CKS is no longer commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE remains committed to providing a replacement service for CKS and is currently reviewing its options. In the meantime, although CKS content is now not being maintained, it still remains relevant and will continue to be made available. CKS content was generated under a programme of topic creation and update. To check if the topic you are viewing is current or out of date, please refer to the topic publication details by clicking on the 'How up-to-date is this topic?' link in the left hand menu on individual topic pages.
Headache - assessment - Management
Basis for recommendation
Stepped approach to diagnosis
- This approach to diagnosis is based on:
Headache diary
- The recommendation to consider the use of a headache diary is based on expert opinion [SIGN, 2008].
Referral for specialist assessment
- Referral for specialist assessment is recommended when a diagnosis can not be reached. This may occur with:
- Headache disorders that may present with difficult to interpret symptoms.
- Rare headache disorders not covered by this assessment.
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement