Cures That (Make You) Work

Successful treatment not only depends on adhering to taking medication and attending therapy but also on behavioral changes. In two experiments (total N = 256), we investigated the hypothesis that the perceived social role of a treatment as partner (co-producer of a health-benefits) or servant (sole provider of health benefits) could promote or prevent intentions to engage in health-related behaviors. Specifically, we used headache treatment as an everyday example and found that participants were more inclined to engage in headache-reducing behaviors when painkillers were described as partners as compared to servants. Implications of these findings for the importance of anthropomorphic social perception in the clinical application are discussed.

Systematic Review on Aspects of Headaches

Headaches are a very common ailment in the modern world. Unfortunately, a large number of people are not diagnosed properly, and headaches are underestimated. However, it is worth analyzing this problem to be able to treat the causes of which the headache is only a symptom. The aim of the work was to present various types of headaches and their characteristic features. To this end, a systematic review of the PubMed science base has been carried out. It is possible to distinguish mainly primary and secondary headaches. Particularly noteworthy are secondary headaches, among which, for example, headaches associated with sexual activity can be observed. It can be seen that there is a lack of scientific literature discussing this type of headache. Since there is a stigma surrounding it, this topic is avoided in research and difficult to explore due to low public awareness. In turn, the treatment of headaches does not have to be limited to pharmacological methods. The review presents effective methods of non-pharmacological treatment of headaches. Headaches are a social and economic problem. It is important to educate the patient and their families in the field of headache treatment to increase patients' awareness of the types of headaches.

Post - Spinal Anesthesia Headache Treatment: a literature review

Background: Post-spinal anesthesia headache is a common complication of this procedure due to the loss of cerebrospinal fluid through the puncture orifice. Resolution may be spontaneous or require interventions such as presented in this study. Objective: To address the most relevant and current aspects of post-spinal anesthesia headache treatment. Methods: Literature review based on Pubmed, Scielo and Google Scholar databases, having as inclusion criteria articles of great published in English, Portuguese and Spanish in the period 2016 to 2021 and exclusion criteria articles published outside that period. Results: Post-spinal anesthesia headache or post-dural puncture headache (DPC) is divided into disabling headache and non-disabling headache in order to guide its management. In non-disabling headache, analgesics, caffeine and hydration are used. In disabling headache, blood-patching can be performed from the injection of autologous blood in the epidural space in order to buffer the puncture hole. In addition to this technique, there is the blockade of the sphenuous- palatine ganglion, which is performed by applying 5% lidocaine with the aid of a swab, introduced perpendicularly to the nasopharynx, where the sphenuous ganglion is located – palatine ,inhibiting vasodilation from the blockage of parasympathetic transmission and thus decreasing the intensity of headache, considering the approachless invasive and with fewer complications, but that needs to be better studied for its application. Conclusion: The treatment of mistraining cppd from conservative to more invasive procedures and with a higher risk of complications. Due to the above, studies should be encouraged to expand the therapeutic arsenal of this disabling headache.

Practical use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in relieving recurrent headaches

The main burden of headache in the world falls on primary cephalalgia (tension headache, migraine). However, there is often a need to rule out a secondary cause of the headache. This review presents the main options for the differential diagnosis of cephalgias, taking into account the patient’s age, headache characteristics, and anamnestic information. The role of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in headache treatment, the safety of its long-term use and prevention of medication overuse headache are discussed.

Peripheral Neuromodulation for the Management of Headache

Context: Neuromodulation is an expanding field of study for headache treatment to reduce pain by targeting structures within the nervous system that are commonly involved in headache pathophysiology, such as the vagus nerve (VNS), occipital nerves, or sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) for stimulation. Pharmaceutical medical therapies for abortive and prophylactic treatment, such as triptans, NSAIDs, beta-blockers, TCAs, and antiepileptics, are effective for some individuals, but the role that technology plays in investigating other therapeutic modalities is essential. Peripheral neuromodulation has gained popularity and FDA approval for use in treating certain headaches and migraine headache conditions, particularly in those who are refractory to treatment. Early trials found FDA approved neurostimulatory implant devices, including Cephaly and SpringTMS, improved patient-oriented outcomes with reductions in headaches per month (frequency) and severity. Evidence Acquisition: This was a narrative review. The sources for this review are as follows: Searching on PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, and ScienceDirect from 1990 - 2019 using keywords: Peripheral Neuromodulation, Headache, vagus nerve, occipital nerves, sphenopalatine ganglion. Results: The first noninvasive neurostimulator device approved for migraine treatment was the Cefaly device, an external trigeminal nerve stimulation device (e-TNS) that transcutaneously excites the supratrochlear and supraorbital branches of the ophthalmic nerve. The second noninvasive neurostimulation device receiving FDA approval was the single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulator, SpringTMS, positioned at the occiput to treat migraine with aura. GammaCore is a handheld transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulator applied directly to the neck at home by the patient for treatment of cluster headache (CH) and migraine. Several other devices are in development for the treatment of headaches and target headache evolution at different levels and inputs. The Scion device is a caloric vestibular stimulator (CVS) which interfaces with the user through a set of small cones resting in the ear canal on either side and held in place by modified over-ear headphones. The pulsante SPG Microstimulator is a patient-controlled device implanted in the patient’s upper jaw via an hour-long oral procedure to target the sphenopalatine ganglion. The occipital nerve stimulator (ONS) is an invasive neuromodulation device for headache treatment that consists of an implanted pulse generator on the chest wall connected to a subcutaneous lead with 4 - 8 electrodes that is tunneled the occiput. Conclusions: The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the efficacy, preliminary outcomes, and limitations of neurostimulatory implants available for use in the US and those pending further development.