A study of childhood headache using biofeedback as a treatment alternative.

Abstract

SYNOPSISThirty‐one children between the ages of 7–17 with headache (migraine, tension, and combination) were taught biofeedback assisted self‐regulation techniques to control onset of headache and its symptoms. Headache hours per week and amount of drug usage were measured before and during treatment, at two intervals during the first year following the training (2 months and 3–12 months) and at 2–3 years after baseline for 19 of the 31 children. Twenty‐eight children were able to control 51% or more headaches after the 2‐month training period. Specifically, there was a 39% reduction in mean headache hours for tension headache Ss and a 71% reduction for the migraine and combination headache Ss. Subsequent reduction in headache continued over the 1–3 year follow‐up period. Reduction in drug usage was about 87%. Although evaluation of self‐regulation techniques was retrospective and uncontrolled in this study, they appear to work exceedingly well for childhood headache patients.