Post-Craniotomy Headache: Current Concepts and Emerging Procedural Therapies.

ReviewCurrent pain and headache reports· Aug 2026

Post-Craniotomy Headache: Current Concepts and Emerging Procedural Therapies.

Sarah A Friedman, Arathi Nandyala

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HeadacheReviewTreatmentQ2IF 5.5

Headache develops in 60-70% of patients after craniotomy for neurosurgery.

Post-Craniotomy Headache: Current Concepts and Emerging Procedural Therapies.

Sarah A Friedman, Arathi Nandyala

Current pain and headache reports · Aug 2026 · Q2 in Neurology

Background

OF REVIEW: Post-craniotomy headache (post-craniotomy headache) is a common complication following neurosurgery, yet there remains limited consensus regarding the mechanism, classification, and optimal management.

Purpose

Post-craniotomy headache (post-craniotomy headache) is a common complication following neurosurgery, yet there remains limited consensus regarding the mechanism, classification, and optimal management.

Results

60-70%

most patients get headaches after this surgery

More results

Identified risk factors include younger age, female sex, pre-existing headache disorders, and longer operative duration.

Current evidence supports the use of pharmacological, nonpharmacological, and procedural interventions to treat post-craniotomy headache.

“

Conclusion

Future research should prioritize a phenotype-driven approach, evaluation of standardized multi-modal protocols, as well as novel therapies, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (calcitonin gene-related peptide)-targeted agents.

Post-Craniotomy Headache: Current Concepts and Emerging Procedural Therapies.

Post-Craniotomy Headache: Current Concepts and Emerging Procedural Therapies.

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