None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Headache is a common condition associated with significant socio-economic impact and reduced quality of life (Schwartz, Stewart, Simon & Lipton, 1998). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for headache, however it has several limitations, precluding it’s successful use in many headache sufferers (Fumal & Schoenen, 2008). Particularly, CBT requires considerable time for both therapist and patient, and encourages avoidance rather than coping with headache, which may increase sensitivity to headache triggers and aggravating factors (Martin, 2001). Brief mindfulness based therapy (BMBT) is an emerging behavioural intervention not subject to the above limitations of CBT. Several reports support the efficacy of BMBT in reducing pain and improving functioning in chronic pain conditions such as back pain (Morone et al 2008), fibromyalgia (Creamer et al 2000) and groups of heterogeneous chronic pain sufferers (Kabat-Zinn et al 1985; Kabat-Zinn et al 1986; Kabat-Zinn 1982). BMBT has also been shown to reduce acute pain sensitivity in healthy subjects (Creamer et al 2000, Zeiden et al 2009). This is particularly relevant to headache, in which increased pain sensitivity is a common finding, and thought to be of pathophysiological significance (Cathcart et al 2009). We recently demonstrated that headache is triggered by factor aggravating the already increased pain sensitivity in headache sufferers. Despite the potential benefits of BMBT for treating headache, the efficacy of BMBT as an intervention for headache has not been reported to date. BMBT may reduce headache by inhibiting increased pain sensitivity in headache sufferers. The present project therefore examines effects of BMBT on headache activity and pain sensitivity in frequent headache sufferers.
Interventions
Mindfulness-based meditation, comprising 2 45minute session per week for 3 weeks, with additional home practice via audio CD. the meditation aims to enhance awareness and non-judgmental acceptance of bodily sensations through:
- Psychoeducation in mindfulness principles.
- Body Scan exercise
- Sitting meditation
- Breathing exercise
- Hearing exercise
- Increasing awareness and mindful acceptance of pleasant and unpleasant events
- 3 minute breathing space
- Action plan for stress management
Pa
Mindfulness-based meditation, comprising 2 45minute session per week for 3 weeks, with additional home practice via audio CD. the meditation aims to enhance awareness and non-judgmental acceptance of bodily sensations through: - Psychoeducation in mindfulness principles. - Body Scan exercise - Sitting meditation - Breathing exercise - Hearing exercise - Increasing awareness and mindful acceptance of pleasant and unpleasant events - 3 minute breathing space - Action plan for stress management Participants are instructed to practice exercises daily with the CD for the 3 weeks.
Sponsors
University of South Australia
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Satisfying International Classification of Headache Disorders II (ICHD II) criteria for chronic tension-type headache.
Exclusion criteria
No psychiatric or major medical condition currently or in the last 12 months, no con-current headache or pain symptoms or diagnoses (other than Tension Type Headache (TH) and Migraine). Additionally, headache subjects will required not to be taking, or not have taken in the last 3 months, regular analgesic medication other than less than or equal to 1000mg daily of aspirin or paracetamol for no more than 15 of 30 consecutive days.
Outcome results
None listed