Physicians classify headaches by the type (such as migraine or tension-type) and by the "pain-causing mechanism," which is not the same as the root cause of the headache. Your child's pain is what finally gets his or her (and then your) attention, and this pain is the result of a condition that has triggered a series of physical and neurological events: a mechanism. In children, there are five such mechanisms:

Tension-Type
Most chronic headache sufferers have felt tightening in their muscles, particularly around their neck. Your child's tension-type headaches are probably caused by poor posture, worry, anxiety or depression.

Vasodilation or Vascular
The blood vessels and arteries in and around the skull dilate or expand. This swelling applies pressure to the accompanying nerves, and that pressure causes pain. Vascular headaches include migraine.

Internal Traction
Internal traction usually indicates the presence of a tumor, abscess, infection, swelling or hematoma. Thus, internal traction is most often associated with organic headaches.

Inflammation
When your tissues are injured or irritated, they become inflamed; that is, they become swollen, red or warm. An inflammatory headache might accompany diseases of the eyes, ears, nose, teeth, or sinuses, neck or jaw disorders, and neuralgias. The inflammation mechanism, like internal traction, is also associated with organic headaches and requires immediate medical care.

Neurogenic or Epileptic
Some children's headaches are accompanied by seizure-like behavior, similar to children who have epilepsy. Tests will usually not reveal a clinical cause (such as epilepsy) but a passing neurological disorder that can be managed with medication and might eventually disappear on its own.
( Headaches in Children, Leonardo Garcia-Mendez, Lemar, 1996.)

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Tension-Type Headaches in Children

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