Complementary Alternative Medicine for Pediatric Chronic Headaches
Author | : Yvette Loretta Goodridge |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 48 |
Release | : 2020 |
ISBN-10 | : OCLC:1163651309 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 (09 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Abstract Pediatric chronic headaches are a common complaint and one of the primary reasons for seeking medical treatment. Headache medications have limited effects on children with chronic headaches. Few studies examined the effects of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) to optimize pain management in children with chronic headaches. The objective is to evaluate whether CAM [acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and biofeedback therapy (BFT)] reduces headache frequency and pain scores when used in addition to medications in children with chronic headaches. This was a retrospective review of electronic health records from September 2016-January 2020 to examine the effects of CAM. Inclusion criteria: children 10 to 18 years, diagnosis of chronic headaches, and received one or more CAM types. Demographics and clinical information related to headaches were collected (number of headaches per week, pain scores on 0-10 scale, and change in pain quality). Quantitative follow-up telephone surveys were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and continued use of CAM. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square (categorical variables), Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test (ordinal comparisons) of headache frequency and pain quality and paired t-tests used to evaluate pain scores before and after CAM. Children (n=78; 14 2.4 years) were mostly female (81%), Hispanic (45%), and had chronic migraines (47%). Children received acupuncture (68%) or combined acupuncture and CBT (25%). Pain scores (n=40) were significantly different before (7.0 2.0) and after (2.53 3.1, p = 0.03) treatment. Children who received acupuncture (n=28) had a significant decrease in pain scores before (7.0 1.6) and after (1.8 1.6, p