• W E Pryse-Phillips, D W Dodick, J G Edmeads, M J Gawel, R F Nelson, R A Purdy, G Robinson, D Stirling, and I Worthington.
• Division of Neurology, Health Sciences Centre, St. John's NF. wpryse@morgan.ucs.mun.ca
• CMAJ. 1998 Jul 14; 159 (1): 47-54.

ObjectiveTo provide physicians and allied health care professionals with guidelines for the nonpharmacologic management of migraine in clinical practice.OptionsThe full range and quality of nonpharmacologic therapies available for the management of migraine.OutcomesImprovement in the nonpharmacologic management of migraine. EVIDENCE AND VALUES: The creation of the guidelines followed a needs assessment by members of the Canadian Headache Society and included a statement of objectives; development of guidelines by multidisciplinary working groups using information from literature reviews and other resources; comparison of alternative clinical pathways and description of how published data were analysed; definition of the level of evidence for data in each case; evaluation and revision of the guidelines at a consensus conference held in Ottawa on Oct. 27-29, 1995; redrafting and insertion of tables showing key variables and data from various studies and tables of data with recommendations; and reassessment by all conference participants.Benefits, Harms And CostsAugmentation of the use of nonpharmacologic therapies for the acute and prophylactic management of migraine is likely to lead to substantial benefits in both human and economic terms.RecommendationsBoth the avoidance of migraine trigger factors and the use of nonpharmacologic therapies have a part to play in overall migraine management.ValidationThe guidelines are based on consensus of Canadian experts in neurology, emergency medicine, psychiatry, psychology and family medicine, and consumers. Previous guidelines did not exist. Field testing of the guidelines is in progress.

8 keywords...

hide…