Headaches – Sports Injury

Headaches are a very common ailment which can affect sports performance. Although they very rarely require any kind of medical intervention, sometimes the pain of a headache can be enough to force you to stop participating in an activity until the pain has eased. The levels of pain, the intensity, placement and pattern of the headache can vary from person to person and so often only you will be able to diagnose the condition of your own headache. Sometimes a headache may be indicative of a more serious underlying condition, especially if you have suffered recently from a head injury. It is always advisable that you seek medical assessment in these circumstances to ensure you don’t ignore any potentially dangerous ailments.

Types of Headache

There are two main types of headache: vascular and cervical. Vascular headaches are associated with blood flow; an increased blood flow to the brain causes a throbbing sensation in the head. These are the most common type of headache experienced, with nearly 20% of people having been affected at some point in their lives. There are two main sub-types of vascular headache, these are migraine and cluster. Vascular headaches normally produce a more acute pain than cervical headaches. Cervical headaches are caused typically by mechanical movement in the neck and the pain is then transferred through the neck and into the skull. The pain is usually dull and steady rather than intense.


Is it a Harmful Headache?

Most headaches are fairly harmless and the pain will gradually ease away by itself with no further repercussions. In some cases however it can be necessary and worthwhile to seek further diagnosis. If you have rarely experienced headaches before and find they have started increasing in frequency or intensity then you may want to see your doctor. You should also seek a medical opinion if when you experience a headache other symptoms manifest themselves alongside it. These can include feverish symptoms, numbness, drowsiness, neck pain or weight loss.  Medical assessment is necessary in finding the right treatment for the right headache, and sometimes you can’t always be sure if a headache is indicating something more serious underneath the surface.