Coping and support
By Mayo Clinic staffLiving with chronic pain can be extremely difficult. In addition to the physical symptoms, chronic pain can make you anxious or depressed. Ultimately, it may affect your relationships with friends and family, your productivity at work, and the overall quality of your life.
Talking to a counselor or therapist can help you cope with the effects of chronic pain. Or you may find encouragement and understanding in a headache support group. Although support groups aren't for everyone, they can be good sources of information. Group members often know about the latest treatments and tend to share their own experiences. If you're interested, your doctor may be able to recommend a group in your area.
- Tension-type headache. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Tension-Type_Headache. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Ropper AH, et al. Headache and other craniofacial pains. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adam's and Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies. 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3631051&searchStr=cluster+headache. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Crystal SC, et al. Epidemiology of tension-type headache. Current Pain and Headache Report. 2010;14:449.
- Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/detail_headache.htm. Accessed Nov. 29, 2010.
- Monteith TS. Tension type headache in adolescence and childhood: Where are we now? Current Pain and Headache Report. 2010;14:424.
- Taylor FR. Tension-type headache in adults: Pathophysiology, clinical features and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Lenaerts ME. Epidemiology of tension-type headache (TTH). Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy. 2009;10:1261.
- Headache diary. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/pdf/Headache_Diary.pdf. Accessed Nov. 30, 2010.
- Taylor FR. Tension-type headache in adults: Acute treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Taylor FR. Tension-type headache in adults: Preventive treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Holroyd AH, et al. Tricyclic antidepressants for migraine and tension-type headaches. British Medical Journal. 2010;341:841.
- Linde K, et al. Acupuncture for tension-type headache. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2009:CD007587.


Find Mayo Clinic on