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Efficacy and Feasibility of Behavioral Treatments for Migraine, Headache, and Pain in the Acute Care Setting

  • Psychological and Behavioral Aspects of Headache with Pain (D Buse, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Pain and Headache Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This narrative review examines the use of behavioral interventions for acute treatment of headache and pain in the emergency department (ED)/urgent care (UC) and inpatient settings.

Recent Findings

Behavioral interventions demonstrate reductions of pain and associated disability in headache, migraine, and other conditions in the outpatient setting. Behavioral treatments may be a useful addition for patients presenting with acute pain to hospitals and emergency departments.

Summary

We review challenges and limitations and offer suggestions for implementation of behavioral interventions in the acute setting. Some evidence exists for relaxation-based treatments, mindfulness-based treatments, hypnosis/self-hypnosis, and immersive virtual reality for acute pain, migraine, and headache. There are few high-quality studies on behavioral treatments in the inpatient and emergency department settings. Further research is warranted to determine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of these interventions. Given the general safety and cost-effectiveness of behavioral interventions, healthcare professionals may want to include these therapies in treatment plans.

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Data Availability

Not applicable

Abbreviations

MBSR:

Mindfulness-based stress reduction

MBCT:

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

ACT:

Acceptance and commitment therapy

CBT:

Cognitive behavioral therapy

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Funding

Dr. Mia Minen: NIH NCCIH: K23 AT009706-01

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, Hackensack, NJ, USA

    Daniel Vekhter

  2. Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Matthew S. Robbins

  3. NYU Langone Department of Neurology, New York, NY, USA

    Mia Minen

  4. Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Dawn C. Buse

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  1. Daniel Vekhter
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  2. Matthew S. Robbins
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Correspondence to Mia Minen.

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Conflict of Interest

Dan Vekhter and Mia Minen declare no conflict of interest. Matthew Robbins receives book royalties from Wiley and an editorial stipend from Springer. He serves in non-remunerative positions as a member of the American Headache Society Board of Directors and on the editorial board for Headache. Dawn Buse has received grant funding, research support, and honoraria from Amgen, Allergan, Biohaven, Lilly, and Teva and is a section editor for Current Pain and Headache Reports but has not been involved in the review of this article.

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Vekhter, D., Robbins, M.S., Minen, M. et al. Efficacy and Feasibility of Behavioral Treatments for Migraine, Headache, and Pain in the Acute Care Setting. Curr Pain Headache Rep 24, 66 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-020-00899-z

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