Study: Headache is Most Common Chronic Pain in Children

Wondering if your child’s weekly headaches are normal? They’re certainly common.

Prevalence of headache among children is estimated at anywhere from 37 to 51 percent during elementary school years.¹  That statistic includes any type of headache (episodic or chronic). But kids are not immune to the excruciating variety or the long-lasting kind.

According to a new study published in the journal Pain, chronic pain is also common among children. And the most common type of chronic pain is headache, with 23 percent of children ages 7 to 18 reporting weekly headaches and another 5 percent reporting daily headaches.² Pain was higher among girls and increased with age.

Children can have any of the headaches that adults have. But migraines are the most frequent recurring headache reported among children,¹ with 1 in 10 experiencing migraine.³

When to Get It Checked Out

As with adult headaches, some childhood headaches aren’t serious and some are. It’s probably time for a trip to a headache specialist if:

• The headaches are occurring frequently
• The headaches are interfering with school/activities
• The headaches are happening more frequently over time or are worsening
• The headaches are waking the child from sleep
• The headaches are occurring alongside other neurologic problems such as seizures³

Reference:

1. Medscape.
2. Science Direct.
3. National Headache Foundation.