A man says his rare neurological condition means he has lived with a constant headache for two years.

Rhys Richards, 30, has hemicrania continua which means his headache lasts "from morning, noon until night", he said.

While treatment in Liverpool has provided some relief, he has to travel several hours there from his home in Bodedern, Anglesey.

The Welsh government said it recognises the debilitating effects of chronic headaches and that it will continue to work with NHS organisations to support cross-border healthcare where it is in the best interests of patients.

Rhys, who works on power lines and has a 16-month-old toddler with his wife, Mererid, said his headache is felt mainly on the left side and front.

"It's different to a normal headache or a migraine, it's a long lasting headache that sits through the day," he said.

"Not much will get rid of it, it's something that painkillers in general don't touch the sides."

Although the continuous headache can be mild at times, Rhys said he often gets flare-ups, which is common with the condition.

"When I get them, it feels like someone is squeezing my head," he said.

"My eyes get watery, I can't focus, I can't see the same and it can last between 10 minutes and an hour and a half."

Rhys' treatment involves four injections into his head which block nerves.

He said: "They numb the back of the head, I can't feel it for a few days and after a few days it tends to wear off and then after about two weeks I'm headache free.

"The sense of relief is unbelievable. When I first had the first dose last September I had forgotten what it was like to not have a headache.

"I had suffered so long with a continuous headache throughout the day... it was like a cloud had lifted."

But he says spending a full day travelling the 4.5 hour round trip is a burden.

"There and back, the day is gone by the time we've got there," Rhys said.

"It is unfortunate that we haven't got anywhere local or more local in a sense that I can get the treatment.

"There's probably more than just myself suffering with this condition or a similar condition, so you'd like to think that something can be done locally.

"But if I can have a sense of relief from the headaches for a few weeks to a few months, it's worth the four, five hour round trip."

Karen Simpson, a GP with an extended role in headache medicine, said there is still a lot that is unknown about the condition and it's difficult for patients to have to travel so far.

"It can be hundreds of miles there and back for a half-hour appointment," she said.

"There are discussions at the moment about bringing services closer to patients in north Wales, to provide that equitable care.

"My hope is that patients receive timely care of the highest quality, but it is closer to their homes."

Rhys says that the treatment he has received has been of great benefit, and he's keen to raise awareness about neurological conditions such as his.

"There isn't enough people speaking about hidden disorders, such as a headache disorder.

"If you were to break an arm or a leg, people would see it and speak about it. I've come across more people since suffering myself than I did before.

"The more people who speak about it, the more people will tend to look for treatment in any way.

"Injections worked for me, they might not for others. But the most important thing I found out through the journey was seeking the advice, consultation and expertise."

The Welsh government said the all-Wales headache toolkit supports frontline clinical teams in diagnosing and planning care.

"There are well-established links and mutual arrangements in place between NHS Wales and NHS England," it added.

The Migrane Trust describes hemicrania continua as a continuous, fluctuating, pain present on one side of the head.

The pain is usually mild to moderate in intensity, but many people with this condition say they have episodes of severe pain on top of the continuous general pain.

It's not known what causes hemicrania continua, and it is not clear whether there is a genetic element or triggering factors, as in migraine.

There is currently no cure for the condition and preventive treatments are used to control the symptoms.