The Primary Headache Syndromes: When Is a Headache “Just a Headache?”

Summary

The primary headache disorders account for the vast majority of the episodic and chronic head pain that is so pervasive in our society. Unlike the secondary headaches described in the last chapter, these primary headaches do not point towards the presence of serious, underlying disease. Even so, the financial, physical and emotional cost imposed by these disorders is staggering, and it is no exaggeration to state that migraine in particular has been and remains a chronic public health care emergency. In this chapter, we will begin our effort to provide the reader with the education and tools he or she requires to cope more effectively with migraine, the intimate enemy.