Headache: the Placebo Effects in the Control Groups in Randomized Clinical Trials; an Analysis of Systematic Reviews

Combination of acupuncture and medical training therapy on tension type headache: Results of a randomised controlled pilot study

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of acupuncture and medical training therapy alone and in combination with those of usual care on the pain sensation of patients with frequent episodic and chronic tension-type headache.

DESIGN

This was a prospective single-centre randomised controlled trial with four balanced treatment arms. The allocation was carried out by pre-generated randomisation lists in the ratio 1:1:1:1 with different permutation block sizes.

SETTING

The study was undertaken in the outpatient clinic of Rehabilitation Medicine of the Hannover Medical School.Participants and interventions: Ninety-six adult patients with tension-type headache were included and randomised into usual care (n = 24), acupuncture (n = 24), medical training (n = 24), and combination of acupuncture and medical training (n = 24). One patient was excluded from analysis because of withdrawing her/his consent, leaving 95 patients for intention to treat analysis. Each therapy arm consisted of 6 weeks of treatment with 12 interventions. Follow-up was at 3 and 6 months.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Pain intensity (average, maximum and minimum), frequency of headache, responder rate (50% frequency reduction), duration of headache and use of headache medication.Clinical results: The combination of acupuncture and medical training therapy significantly reduced mean pain intensity compared to usual care (mean = -38%, standard deviation = 25%, p = 0.012). Comparable reductions were observed for maximal pain intensity (-25%, standard deviation = 20%, 0.014) and for minimal pain intensity (-35%, standard deviation = 31%, 0.03). In contrast, neither acupuncture nor medical training therapy differed significantly from usual care. No between-group differences were found in headache frequency, mean duration of headache episodes, and pain medication intake. At 3 months, the majority of all patients showed a reduction of at least 50% in headache frequency. At 6 months, significantly higher responder rates were found in all intervention groups compared to usual care.

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to monotherapy, only the combination of acupuncture and medical training therapy was significantly superior in reduction of pain intensity compared to usual care.Trial registration: Registered on 11 February 2019. German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00016723.

The bottom-up approach: Non-invasive peripheral neurostimulation methods to treat migraine: A scoping review from the child neurologist's perspective

Migraine is a common and invalidating disorder worldwide. Patients of all ages experience the disorder as very impairing regarding their personal and occupational lives. The current approach in migraine therapy is multimodal including lifestyle management, psychoeducation and, if available, psychotherapeutic interventions, and pharmacotherapy. The lack of non-pharmacological and non-invasive treatment options call for new and innovative therapeutic approaches. Peripheral neurostimulation is a relatively new method in migraine management offering a painless and non-pharmacological way of targeting specific mechanisms involved in migraine. This review summarizes 15 recent randomized clinical trials to provide an overview of non-invasive peripheral neurostimulation methods currently available for the treatment of migraine. Efficacy, tolerability, and safety of the different interventions and their feasibility in the pediatric setting are evaluated. Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS), remote electrical neuromodulation (REN) and supraorbital nerve stimulation (SNS) are considered effective in treating acute migraine attacks, the latter being more pronounced in migraine without aura. Regarding migraine prevention, occipital nerve stimulation (ONS) and supraorbital nerve stimulation (SNS) demonstrated efficacy, whereas repetitive neuromuscular magnetic stimulation (rNMS) may represent a further effective option in episodic migraine. REN and rNMS were found to be well-accepted with fewer patients discontinuing treatment than those receiving direct cranial nerve stimulation. In summary, peripheral neurostimulation represents a promising option to complement the multimodal therapy concept for pediatric migraine. In particular, rNMS opens a new field for research and treatment fitting the requirements of "non-invasiveness" for children. Given the reported efficacy, safety, and feasibility, the therapy decision should be made on an individual level.

Alleviation of migraine symptoms by application of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation to myofascial trigger points of neck and shoulder muscles - A randomized trial

Migraine is a burdensome disease with an especially high prevalence in women between the age of 15 and 49 years. Non-pharmacological, non-invasive therapeutic methods to control symptoms are increasingly in demand to complement a multimodal intervention approach in migraine. Thirty-seven subjects (age: 25.0 ± 4.1 years; 36 females) diagnosed with high-frequency episodic migraine who presented at least one active myofascial trigger point (mTrP) in the trapezius muscles and at least one latent mTrP in the deltoid muscles bilaterally prospectively underwent six sessions of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) over two weeks. Patients were randomly assigned to receive rPMS applied to the mTrPs of the trapezius (n = 19) or deltoid muscles (n = 18). Whereas the trapezius muscle is supposed to be part of the trigemino-cervical complex (TCC) and, thus, involved in the pathophysiology of migraine, the deltoid muscle was not expected to interfere with the TCC and was therefore chosen as a control stimulation site. The headache calendar of the German Migraine and Headache Society (DMKG) as well as the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire were used to evaluate stimulation-related effects. Frequency of headache days decreased significantly in both the trapezius and the deltoid group after six sessions of rPMS (trapezius group: p = 0.005; deltoid group: p = 0.003). The MIDAS score decreased significantly from 29 to 13 points (p = 0.0004) in the trapezius and from 31 to 15 points (p = 0.002) in the deltoid group. Thus, rPMS applied to mTrPs of neck and shoulder muscles offers a promising approach to alleviate headache frequency and symptom burden. Future clinical trials are needed to examine more profoundly these effects, preferably using a sham-controlled setting.

Hypnotherapy or transcendental meditation versus progressive muscle relaxation exercises in the treatment of children with primary headaches: a multi-centre, pragmatic, randomised clinical study

Many children suffer from headaches. Since stress may trigger headaches, effective techniques to cope with stress are needed. We investigated the effectiveness of two mind-body techniques, transcendental meditation (TM) or hypnotherapy (HT), and compared them with progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) exercises (active control group). Children (9-18 years) suffering from primary headaches more than two times per month received either TM (N = 42), HT (N = 45) or PMR (N = 44) for 3 months. Primary outcomes were frequency of headaches and ≥ 50% reduction in headaches at 3 and 9 months. Secondary outcomes were adequate relief, pain coping, anxiety and depressive symptoms, somatisation and safety of treatment. Groups were comparable at baseline. Headache frequency was significantly reduced in all groups from 18.9 days per month to 12.5 and 10.5 at respectively 3 and 9 months (p < 0.001), with no significant differences between the groups. Clinically relevant headache reduction (≥ 50%) was observed in 41% and 47% of children at 3 and 9 months respectively, with no significant differences between the groups. No differences were observed in secondary outcome measures between the intervention groups. No adverse events were reported.Conclusion: All three techniques reduced primary headache in children and appeared to be safe.Trial registration: NTR 2955, 28 June 2011 ( www.trialregister.nl ) What is Known: • Stress may be an important trigger for both tension type headache and migraine in children. • Good data are lacking on the effect of transcendental meditation, hypnotherapy or progressive muscle relaxation as possible stress-reducing therapies in children with primary headaches. What is New: • Three non-pharmacological techniques, i.e., transcendental meditation, hypnotherapy and progressive muscle relaxation exercises, all result in a clinically significant reduction of headaches and use of pain medication. • No large differences between the three techniques were found, suggesting that children can choose either one of the three techniques based on personal preferences.

The effects of aerobic exercise for persons with migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain. A randomized, controlled, clinical trial

Aim To evaluate aerobic exercise in migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain. Methods Consecutively recruited persons with migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain were randomized into an exercise group or control group. Aerobic exercise consisted of bike/cross-trainer/brisk walking for 45 minutes, three times/week. Controls continued usual daily activities. Pain frequency, intensity, and duration; physical fitness, level of physical activity, well-being and ability to engage in daily activities were assessed at baseline, after treatment and at follow-up. Results Fifty-two persons completed the study. Significant between-group improvements for the exercise group were found for physical fitness, level of physical activity, migraine burden and the ability to engage in physical activity because of reduced impact of tension-type headache and neck pain. Within the exercise group, significant reduction was found for migraine frequency, pain intensity and duration, neck pain intensity, and burden of migraine; an increase in physical fitness and well-being. Conclusions Exercise significantly reduced the burden of migraine and the ability to engage in physical activity because of reduced impact of tension-type headache and neck pain. Exercise also reduced migraine frequency, pain intensity and duration, although this was not significant compared to controls. These results emphasize the importance of regular aerobic exercise for reduction of migraine burden.

[Migraine prophylaxis with trigger point therapy and lymphatic drainage : A pilot study]

Migraine is a complex, multifactorial, neurovascular disorder of the brain. Patients frequently have pericranial trigger points, but trigger point (TP) therapy for migraine has not yet been adequately studied. In contrast, lymphatic drainage (LD) has been studied in patients with migraine. The multifactorial origin of migraine suggests using a combination of approaches such as TP therapy and lymphatic drainage. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of TP therapy alone and in combination with LD in preventing migraine during treatment period and over an 8‑week period after completion of treatment. A wait list control group served as a control group. Patients completed a headache calendar. The results of this pilot study suggest a beneficial effect for TP alone and TP combined with LD for migraine prophylaxis for 8 weeks after completion of treatment.

Chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for cervicogenic headache: a single-blinded, placebo, randomized controlled trial

Objective

Cervicogenic headache is a disabling headache where pharmacological management have limited effect. Thus, non-pharmacological management is warranted. Our objective was therefore to investigate the efficacy of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy versus placebo (sham manipulation) and control (continued usual but non-manual management) for cervicogenic headache in a prospective 3-armed single-blinded, placebo, randomized controlled trial of 17 months’ duration.

Results

Nineteen participants were equally randomized into the three groups, and 12 participants completed the randomized controlled trial. Headache frequency improved at all time points in the chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy and the placebo group. Headache index improved in the chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy group at all time points, while it improved at 6 and 12 months’ follow-up in the placebo group. The control group remained unchanged during the whole study period. Adverse events were few, mild and transient. Blinding was concealed throughout the RCT. Thus, our results suggest that manual-therapy might be a safe treatment option for participants with cervicogenic headache, but data need to be confirmed in a randomized controlled trial with sufficient sample size and statistical power.

Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01687881, 11 September 2012

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-017-2651-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

THE EFFECT OF BODY AWARENESS THERAPY AND AEROBIC EXERCISES ON PAIN AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE PATIENTS WITH TENSION TYPE HEADACHE

BACKGROUND

This study is to investigate the effect of Body Awareness Therapy (BAT) and Aerobic Exercises on pain and quality of life in patients with Tension-Type Headache (TTH).

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Sixty individuals with TTH diagnosis who referred Neurologist were incorporated into study. The individuals were randomly grouped into 3 as BAT (n=20), aerobic exercise (n=20) and control group (n=20). Pain severity of the individuals was evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and pain diary, disability with ache; by Pain Disability Index (PDI) and Headache Impact Tests (HIT) and quality of life was evaluated by SF-36. Subsequent to first assessments, 3 sessions of 60 minutes per week throughout 6 weeks totally.

RESULTS

When the groups were compared at the end of the study, a significant decrease was observed in VAS, PDI and HIT values in the individuals in the BAT and aerobic exercise groups. With the individuals in group BAT and aerobic exercise all parameters of quality of life were observed to be increased significantly.

CONCLUSION

BAT and aerobic exercise programs to be applied on TTH patients were concluded to be important in decreasing the pain, in increasing the quality of life and in reducing pain-related daily constraints of the individuals.

The effects of the multispecies probiotic mixture Ecologic®Barrier on migraine: results of an open-label pilot study

Migraine prevalence is associated with gastrointestinal disorders. Possible underlying mechanisms could be increased gut permeability and inflammation. Probiotics may decrease intestinal permeability as well as inflammation, and therefore may reduce the frequency and/or intensity of migraine attacks. Therefore we assessed feasibility, possible clinical efficacy, and adverse reactions of probiotic treatment in migraine patients. 29 migraine patients took 2 g/d of a probiotic food supplement (Ecologic(®)Barrier, 2.5×10(9) cfu/g) during 12 weeks. Participants recorded frequency and intensity of migraine in a headache diary and completed the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) and Henry Ford Hospital Headache Disability Inventory (HDI) at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. Compliance was measured every 4 weeks by counting the remaining sachets with probiotics. The study was completed by 27/29 (93%) patients who took 95% of the supplements. Obstipation was reported by 4 patients during the first 2 weeks of treatment only. The mean±standard deviation (SD) number of migraine days/month decreased significantly from 6.7±2.4 at baseline to 5.1±2.2 (P=0.008) in week 5-8 and 5.2±2.4 in week 9-12 (P=0.001). The mean±SD intensity of migraine decreased significantly from 6.3±1.5 at baseline to 5.5±1.9 after treatment (P=0.005). The MIDAS score improved from 24.8±25.5 to 16.6±13.5 (P=0.031). However, the mean HDI did not change significantly. In conclusion, probiotics may decrease migraine supporting a possible role for the intestine in migraine management. Feasibility and lack of adverse reactions justify further placebo-controlled studies.

Cognitive behavioural treatment for the chronic post-traumatic headache patient: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Chronic post-traumatic headache (CPTH) after mild head injury can be difficult to manage. Research is scarce and successful interventions are lacking.To evaluate the effect of a group-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) intervention in relation to headache, pain perception, psychological symptoms and quality of life in patients with CPTH.

METHODS

Ninety patients with CPTH according to ICHD-2 criteria were enrolled from the Danish Headache Center into a randomized, controlled trial. Patients were randomly assigned to either a waiting list group or to a nine-week CBT group intervention. At baseline and after 26 weeks all patients completed the Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire, SF-36, SCL-90-R and a headache diary.

RESULTS

The CBT had no effect on headache and pressure pain thresholds and only a minor impact on the CPTH patients' quality of life, psychological distress, and the overall experience of symptoms. The waiting-list group experienced no change in headache but, opposed to the treatment group, a significant decrease in somatic and cognitive symptoms indicating a spontaneous remission over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Our primarily negative findings confirm that management of patients with CPTH still remains a considerable challenge. Psychological group therapy with CBT might be effective in an earlier stage of CPTH and in less severely affected patients but our findings strongly underline the need for randomized controlled studies to test the efficacy of psychological therapy.

Specific music therapy techniques in the treatment of primary headache disorders in adolescents: a randomized attention-placebo-controlled trial

Migraine and tension-type headache have a high prevalence in children and adolescents. In addition to common pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions, music therapy has been shown to be efficient in the prophylaxis of pediatric migraine. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of specific music therapy techniques in the treatment of adolescents with primary headache (tension-type headache and migraine). A prospective, randomized, attention-placebo-controlled parallel group trial was conducted. Following an 8-week baseline, patients were randomized to either music therapy (n = 40) or a rhythm pedagogic program (n = 38) designed as an "attention placebo" over 6 sessions within 8 weeks. Reduction of both headache frequency and intensity after treatment (8-week postline) as well as 6 months after treatment were taken as the efficacy variables. Treatments were delivered in equal dose and frequency by the same group of therapists. Data analysis of subjects completing the protocol showed that neither treatment was superior to the other at any point of measurement (posttreatment and follow-up). Intention-to-treat analysis revealed no impact of drop-out on these results. Both groups showed a moderate mean reduction of headache frequency posttreatment of about 20%, but only small numbers of responders (50% frequency reduction). Follow-up data showed no significant deteriorations or improvements.

PERSPECTIVE

This article presents a randomized placebo-controlled trial on music therapy in the treatment of adolescents with frequent primary headache. Music therapy is not superior to an attention placebo within this study. These results draw attention to the need of providing adequate controls within therapeutic trials in the treatment of pain.

Self-reported efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine: the Akershus study of chronic headache

Background

Chronic headache is associated with disability and high utilisation of health care including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Findings

We investigated self-reported efficacy of CAM in people with chronic headache from the general population. Respondents with possible self-reported chronic headache were interviewed by physicians experienced in headache diagnostics. CAM queried included acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, naprapathy, physiotherapy, psychological treatment, and psychomotor physiotherapy. Sixty-two % and 73% of those with primary and secondary chronic headache had used CAM.

Self-reported efficacy of CAM ranged from 0-43% without significant differences between gender, headache diagnoses, co-occurrence of migraine, medication use or physician contact.

Conclusion

CAM is widely used, despite self-reported efficacy of different CAM modalities is modest in the management of chronic headache.

Rethinking stress in parents of preterm infants: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

With improved medical outcome in preterm infants, the psychosocial situation of their families is receiving increasing attention. For parents, the birth of a preterm infant is generally regarded as a stressful experience, and therefore many interventions are based on reducing parental stress. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether parents of children born preterm experience more stress than parents of term-born children, which would justify these interventions. This meta-analysis provides a comprehensive account of parental stress in parents of preterm infants, from birth of the infant through to their adolescence. Mean levels of stress in specific domains of family functioning were investigated, and stress levels in parents of preterm and term infants, and fathers and mothers of preterm infants, were compared. Furthermore, we investigated moderators of parental stress.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted including 38 studies describing 3025 parents of preterm (<37 wk) and low birth weight (<2500 g) infants. Parental stress was measured with two parent-reported questionnaires, the Parenting Stress Index and the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The results indicate that parents of preterm-born children experience only slightly more stress than parents of term-born children, with small effect sizes. Furthermore, mothers have slightly more stress than fathers, but these effect sizes are also small. Parents report more stress for infants with lower gestational ages and lower birth weights. There is a strong effect for infant birth year, with decreasing parental stress from the 1980s onward, probably due to increased quality of care for preterm infants.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our findings we argue that prematurity can best be regarded as one of the possible complications of birth, and not as a source of stress in itself.

Informed consent and placebo effects: a content analysis of information leaflets to identify what clinical trial participants are told about placebos

BACKGROUND

Placebo groups are used in randomised clinical trials (RCTs) to control for placebo effects, which can be large. Participants in trials can misunderstand written information particularly regarding technical aspects of trial design such as randomisation; the adequacy of written information about placebos has not been explored. We aimed to identify what participants in major RCTs in the UK are told about placebos and their effects.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We conducted a content analysis of 45 Participant Information Leaflets (PILs) using quantitative and qualitative methodologies. PILs were obtained from trials on a major registry of current UK clinical trials (the UKCRN database). Eligible leaflets were received from 44 non-commercial trials but only 1 commercial trial. The main limitation is the low response rate (13.5%), but characteristics of included trials were broadly representative of all non-commercial trials on the database. 84% of PILs were for trials with 50:50 randomisation ratios yet in almost every comparison the target treatments were prioritized over the placebos. Placebos were referred to significantly less frequently than target treatments (7 vs. 27 mentions, p<001) and were significantly less likely than target treatments to be described as triggering either beneficial effects (1 vs. 45, p<001) or adverse effects (4 vs. 39, p<001). 8 PILs (18%) explicitly stated that the placebo treatment was either undesirable or ineffective.

CONCLUSIONS

PILs from recent high quality clinical trials emphasise the benefits and adverse effects of the target treatment, while largely ignoring the possible effects of the placebo. Thus they provide incomplete and at times inaccurate information about placebos. Trial participants should be more fully informed about the health changes that they might experience from a placebo. To do otherwise jeopardises informed consent and is inconsistent with not only the science of placebos but also the fundamental rationale underpinning placebo controlled trials.