Common chronic headache

WHAT IS IT:

Chronic migraine (CM) is a neurological disorder characterized by debilitating headaches, affecting 2-3% of the general population, and is one of the main disorders encountered in neurological clinical practices.

Chronic migraine is a multifactorial condition involving altered modulation and control of complex afferent pathways. Overstimulation of the trigeminovascular system is responsible for nociceptor activation, cortical propagation depression, mast cell degranulation, release of neurogenic inflammatory mediators, and changes in ion channels. Pain-generating structures in the skull are regulated by sensory systems located in the thalamus, hypothalamus, and brainstem, and several mechanisms are putative targets for CM therapy.

Chronic migraine management includes optimizing acute medication and using pharmacological and nonpharmacological preventive approaches. Currently approved therapies are limited, with poor tolerability, refractory profiles, and unfavorable costs. Therefore, new preventive options for CM are needed.

Botulinum Toxin A (BT-A) versus Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in the Treatment of Chronic Migraine: A Comparison

Botulinum toxin A (BT-A) versus low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in chronic migraine: A comparative trial

Luana Mazzacoratti Loeb, Rebeca Padrão Amorim, Maria da Graça Naffah Mazzacoratti, Fulvio Alexandre Scorza, Mario Fernando Prieto Peres

COMMON CHRONIC MIGRAINE

WHAT IS IT:

Headache is a common form of pain worldwide. In most cases, the diagnosis of headaches is based entirely on the patient's history, as a physical examination alone rarely provides adequate diagnostic information.

According to the World Health Organization, migraine is the second leading cause of years lived with disability. The International Headache Society published a classification system with diagnostic criteria for headaches based on clinical consensus, classifying headaches into:

Primary (tension, migraine or cluster)

Secondary (e.g., caused by infection or vascular disease).

Treatments act preventively in the acute and chronic phases, using both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. Current therapies are limited, with unwanted side effects, low long-term adherence, and high costs.

Photobiomodulation for the Treatment of Primary Headache: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials

Andréa Oliver Gomes, Ana Luiza Cabrera Martimbianco, Aldo Brugnera Junior, Anna Carolina Ratto Tempestini Horliana, Tamiris da Silva, Elaine Marcílio Santos, Yara Dadalti Fragoso, Kristianne Porta Santos Fernandes, Samir Nammour and Sandra Kalil Bussadori

COMMON CHRONIC MIGRAINE IN CHILDREN

WHAT IS IT:

Headache is a common health problem, often present in childhood. An increasing prevalence of headache in children was reported in a multinational World Health Organization (WHO) study of 12,000 children. Headache prevalence increased by 5% over 4 years. Prevalence rates for migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) vary considerably (0.9–72.8%) depending on the stringency of the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria. It is essentially defined as a bilateral pressure or squeezing headache with no known medical cause. TTH is defined as episodic if it occurs on fewer than 15 days per month and as chronic if it occurs more frequently.

Laser acupuncture in children with headache:

A double-blind, randomized, bicenter, placebo-controlled trial

Sven Gottschling a,*, Sascha Meyer b, Inessa Gribova c, Ludwig Distler c, Jens Berrang d,

Ludwig Gortner b, Norbert Graf a, M. Ghiath Shamdeen e

a University Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Saarland University, Kirrbergerstr., 66421 Homburg, Germany

b University Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany

c Caritas Hospital St. Theresia, Pain Clinic, Saarbruecken, Germany

d Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Herdecke, Department of Pediatrics, Herdecke, Germany

e University Children's Hospital, Section of Neuropediatrics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany

Received May 24, 2007; received in revised form September 6, 2007; accepted 1 October 2007