A COMPARISON OF FRONTAL ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC BIOFEEDBACK TRAINING, TRAPEZIUS ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC BIOFEEDBACK TRAINING, AND PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE-RELAXATION THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF TENSION HEADACHE

This study is the first systematic examination of a trapezius EMG biof eedback training regimen with tension headache sufferers. It evaluated the differential effects of three psychophysiological treatments for tension headache: (1) a standard 12-session frontal EMG biofeedback tr aining regimen (n=8), (2) a 12-session upper trapezius EMG biofeedback training regimen (n=10). and (3) a standard seven-session progressive muscle relaxation therapy regimen (n=8). Posttreatment assessment at 3 months following cessation of treatment revealed clinically signific ant decreases in overall headache activity (50% or greater) in 50% of subjects in the frontal biofeedback group, 100% in the trapezius biofe edback group, and 37.5% in the relaxation therapy group. Chi-squared a nalyses indicated that the trapezius biofeedback group was more effect ive in obtaining significant clinical improvement than the frontal bio feedback and relaxation therapy groups (which did not differ from each other). The three treatments did not differ on secondary measures of headache improvement (number of headache-free days, peak headache acti vity, and medication index). Implications for the psychophysiological treatment of tension headache, as well as future research directions, are discussed.