Study on the effects of therapist contact on progressive muscular relaxation training for mixed migraine and tension headaches

Abstract

The effectiveness of home-based relaxation and therapist-contact relaxation treatment for headaches were evaluated in comparison to a waiting list control group. A group of 30 subjects diagnosed as suffering mixed migraine without aura and episodic tension headache were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: home-based progressive muscular relaxation, therapist-contact progressive muscular relaxation, or waiting list control. Results indicated that there was no significant effect of treatment for any of the groups on objective measures of headache severity, frequency, and duration. Subjects also subjectively rated changes in their headaches, and it was found that there was no difference between any of the three groups on subjective ratings of changes in headache severity or duration. However, on subjective ratings of changes in headache frequency and a global rating of headache, the therapist-contact relaxation group rated themselves as significantly more improved than either of the remaining two groups. These findings were discussed in terms of treatment and cost effectiveness.