title: Long-term efficacy of combined relaxation: biofeedback treatments for chronic headache.
abstract: Thirty-four patients having chronic idiopathic headaches participated in a long-term study comparing autogenic relaxation training alone (REL) with combinations of relaxation and electromyographic biofeedback (REL + EMG) or relaxation and temperature biofeedback (REL + TEMP). Assignment to treatment conditions was balanced on demographics and clinical characteristics, as well as headache classification according to muscle contraction or vascular headache symptomatology. The results indicate that REL + TEMP produced no additional improvements over REL following the 8-week treatment program, or at 6-month, or 12-month follow-up. However, REL + EMG produced significantly greater reductions in headache activity measures than the REL and REL + TEMP conditions at all post-treatment time points. Headache activity continued to improve over the follow-up period independent of treatment condition. These data indicate that EMG biofeedback augments long-term clinical improvements in headache patients who undergo autogenic relaxation training.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, OntarioCanada Departments of Psychology, McMaster University, Hamilton, OntarioCanada.
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cott
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Parkinson
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fabich
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bédard
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marlin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012064:Relaxation Therapy