The role of home practice in the treatment of chronic headache with imagery strategies

Author(s): Plohn, S., Buhk, H., Dahme, B.

Journal/Book: Verhaltenstherapie. 2000; 10: Allschwilerstrasse 10, CH-4009 Basel, Switzerland. Karger. 154-159.

Abstract: Background: The beneficial consequences of home practice were too often taken for granted. The few studies in this field provide equivocal results. Especially the success of home practice requires further attention. Method: Home practice and the success of home practice were investigated for two different imagery strategies: imaginative transformations and pleasant imagery. 10 patients per group (15 female, 5 male, 8 migraine with or without aura, 2 tension-type headache, 10 both types of headache) conducted extensive home practice protocols, headache diary and answered several pain questionnaires. Results: Both groups practiced once a day, as requested. The frequency of pain reductions after the imagery training was significantly higher for the patients treated with imaginative transformations. Frequency of pain reductions is also correlated with the pre-post-differences of several relevant pain variables (self-efficacy, suffering, fear, avoidance) but not with pre-post-differences of headache diary variables. Discussion: Implications for the psychological treatment of headache are discussed. Our assumption, that the success of home practice is probably crucial, was confirmed.

Note: Article Peters G, Alfredstr 40, D-20535 Hamburg, GERMANY

Keyword(s): home practice; chronic headache; psychological pain therapy; mental imagery; THERMAL BIOFEEDBACK; CHRONIC PAIN; BACK-PAIN; DISTRACTION; ATTENTION

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