have one big sheet of tissue that covers your scalp called the epicranial aponeurosis.  If this is tense I think it could lead to the symptoms you are describing.