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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, April 8, 2008 Alternative therapies may ease headaches By Dr. Elizabeth Smoots Herald Columnist Shimmering spots herald the onset of Lisa's intense, throbbing headaches. She's debilitated with the nauseating condition quite often, especially on weekends or while on vacation. Bright lights, strong odors such as bleach and stress are among the factors that trigger another round of migraines for Lisa. But for frequent-headache sufferers, there's good news: Several mind-body therapies have proven effective for the treatment of headache. In fact, I'm happy to report that some of these therapies are just as beneficial for chronic headaches as taking medications. Headache causes A wide array of culprits lurks behind headaches. Stress and worry, depression, overactive muscle contractions, allergies or other disease conditions and menstrual cycles all can play a role. So can lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and sleep patterns. Having a history of headaches in the family increases the risk that you will suffer as well. Tension headaches and migraine headaches both involve excess or abnormal functioning of the brain's nerves. By calming down a hyper-excitable nervous system at multiple levels, mind-body therapies can help ease the pain. Mind-body therapy Mind-body therapy focuses on the interactions between your body and the mental, emotional, social, spiritual and behavioral aspects of yourself. Meditation, muscle relaxation and deep breathing are popular forms of mind-body therapy. Other types include yoga, tai chi, visual imagery, hypnosis, biofeedback, stress management and a special type of counseling called cognitive behavior therapy. Does it work? Mind-body therapy in its many forms can help people who get headaches often. In fact, scientists have shown that mind-body therapy works just as well as medicine for the most common kinds of headaches, according to a recent article in the journal American Family Physician. Migraines, tension headaches and mixed-type or chronic headaches may respond favorably to mind-body therapies such as these: Biofeedback: A system of machine-generated signals that measures some aspect of body function. Functions that can be measured include temperature, muscle contraction or sweating. Among patients with migraine or tension headaches who have learned to perform biofeedback, researchers have found up to a 50 percent reduction in symptoms. The results are on par with patients taking medications. Cognitive behavior therapy: Counseling that trains people to replace distressing thoughts with healthier self-talk. The technique can aid both migraine- and tension-headache sufferers. Stress management: Can increase understanding of the painful condition and how to better manage it. An emphasis is placed on self-care. Studies indicate this method is effective for tension headaches. Relaxation training: The process of learning to progressively relax the muscle and induce a state of calm. This method works well for people with either tension or migraine headaches. Guided imagery: Use of imagined scenes or images to enhance relaxation or improve one's ability to cope with pain. Early results from studies are limited. Hypnosis: Focusing concentration while excluding distractions can bring about a state of increased openness to healing ideas and suggestions. Research findings for headache patients are limited. Meditation: The practice of learning to self-regulate the amount of attention paid to internal and external experiences. Research results are limited. Finding therapy "Despite evidence from many studies, mind-body therapies are an underused treatment," said Victor Sierpina, professor of family medicine at the University of Texas in Galveston. A good place to start to find the right technique for you is to talk to your primary care doctor. For more information: American Academy of Family Physicians, familydoctor.org. Contact Dr. Elizabeth Smoots, a board-certified family physician and fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, at doctor@practicalprevention.com. Her columns are not intended as a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Before adhering to any recommendations in this column consult your health care provider. © 2008 Elizabeth S. Smoots

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