The clinician's approach to the management of headache

Abstract

Headache is a ubiquitous complaint, yet it is one that often elicits anxiety in both patients and physicians. When a patient presents with headache, the clinician must answer the following questions: (1) Is the headache 'worrisome' (secondary to underlying disease)? (2) If the headache is benign, what type is it? (3) How is the acute headache best treated? and (4) How may future headaches be prevented? The following review is intended to aid primary care physicians in answering these questions.