The experience of headache — An assessment of the qualities of tension headache pain

Abstract

The subjective component of headache pain is neglected in headache research. In 65 chronic headache patients, assessment of the subjective component was amplified using the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and headache diaries. The overall level of pain experienced was as high as that previously reported for cancer and phantom-limb patients. Assessment of sensory pain qualities (MPQ) revealed differences between tension and migraine headache types; tension headaches were felt to be tight, while migraines were experienced as sharp, blinding, nauseating and sickening. The results support a dichotomous rather than a continuum model of headache. The relationship between the subjective experience of headache and mood (Wakefield Depression Scale) and personality (EPQ) [Eysenck Personality Questionnaire] was examined. Pain intensity and affective reactions to pain were associated with general mood state. No subjective measures correlated with personality indices. The MPQ provided valuable additional information to be used with headache diaries, particularly in the assessment of sensory qualities and affective reactions to pain.