Headache Disorders

Headache specialists at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health use evidence-based methods to treat many types of headaches and offer advanced treatments. Even if past treatments failed to ease head pain, we can help you.

Services are available from board-certified neurologists throughout the Puget Sound, some with advanced fellowship training in headache disorders. Our specialists perform comprehensive exams that get to the source of your symptoms. We then tailor treatments and recommendations that bring much-needed relief. Meet our headache specialists.

Our team treats a broad range of issues, including:

These disorders are not due to an underlying condition and include: 

• Tension headache: This is the most common headache type. Tension headaches cause aching, tightness, pressure and pain around the forehead, temples or back of the head and neck.
• Cluster headache: The condition causes severe headaches on one side of your head that happen in groups, or "clusters." Cluster headaches usually occur over weeks or months. 
• Migraine: Migraine is a painful, throbbing headache that lasts from 4 to 72 hours. When you have a migraine, it may be so painful that you aren't able to do your usual activities. The most common symptom of a migraine headache is a throbbing pain on one side of your head.     
• Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias: This headache type causes pain on one side of the head, along with a teary eye, stuffy nose or facial sweating on the same side as the headache.
• Occipital neuralgia: The condition causes a shooting or stabbing pain at the base of the skull that spreads upward to one or both sides of the head. It may also cause pain behind the eyes.

This type of headache is due to some other medical condition, such as:

• Concussion
• Inflammation from infections
• Sleep disorders, such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea
• Medication overuse, including headache drugs 
• Nerve disorders, such as occipital and trigeminal neuralgia
• Neurovascular disease, including hemorrhagic stroke
• Spinal fluid leak

The symptoms you experience depend on the type and severity of the headache. You may experience head pain that’s dull, piercing, pulsating or throbbing.

Other symptoms may include:

• Facial pain
• Forgetfulness
• Jaw clenching
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sensitivity to light, odors or sound
• Sleep disturbances
• Visual disturbances (aura), such as flashing lights

We start with an evaluation to learn more about your symptoms. Our specialists listen as you explain how head pain affects you and what treatments you’ve tried. After performing a physical and neurological exam, we may be able to diagnose the condition.

In some cases, additional testing is necessary:

• Blood work detects signs of infection, organ failure and malnutrition.
• Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) shows inflammation and bleeding near the brain.
• Sleep study diagnoses and determines the severity of sleep apnea.
• Imaging detects structural issues, like tumors and damaged blood vessels.

We develop a personalized plan that may include one or more treatments:

Our neurologists care for patients across the Puget Sound area and beyond. Find a headache specialist near you.