Headaches
Frequent, persistent or one-sided headaches that disrupt your days — what lies behind them, how they're told apart, and how a pain consultant can help you bring them under control.
A headache is pain felt in the head or upper neck — but "headache" covers several quite different conditions, each with its own pattern and its own treatment.
Most headaches are not dangerous, and many ease with simple measures. But when they are frequent, severe, or stubbornly resistant to over-the-counter remedies, the type of headache really matters — telling a tension-type headache from a migraine or a headache coming from the neck is what points to the treatment that will actually work for you.
Symptoms of headaches.
The pattern is the clue: where the pain sits, how long it lasts, what brings it on and what comes with it all help identify the type of headache — which is why describing your attacks in detail is so useful at an assessment.
Why it happens.
Headaches have many triggers, and more than one can be at play. Identifying what's driving yours — and which type you have — is the starting point for calming them down.
Don't wait for it to settle.
Early assessment helps you get the right treatment sooner. See a specialist if:
Diagnosed by listening to your headache story.
Most headaches are diagnosed clinically — there is no single scan or blood test that names the type. Dr Mohamed Khafaga, Consultant in Anaesthesia & Pain Management, takes a detailed history of your attacks, examines you, and works out which kind of headache you have and what's feeding it. A simple headache diary often helps. Imaging is arranged only where warning signs or an unusual pattern make it genuinely useful, rather than as routine.
How headaches are treated.
Treatment depends entirely on the type of headache, so it starts with pinning that down. We begin with the least invasive option likely to help you, and every published price is shown upfront.
A full one-to-one assessment with Dr Khafaga to identify your headache type, uncover triggers and agree a plan — the essential first step before any treatment.
A considered look at what may prevent and relieve your attacks — including untangling rebound headaches from painkiller overuse — reviewed and adjusted through consultation rather than trial and error.
For headaches arising from irritated nerves at the back of the head or neck — such as occipital neuralgia or cervicogenic headache — a targeted injection can calm the nerve and break the pain cycle. Dr Khafaga can often assess and treat in the same visit.
For suitable patients with persistent neck-related headache, a precise treatment using radiofrequency energy to quieten the small nerves carrying the pain signal, offering longer-lasting relief. Whether it fits your case is decided together at consultation.
Seen in days — not months on a list.
A named specialist, not a junior — all the way through.
Every price published and confirmed in writing.
Seen privately, without the wait.
We bill major UK insurers directly.
Can a consultant work out what type of headache I have? +
Yes — that's the heart of the assessment. Dr Khafaga takes a detailed history of your attacks and examines you to distinguish tension-type, migraine, cluster and neck-related headaches, because the right treatment hinges entirely on getting the type right. A headache diary before your visit often helps.
Do I need a referral from my GP to be seen here? +
No — you're welcome to arrange a private assessment with Dr Khafaga directly, without going through your GP first. If you'd like your GP kept informed afterwards, that can be arranged with your consent.
What does a headache assessment and treatment cost? +
The initial consultation with Dr Khafaga is £200, with a follow-up at £134. Where a procedure is appropriate, a nerve block injection is £450 and radiofrequency nerve ablation is £1,100. Many headaches are managed without any procedure at all — every price is published upfront so there are no surprises.
Will I be sent for a scan? +
Usually not. The great majority of headaches are diagnosed from your history and examination alone. Dr Khafaga arranges imaging only when a warning sign or an unusual pattern means it would genuinely change the plan — so you're not put through tests you don't need.
Can injections really help headaches? +
For certain types, yes. When a headache comes from irritated nerves at the back of the head or from the upper neck, a targeted nerve block can settle the pain and interrupt the cycle. It isn't right for every headache, though — which is exactly why the assessment comes first.
Don't put up with it.
Book an assessment with a consultant and get a clear picture — and a plan.