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Behavioral treatment approaches to chronic headache
1Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, University of West Florida, 40 South Alcaniz Street, Pensacola, FL 32501, USA.
Summary
Behavioral treatments like cognitive behavior therapy are effective for common headaches. However, more research is needed for complex, chronic headache types and related factors.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Established efficacy of behavioral interventions (relaxation, biofeedback, CBT) for uncomplicated migraine and tension-type headaches over 30 years.
- Limited research exists on behavioral treatments for complex, chronic, and refractory headache disorders.
Discussion:
- Reviews behavioral treatment utility for medication overuse headache, chronic daily high-intensity headache, refractory headaches, cluster headache, chronic tension-type headache, posttraumatic headache, and headaches with psychiatric comorbidity.
- Explores the influence of environmental and familial factors on chronic headache conditions.
Key Insights:
- Behavioral therapies show promise for various complex headache types, though evidence is less robust than for uncomplicated headaches.
- Medication overuse, psychiatric comorbidity, and environmental factors significantly impact chronic headache management.
Outlook:
- Highlights the need for expanded research into behavioral treatments for chronic and refractory headaches.
- Emphasizes investigating the interplay of psychosocial factors in headache etiology and treatment outcomes.