BIOFEEDBACK-ASSISTED RELAXATION TRAINING FOR YOUNG ADOLESCENTS WITH TENSION-TYPE HEADACHE - A CONTROLLED-STUDY

Tension-type headache is common in children and adolescents and is gen erally treated with medication, but emerging literature suggests that various behavioral treatments may provide efficacious alternatives to medication. Juvenile tension-type headache sufferers were randomly ass igned to biofeedback-assisted relaxation or relaxation placebo and fol lowed for 1 year. Following treatment, both conditions led to sizeable headache reductions (approximately 50%). Over time, children receivin g biofeedback-assisted relaxation continued to improve and were superi or to the control condition at a 6- and 12-month follow-up (86% versus 50%). Biofeedback-assisted relaxation appears to be an efficacious an d durable treatment for juvenile tension-type headache and merits furt her exploration.