Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use for Headache and Migraine: A Critical Review of the Literature

Abstract

Contexts: An evidence base for CAM consumption within general populations is emerging. However, research data on CAM use for headache disorders remains poorly documented. This paper, constituting the first critical review of literature on this topic, provides a synopsis and evaluation of the research findings on CAM use amongst patients with headache and migraine.Methods: A comprehensive search of literature from 2000 to 2011 in CINAHL, MEDLINE, AMED, and Health Sources was conducted. The search was confined to peer-reviewed articles published in English reporting empirical research findings of CAM use among people with primary headache or migraine.Results: The review highlights a substantial level of CAM use among people with headache and migraine. There is also evidence of many headache and migraine sufferers using CAM concurrent to their conventional medicine use. Overall, the existing studies have been methodologically weak and there is a need for further rigorous research employing mixed method designs and utilizing large national samples. Discussion:The critical review highlights the substantial prevalence of CAM use amongst people with headache and migraine as a significant health care delivery issue and healthcare professionals should be prepared to enquire and discuss possible CAM use with their patients during consultations. Healthcare providers should also pay attention to the possible adverse effects of CAM or interactions between CAM and conventional medical treatments amongst headache and migraine patients. KeywordsHeadache, migraine, complementary and alternative medicine, prevalence, review Over recent decades, the evidence base for CAM consumption within general populations has emerged. 9-13 However, research data on CAM use for specific health or clinical conditions remains less well documented and the use of CAM specifically for headache and migraine is no exception. This paper provides the first critical, systematic examination of the evidence-base of this crucial healthcare issue, synthesizing empirical research findings and highlighting a number of gaps and challenges facing future research in this increasingly important practice area. Headache and Migraine: The Significance of Exploring CAM UseHeadache and migraine is a very common health condition and according to the International Headache Society the percentage of the global adult population with an active general headache disorder is 46% with 11% suffering from migraines, 42% suffering tension-type headaches and 3% suffering chronic daily headache. 14 A systematic review has identified the global prevalence of chronic migraine at 0-5.1%, 4 with estimates typically in the range of 1.4-2.2% of the general population. 15 The impact of headache disorders is substantial and the World Health Organization ranks headache disorders as some of the most disabling conditions for both men and women. 14 Given the substantial effect of headache and migraine on the quality of life of the sufferer and the significant disruption to work, family ...

An integrative review of complementary and alternative medicine use for back pain: a focus on prevalence, reasons for use, influential factors, self-perceived effectiveness, and communication

“…To appraise the quality of the studies selected for review, the authors used a quality scoring system ( Table 2) previously used for assessing prevalence studies on neck pain [70], CAM use among cancer patients [71], and CAM use among headache and migraine patients [72]. The use of this analytical tool allowed for systematic evaluation and comparison of the identified studies.…”

Critical Review of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Prevalence and Users’ Profile, Decision-Making, Information Seeking, and Disclosure in the Face of a Lack of Efficacy

“…A modified quality scoring system (Table 3) previously used for appraising CAM use literature in a variety of diseases/conditions was employed to assess the quality of the papers identified for our review [15,16]. Three authors assigned scores to each paper separately utilizing the scoring system and any differences in score results across authors were resolved via discussion.…”

Complementary Medicine in Chronic Pain Treatment

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