Tension headache, also known as tension-type headache (TTH), is the most common type of primary headache. The pain can radiate from the lower back of the head, the neck, eyes or other muscle groups in the body typically affecting both sides of the head. When you have a headache that's severe enough to require medication, chances are you reach for an oral analgesic—a painkiller taken by mouth—such as ibuprofen. Medications and home care. You can take over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, to get rid of a tension headache. However, these should only be used occasionally. Furthermore, in pregnancy, acetaminophen is generally the preferred choice for a tension headache, although be sure to confirm with your obstetrician Answer: Ibuprofen Versus Tylenol The answer is that either Tylenol or an NSAID is a reasonable first-choice option for alleviating your tension headache. BACKGROUND: Studies have shown the effectiveness of the addition of caffeine to ibuprofen for acute pain. However, this combination for use in tension-type headaches has been less well studied because of insensitive methods for evaluating this type of headache pain. If your medicine cabinet is stocked with any kind of drug, it's likely some type of over-the-counter headache relief product such as Advil, Aleve, Excedrin or Tylenol – or maybe all of the above. If acetaminophen doesn’t relieve your pain, consider ibuprofen or naproxen (Aleve and generic). Both are Consumer Reports Best Buys. Both are Consumer Reports Best Buys. Ibuprofen does nothing for the headache, like I said it's Benedryl and nothing else. My doctor said something interesting. She said it's probably tension migraines due to arthritis somewhere in my shoulder or neck. When the weather changes, the arthritis flares up and pulls on the muscle that runs from my shoulder to the front of my face making me think it's sinus. Your central resource for all things headache related. Learn all about types of headaches, relief and prevention, so you can conquer your day. Background. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen are widely used in the treatment of tension headache. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of single doses of acetaminophen and NSAIDs using meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trial studies.