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Review
. 2023 Oct 8;13(10):1432.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci13101432.

Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Primary Headaches-A Focused Review

Emir Licina  1 , Aleksandra Radojicic  1   2 , Marta Jeremic  2 , Aleksandra Tomic  1   2 , Milija Mijajlovic  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Primary Headaches-A Focused Review

Emir Licina et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Headache disorders are a significant global health burden, leading to reduced quality of life. While vast pharmacological treatments are available, they may be associated with adverse effects or inadequate efficacy for some patients, therefore there is a need for exploring alternate treatment strategies. This review gives a brief explanation and evaluation of some established and emerging non-pharmacological approaches for headache management, focusing on nutraceuticals and diet, acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), biofeedback, relaxation techniques, autogenic training, and neuromodulation. Special consideration is given to psychological interventions as they increase patient self-efficacy and provide strategies for managing chronic pain. Future research should focus on optimizing these therapies, identifying patient-specific factors influencing their effectiveness, and integrating them into holistic headache management strategies.

Keywords: acupuncture; biofeedback; cognitive behavioral therapy; complementary medicine; headache; migraine; neuromodulation; nutraceutical.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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