Biofeedback alleviates chronic daily headache more effectively than medication / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of biofeedback in preventing chronic daily headaches. Methods One hundred patients experiencing daily headaches were randomly divided into a biofeedback group ( n=50) and a drug therapy group (n=50). The patients in the drug therapy groupwere administered a predetermined course of medication. Those in the biofeedback group were given 30 minutes of biofeedback therapy twice a week for 8 weeks, followed by 10 months of intensive therapy once a month. The headache frequency, duration of headache at-tacks, days of using acute pain medication and any other adverse events were recorded 3, 6 and 12 months after the treatment. Results The patients in the biofeedback group had significantly less-frequent headaches, shorter headache attacks and fewer days of using acute pain medications. Conclusion Compared to drug therapy, biofeed-back can prevent chronic daily headachesmore safely and effectively.