The Behavioral Medicine Report

Nestoriuc, Rief, & Martin (2008)* conducted a meta-analysis of biofeedback applications for tension-type headache (TTH).  A meta-analysis combines data from published studies that meet inclusion criteria to increase statistical power and the ability to detect a statistically meaningful treatment effect, often expressed as an “effect size.”  The researchers provide an overview of TTH and report that episodic (versus chronic) TTH is the most prevalent type of headache in adults, adolescents, and children with a 1 year prevalence rate of 38%. Wow!  The researchers further report that pharmacotherapy (anti-depressants and analgesics) is the most common form of treatment, but that medications are only moderately effective and can have significant side effects.  Thus, behavioral interventions, including biofeedback, may represent a promising alternative or complimentary treatment if demonstrated to be effective. (more…)