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Nutraceuticals and Behavioral Therapy for Headache

  • Headache (R.B. Halker Singh and J. VanderPluym, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Headache affects and disables at least 1 billion people worldwide. Patients and providers seek new therapies to relieve headache without the side effects and financial burden of current treatments. This narrative review highlights recent treatment advances in integrative headache medicine: nutraceuticals and behavioral therapies.

Recent Findings

Growing use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for headache (riboflavin, coenzyme Q10, magnesium, vitamin D, melatonin) alongside mainstream treatments is increasing with improving evidence of quality, safety, and tolerability. Increasing interest in medical cannabis is tempered by lack of evidence regarding safety and efficacy. Behavioral therapies including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), biofeedback, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) improve patient resiliency and self-efficacy outcomes and reduce disability.

Summary

The body of evidence for nutraceutical and behavioral CAM interventions for headache continues to grow and improve in quality. Providers and patients should educate themselves regarding CAM therapies as part of integrative headache management. Future studies should examine combinatorial trials of CAM therapies against current standards of headache care.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Rebecca Barmherzig

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Thilinie Rajapakse

  3. Stollery Children’s Hospital, Women & Children’s Research Institute, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Thilinie Rajapakse

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Correspondence to Thilinie Rajapakse.

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Thilinie Rajapakse has served as a consultant for Teva Pharmaceuticals and receives research funding from the American Headache Society. Rebecca Barmherzig declares no competing interests.

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Barmherzig, R., Rajapakse, T. Nutraceuticals and Behavioral Therapy for Headache. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 21, 33 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-021-01120-3

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