Current pain and headache reports
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Jul 2013
ReviewSystematic review of psychological treatment in fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a debilitating rheumatic disorder characterized mainly by the presence of continual and widespread musculoskeletal pain, in addition to other disturbing symptoms. There is inconsistent evidence about the effectiveness of the treatments developed so far, making FM a chronic disease that is difficult to treat. The aim of this literature review was to analyze the empirical studies about psychological treatment of FM that have been published over the last twenty years. ⋯ The most used intervention modality was group treatment with a cognitive-behavioral approach. We also found intensive and remote treatments as well as multimodal therapy, hypnosis, cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia, behavioral therapies, mind-body-based techniques, and biofeedback components. Finally, we discuss the clinical relevance of addressing the symptoms of patients with FM and its scientific validation.
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Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a frequent diagnosis in chronic pain and is characterized by tender, taut bands known as trigger points. The trigger points are painful areas in skeletal muscle that are associated with a palpable nodule within a taut band of muscle fibers. ⋯ The actual image characteristic in B mode appears to be controversial. Ultrasonography provides an objective modality to assist with diagnosis and treatment of trigger points in the future.
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Several scientific studies report a close relationship between sleep and headache: sleep changes may reflect the onset and increase of both duration and frequency of headache attacks. Variations in sleep architecture, together with a poor sleep hygiene in children, may indeed be responsible for the onset of headache and its development into a chronic disease. For a correct clinical management of children with headache, it is therefore fundamental to investigate their sleep habits, architecture and potential disturbances, in order to develop adequate therapeutic plans for both sleep and headache.
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Nummular headache (NH) is a rare headache disorder characterized by focal and well-circumscribed pain fixed within a rounded or oval/elliptical-shaped area of the head, typically 2 to 6 cm in diameter (Grosberg et al. Curr Pain Headache Rep 11:310-2, 2007). The disorder most commonly affects the parietal region and is almost always unilateral and side-locked. ⋯ Rarely, the disorder may be bifocal or multifocal, affecting various regions of the head simultaneously or in sequence. Treatment with gabapentin, tricyclic antidepressants, or botulinum toxin may be helpful. In this review of the more than 250 cases now reported in the literature, the epidemiology, clinical features, pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, and management of this disorder are discussed.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Jun 2013
ReviewEpidemiology of migraine and headache in children and adolescents.
Migraine and headache are global disabling conditions causing considerable individual suffering and impaired quality of life in adults as well as in children and adolescents. Therefore, epidemiological studies are essential to assess the scope of the problem. This review covers epidemiological studies on migraine and headache in children and adolescents published in the past 25 years. ⋯ The estimated overall mean prevalence of headache was 54.4% (95% CI 43.1-65.8) and the overall mean prevalence of migraine was 9.1% (95% CI 7.1-11.1). There is a lack of population-based studies from low and low-middle income countries. In addition, there is very little information about the prevalence of probable migraine and chronic migraine and no information about menstrual migraine in the young.