Tension headaches are one of the most common headache types, second only to migraine headaches. They are primarily due to muscle tightness that results in pain in the scalp, temples, and back of neck. Occasionally they will affect the eyes.
A new study has found a novel way to decrease the occurance of tension headaches using a specific exercise program that "retrains" the muscles of the neck and upper back. The study results were published in the August issue of Cephalgia.
Tension headaches are most commonly described as a band around the head, are two sided versus one sided, and can be associated with stress, anxiety or depression. They are very common, with more than 80 percent of women and 60 percent of men experiencing them on a regular basis. Chronic sufferers of tension headaches often have jobs or daily activites that require neck strain such as sitting at a computer, reading, or looking in a microscope.
The most common treatment for tension type headaches are pain relievers and headache medications such as Tylenol, Aleve, and Excederin. They are usually effective, though the dose often needs to be routinely increased and some individuals experience rebound headaches after the medications wear off.
For the study 81 men and women who suffer from tension headaches were randomized to one of two groups. The control group underwent physical therapy for 6 weeks specific for tension headaches. The treatment group completed the same physcial therapy but added in a craniocervical training program (CTP) developed by the lead researchers.
CTP is a specific group of exercises that retrains the muscles of the head, neck, and upper back using latex bands that provide light resistance. Each person in the CTP group was given a single 15 minute instruction on the exercises and told to perform them for 10 minutes twice a day.
Headache frequency and intensity was compared between the two groups at baseline, completion of the 6 week treatment, and after 6 months.
Both groups saw a reduction in headache frequency and intensity while undergoing treatment. However, there was a big difference in lasting effects after 6 months.
52 percent of subjects in the control group had a 50 percent or more reduction in the frequency of headaches after the 6 week treatment, but only 35 percent reported an improvement 6 months later.
In the CTP group 82 percent saw a reduction in frequency after 6 weeks, and this number improved to 85 percent after 6 months. They also reported a decrease of more than 65 percent in medication use for headaches.
The researchers were very pleased with the results and state a larger clinical trial will follow to support this evidence. If it proves effective in a large population group, especially when used alone without physical therapy, CTP may change the treatment of tension headaches. It is an easy to learn technique that can be accomplished in a short period of time in the privacy of ones home.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on September 23, 2006 01:25 PM
