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Alternative headache treatments: nutraceuticals, behavioral and physical treatments.

Headache
March 1, 2011
Christina Sun-Edelstein et al. (2 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to review the available evidence for various complementary and alternative medicine approaches, including massage, in the management of headache disorders.

Results Summary

The abstract mentions massage as one of the physical treatments for headache management but does not provide specific findings on its efficacy or outcomes. The evidence for physical treatments, including massage, is described as not well-defined.

Population

Not specified (general headache disorder population implied)

Effective Dosage

Not available

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (21)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
magnesium
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#1
riboflavin
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#2
coenzyme Q(10)
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#3
alpha lipoic acid
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#4
feverfew
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#5
butterbur
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#6
marijuana
decrease
headache treatment
-
-
demonstrating the benefit
#7
lysergic acid diethylamide
decrease
headache treatment
-
-
demonstrating the benefit
#8
psilocybin
decrease
headache treatment
-
-
demonstrating the benefit
#9
cognitive behavioral therapy
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#10
biofeedback
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#11
relaxation training
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#12
acupuncture
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#13
oxygen therapy
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#14
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#15
occlusal adjustment
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#16
cervical manipulation
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#17
physical therapy
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#18
massage
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#19
chiropractic therapy
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#20
osteopathic manipulation
decrease
headache disorders
-
-
supporting the efficacy
#21
Abstract

There is a growing body of evidence supporting the efficacy of various complementary and alternative medicine approaches in the management of headache disorders. These treatment modalities include nutraceutical, physical and behavioral therapies. Nutraceutical options comprise vitamins and supplements (magnesium, riboflavin, coenzyme Q(10), and alpha lipoic acid) and herbal preparations (feverfew, and butterbur). Although controversial, there are some reports demonstrating the benefit of recreational drugs such as marijuana, lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin in headache treatment. Behavioral treatments generally refer to cognitive behavioral therapy and biobehavioral training (biofeedback, relaxation training). Physical treatments in headache management are not as well defined but usually include acupuncture, oxygen therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, occlusal adjustment, cervical manipulation, physical therapy, massage, chiropractic therapy, and osteopathic manipulation. In this review, the available evidence for all these treatments will be discussed.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Acupuncture TherapyBehavior TherapyComplementary TherapiesDietary SupplementsHeadacheHumansHyperbaric OxygenationPhysical Therapy ModalitiesTreatment Outcome
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy65/10
Quality70/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations35
Citations/Year2.5
Relative Citation Ratio1.57
NIH Percentile66.6%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.28
Normalized Score0.60
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