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Emerging Novel Pharmacological Non-opioid Therapies in Headache Management: a Comprehensive Review

  • Other Pain (A Kaye and N Vadivelu, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Chronic headache is a significant worldwide problem despite advances in treatment options. Chronic headaches can have significant a detrimental impact on the activities of daily living.

Recent Findings

Patients who do not obtain relief from chronic head and neck pain from conservative treatments are commonly being managed with interventional treatments. These interventional treatment options include botulinum toxin A, injections, local occipital nerve anesthetic and corticosteroid infiltration, occipital nerve subcutaneous stimulation and occipital nerve pulsed radiofrequency (PRF), sphenopalatine ganglion block, and radiofrequency techniques.

Summary

Recently, evidence has emerged to support non-opioid-based drug and interventional approaches. Overall, more research is necessary to clarify the safety and efficacy of interventional treatments and to better understand the pathogenesis of chronic headache pain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Room 656, 1542 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA

    Alan David Kaye, Mark W. Motejunas & Ken P. Ehrhardt

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, LSU Health Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA

    Elyse M. Cornett, Harish Siddaiah & Brendon M. Hart

  3. University of Washington Anesthesiology, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Matthew B. Novitch

  4. Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Joshua Class & Richard D. Urman

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  1. Alan David Kaye
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Correspondence to Elyse M. Cornett.

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Kaye, A.D., Motejunas, M.W., Cornett, E.M. et al. Emerging Novel Pharmacological Non-opioid Therapies in Headache Management: a Comprehensive Review. Curr Pain Headache Rep 23, 53 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-019-0808-7

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