Headache case studies for the primary care physician.

Abstract

In a given year, over 5% of persons in the United States seek medical care for headaches, most often seeing their primary care physician. The five cases here review diagnosis and treatment of migraine and other primary headaches, medication rebound headaches, and headaches in the elderly including temporal arteritis. Although headaches (along with dizziness and back pain) may be one of the least preferred diseases internists see, the increasing number of effective treatments may favorably change this opinion and result in better care for their patients.