J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2004 Nov;43(6):697-705.

The Effect of Biofeedback-Assisted Relaxation on the Clinical Symptoms and Stress Responses in Patients with Chronic Headache

• Jang MS
• Hah YS
• Chung CS
• Yu BH

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to examine the effect of biofeedback treatment on the clinical symptoms and stress responses in chronic headache patients.
METHODS
: We recruited 18 chronic headache patients who were treated with 8 sessions of biofeedback treatment and 18 age and sex-matched control headache patients. All subjects consisted of patients with chronic tension headache and migraine headache. Stress responses were measured using Symptoms of stress (SOS) inventory and all subjects performed Beck depression inventory (BDI), Spielberger state anxiety inventory (STAIS), and visual analogue scale (VAS). Biofeedback physiological variables including frontal and forearm EMG, electrodermal response (EDR) and skin temperature at pre-and post-treatment were also measured in all subjects.
RESULTS
: Compared with control patients, patients on biofeedback treatment showed significant reduction in scores of STAIS (t=3.705, p<.001), and VAS (t=3.392, p=.001) as well as SOS subscales;peripheral manifestations (t=1.788, p=.042), habitual patterns (t=2.008, p=.027), depression (t=2.081, p=.023), anxiety (t=1.990, p=.028), and total score (t=2.045, p=.025). There was a significant increase of skin temperature (t=-1.835, p=.038) only in the biofeedback treatment group.
CONCLUSION
: These results suggest that biofeedback treatment may be effective in relieving chronic headache by reducing psychological and physiological stress responses.

Keyword

Chronic headache; Biofeedback; Stress response; Relaxation training

MeSH Terms

Anxiety
Biofeedback, Psychology
Depression
Forearm
Galvanic Skin Response
Headache
Headache Disorders*
Humans
Migraine Disorders
Relaxation*
Skin Temperature
Stress, Physiological
Tension-Type Headache