RESEARCH FINDINGS USING GUIDED IMAGERY FOR

HEADACHES

July, 2006

Prevalence and Costs

More than 45 million Americans have recurring headaches, and 28 million of them have recurring migraines (NINDS, 2002). Americans miss more than 156 million workdays a year due to migraines alone (NINDS). Students miss 329,000 schooldays per month due to migraines Mack and Mack, 2004). These missed workdays and the costs of associated medical benefits represent a loss to industry of $50 billion annually (Solomon, Cady, and Klapper, 1997). Headaches are also responsible for 10 million physician visits a year in the U.S.A. (NINDS).

What is headache?

Headache is a general term used to describe head pain. The pain can occur in the blood vessels and muscles of the scalp, face, or neck, in the tissue around the brain, or in the attaching structures at the base of the brain. Of the many types of headache, three are the most common. Tension or muscle contraction headaches are usually caused by fatigue, stress, or environmental factors.

Migraines are throbbing headaches that can last for hours or days. They usually affect one temple or side of the head, and are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and light/noise sensitivity. Cluster headaches are appropriately named because they occur in clusters. They are characterized by short periods (usually 30 to 40 minutes) of intensely excruciating head pain that can recur several times a day, often continuing for months at a time.

Medical treatment of headache

The classification of headache usually determines the treatments. For various headache conditions, over-the-counter or prescription pain medications (analgesics) are often used. Other approaches include various classes of prescription medications, including antidepressants, NSAIDS, antihistamines, anti-emetics, serotonin receptor blockers and vaso-constrictors, serotonin 1-D receptor agonists, triptan drugs, beta-blockers, ergot alkaloids, lithium, corticosteroids, calcium channel blockers, and anti-seizure medications.

Non-pharmacologic treatment including imagery

Lifestyle changes, including avoiding headache triggers, relaxation, diet, and exercise can lower stress and fatigue levels, and reduce or even prevent muscle contractions. In several studies, guided imagery, which combines deep relaxation with positive suggestion, has proven cost effective in decreasing the number, intensity, or duration of headaches, and/or increasing patients’ ability to cope with them (Andrasik, 1990; Blanchard, Andrasik, et al, 1986; Blanchard, Jaccard et al, 1985; Ilacqua, 1994; Olness, MacDonald and Uden, 1987; Reid and McGrath, 1996).

For example, researchers studied a group of 260 patients with tension-type headaches (Mannix, Chandurkar, et al, 1999). Among those in the imagery group, 21.7% reported headaches “much improved,” compared to 7.6% of the control group. The authors of a 2003 review of the literature concluded that there is “considerable evidence” of the effective of mind-body techniques such as imagery, relaxation, hypnosis, CBT in the treatment of headaches (Astin, Shapiro, et al, 2003). In another review, researchers concluded that learning to relax and reduce stress may be just as effective in reducing headaches as taking medication (Penzien, Rains, and Andrasik, 2002). Autogenic training reduced frequency of headaches (both tension and migraine) and reduced need for medication in its users (Zsombok, Juhasz, et al, 2003).

In a 2004 review, relaxation and thermal biofeedback was found helpful for migraines, while relaxation and muscle biofeedback was effective as a stand-alone or adjunctive for tension headaches (Astin, 2004).

In another review, researchers at the University of Mississippi concluded that learning to relax and reduce stress may be as effective in reducing headaches as taking medication (Penzien, Rains, and Andrasik, 2002).

Adolescents also respond well to mind-body approaches. Their tension-type headaches responded well to relaxation training; migraine headaches needed therapist-assisted relaxation (Larsson, Varlsson, et al, 2005). A study of headache sufferers using an internet-based headache program consisting of relaxation, autogenic training, and stress management significantly improved and used less medication, even at two-months' follow up (Devineni and Blanchard, 2005). Authors of another review reported that, of all the CAM approaches studied, "only self-hypnosis/guided imagery/relaxation for recurrent pediatric headache qualified as an empirically supported therapy" (Tsao and Zeltzer, 2005).

Conclusion

Guided imagery, especially as an adjunctive treatment, can be a cost-effective way to reduce the frequency, duration, and intensity of headaches, as well as the number of headache-related office visits.

References

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Solomon GD, Cady RK, Klapper JA, Ryan RE. Standards of care for treating headache in primary care practice. National Headache Foundation. Cleve Clin J Med. 1997 l64:373-83.

Tsao, JC, Zeltzer, LK. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Approaches for Pediatric Pain: A Review of the State-of-the-science. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2005 June 2(2):149-159.

Zsombok T, Juhasz G, Budavari A, Vitrai J, Bagdy G. Effect of autogenic training on drug consumption in patients with primary headache: an 8-month follow-up study. Headache. 2003 Mar:43(3):251-7.