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[Tension headache].
S Houy-Schäfer1, K-H Grotemeyer
1Zentrum für Schmerztherapie, Klinik für Neurologie, Klinikum Saarbrücken gGmbH. shouyschaefer@klinikum-saarbruecken.de
Schmerz (Berlin, Germany)
|April 7, 2004
Summary
Tension headache affects many, with chronic forms impacting 1-3%. Multicomponent therapy combining antidepressants and stress management offers superior relief for this common headache disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
Context:
- Tension-type headache (TTH) is a prevalent neurological disorder with lifetime prevalence ranging from 13-66% for episodic TTH and 1-3% for chronic TTH.
- A slight female predominance is observed in most studies.
- Approximately 20% of individuals with TTH seek medical attention, incurring significant indirect costs primarily due to lost workdays.
Purpose:
- To review the pathophysiology and treatment of tension-type headache.
- To highlight the effectiveness of various therapeutic interventions.
Summary:
- Key pathophysiological mechanisms include increased pericranial muscle pain sensitivity, psychosocial stress, and psychiatric comorbidities.
- Effective treatments, despite diagnostic uncertainties, involve tricyclic antidepressants and psychotherapy modalities such as biofeedback, stress management therapy, and autogenic training.
- One study demonstrated the superiority of a multicomponent therapy integrating tricyclic antidepressants and stress management over monotherapy or placebo.
Impact:
- Provides an overview of tension-type headache prevalence, costs, and mechanisms.
- Informs clinical practice regarding effective pharmaceutical and psychotherapeutic treatment strategies.
- Emphasizes the benefit of integrated treatment approaches for managing tension-type headache.