MAINTENANCE OF EFFECTS IN THE NONMEDICAL TREATMENT OF HEADACHES DURING PREGNANCY

In a previous study, 30 pregnant women suffering from headaches were t reated with physical therapy, relaxation training, and biofeedback. Ei ghty percent of these women experienced significant relief of headache s following treatment. Although this study demonstrated the effectiven ess of nonmedical treatment during pregnancy, little is known about th e influence of changing hormones during pregnancy on fluctuations in h eadache. One purpose of this study was to present a follow-up of the w omen who were included in the previous study to determine whether the results from the nonmedical treatment were maintained up to a year aft er giving birth. In addition, this study examined the influence of hea dache diagnosis and breastfeeding on changes in headache activity and maintenance of treatment effects. The results indicate that the reduct ions in headache activity were maintained at follow-up in the majority of the women treated, with 67.5% of the sample maintaining a signific ant decrease in headache up to 1 year after giving birth. Neither IHS diagnosis nor breastfeeding was related to maintenance of headache imp rovement. We conclude that the beneficial effects of nonpharmacologica l treatment of headaches during pregnancy demonstrated in a previous s tudy are maintained up to 1 year following delivery. Headache diagnosi s and breastfeeding were not related to treatment outcome, a finding t hat contradicts the reports of many retrospective studies.