TY - JOUR T1 - Biofeedback in headache: An overview of approaches and evidence JF - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine JO - Cleve Clin J Med SP - S72 LP - S76 DO - 10.3949/ccjm.77.s3.13 VL - 77 IS - 7 suppl 3 AU - Frank Andrasik Y1 - 2010/07/01 UR - http://www.ccjm.org/content/77/7_suppl_3/S72.abstract N2 - Biofeedback-related approaches to headache therapy fall into two broad categories: general biofeedback techniques (often augmented by relaxation-based strategies) and methods linked more directly to the pathophysiology underlying headache. The use of general biofeedback-assisted relaxation techniques for headache has been evaluated extensively by expert panels and meta-analyses. Taken together, these reviews indicate that (1) various forms of biofeedback are effective for migraine and tension-type headache; (2) outcomes with biofeedback rival outcomes with medication therapy; (3) combining biofeedback with medication can enhance outcomes; and (4) despite efficacy in many patients, biofeedback fails to bring significant relief to a sizeable number of headache patients. Biofeedback methods that more directly target headache pathophysiology have focused chiefly on migraine. These headache-specific approaches include blood volume pulse biofeedback, which has considerable supportive evidence, and electroencephalographic feedback. ER -