According to the National Womens Health Information Center, 45 million Americans (one out of six) experience headaches, leading to over 8 million doctor visits per year. Headache statistics show that nearly 75% of all people experience tension-type headaches which may be related to stressful events or hectic work, social and family schedules. Over time these headaches can even become chronic.

Common headache triggers include stress, loud noises, emotions, trauma, musculoskeletal tension, food and chemical sensitivities, digestive problems, fever, cold, flu and sinus infections, high blood pressure, and low blood sugar. Migraine headaches, a type of vascular headache, are thought to involve abnormal function of the brain's blood vessels or vascular system. Some scientists believe that fatigue, glaring or flickering lights, the weather, and certain foods may trigger this type of headache.

Most often a headache is a transient event requiring a simple solution such as relaxation, elimination of a food or other offending stimuli, or taking a medication. Occasionally headaches may present as a symptom of an underlying physical problem that warrants greater investigation. More complex cases may require a complete physical examination, assessment of lifestyle habits and psycho-social issues, blood work testing and neuro-imaging studies.

Since there may be other scientific evidence that is not reported in the major U.S. biomedical databases, this list of treatments cannot be considered comprehensive.