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Headache and hysteria

Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache

|June 1, 1981

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Hysterical mechanisms, not organic causes or muscle tension, may explain many headaches. This challenges traditional views on tension headaches, suggesting psychological factors are key.

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Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Neurology
Pain Medicine

Background:

Hysteria, hypochondriasis, and hysterical personality concepts are reviewed.
Their connection to pain and headache is examined.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of hysterical mechanisms in headache etiology.
To challenge the conventional understanding of tension headaches.

Main Methods:

Review of psychological concepts related to hysteria.
Analysis of patient responses to anxiety-relieving measures.
Examination of electromyographic (EMG) studies on frontalis muscle tension.

Main Results:

Many patients with presumed tension headaches do not improve with anxiety reduction.

EMG studies show "tension headaches" lack expected frontalis muscle tension.

Organic explanations and muscle tension inadequately account for many headaches.

Conclusions:

Hysterical mechanisms are significant contributors to headache causation.
This perspective offers an alternative to organic or muscle tension models for certain headaches.