However, the trouble usually originates in the neck muscles. Muscle contraction headaches can result from temporary increases in tension in everyday life, such as stress at work or at home. They may be a result of sleeping or working in a strange position, or a long period of close work. Some muscle contraction headaches occur because of arthritis in the neck. Others may result from depression, or a chronic state of high tension or anxiety.
Migraine headaches are the next most common cause of headache.
Migraine headaches are caused by spasms of the blood vessels in the head. About one person in ten suffers from migraine. Some people seem to have a tendency to have migraine headaches, and migraine headaches can run in families. Even young children may have migraine headaches. Migraine can produce different symptoms in different people.