Tension Headache and the use of Biofeedback to control them
Tension Headaches and Stress Headaches
Tension headache is very common and is typically experienced as a dull, non-throbbing pain in the back of the neck or in a "headband" distribution.
Several controlled trials utilizing electromyogram (EMG)-biofeedback (which teaches people how to mentally relax their neck or head muscles) have shown this treatment to be helpful in about 50% of tension headache sufferers, both in adults 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and in children and adolescents. 6, 7 Progressive muscle relaxation is another muscle relaxation technique that has significantly reduced tension-type headache in controlled studies of adults, 8, 9 and children and adolescents. 10,
Relaxation with techniques for stress management was found to be significantly better than drug therapy in a controlled trial of chronic tension-type headache sufferers, 11 although about half of all subjects continued to have headaches three to four days per week after the end of treatment.
A large controlled study of tension headache patients compared relaxation therapies (including progressive muscle relaxation, hypnosis, and cognitive psychotherapy) with EMG-biofeedback, and found biofeedback to be significantly more effective than relaxation in decreasing headache pain and frequency.
References
- Rokicki LA, Holroyd KA, France CR, et al. Change mechanisms associated with combined relaxation/EMG biofeedback training for chronic tension headache. Appl Pschophysiol Biofeedback 1997;22:21-41.
- Bruhn P, Olesen J, Melgaard B. Controlled trial of EMG biofeedback in muscle contraction headache. Ann Neurol 1979;6:34-6.
- Holroyd KA, Andrasik F, Noble J. A comparison of EMG biofeedback and a credible pseudotherapy in treating tension headache. J Behav Med 1980;3:29-39.
- Carrobles JA, Cardona A, Santacreu J. Shaping and generalization procedures in the EMG-biofeedback treatment of tension headaches. Br J Clin Psychol 1981;20:49-56.
- Janssen K. Differential effectiveness of EMG-feedback versus combined EMG-feedback and relaxation instructions in the treatment of tension headache. J Psychosom Res 1983;27:243-53.
- Bussone G, Grazzi L, D'Amico D, et al. Biofeedback-assisted relaxation training for young adolescents with tension-type headache: a controlled study. Cephalalgia 1998;18:463-7.
- Kroner-Herwig B, Mohn U, Pothmann R. Comparison of biofeedback and relaxation in the treatment of pediatric headache and the influence of parent involvement on outcome. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 1998;23:143-57.
- Blanchard EB, Applebaum KA, Radnitz CL, et al. Placebo-controlled evaluation of abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation and of relaxation combined with cognitive therapy in the treatment of tension headache. J. Consult Clin Psychol 1990;58:210-5.
- Blanchard EB, Nicholson NL, Taylor AE, et al. The role of regular home practice in the relaxation treatment of tension headache. J Consult Clin Psychol 1991;59:467-70.
- Kroner-Herwig B, Mohn U, Pothmann R. Comparison of biofeedback and relaxation in the treatment of pediatric headache and the influence of parent involvement on outcome. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 1998;23:143-57.
- Larsson B, Melin L, Doberl A. Recurrent tension headache in adolescents treated with self-help relaxation training and a muscle relaxant drug. Headache 1990;30:665-71.
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