Behavioral response to headache: a comparison between migraine and tension-type headache

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Headache patients often use nonpharmacological pain relief methods.
• Variations in these behaviors based on headache diagnosis are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the behaviors and pain-relieving maneuvers of patients with migraine versus tension-type headache during attacks.

Main Methods:

• A checklist was used to question 100 patients (72 migraine, 28 tension-type headache) about their behaviors and nonpharmacological pain relief strategies.
• The collected data on behaviors and maneuvers were compared between the two headache groups.

Main Results:

• Migraine patients performed significantly more pain relief maneuvers (mean 6.2) than tension-type headache patients (mean 3).
• Common migraineur maneuvers included cold application, rest, isolation, and medication; scalp massage was more common in tension-type headache.
• While overall benefit was similar, migraineurs reported better relief from isolation, local pressure/cold, and medication.

Conclusions:

• Patient behavior during headache attacks differs significantly between migraine and tension-type headache diagnoses.
• These behavioral variations may stem from different pain pathogenesis or coping styles.
• Observed behavioral differences can assist in the differential diagnosis of headaches, especially in ambiguous cases.