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Headache, Treatment

February 1999

Overview

In 1994, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR, now the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ]) sponsored the development of a project to evaluate the current scientific evidence from the literature on the treatment and prevention of chronic and acute headaches, with a focus on migraines. The following series of technical reviews were published as a result:

Resource Utilization and Costs of Care for Treatment of Chronic Headache.
This report identifies and summarizes evidence from full reports of empirical studies published from 1966 to 1996 on the cost of care and economic impact of chronic headache.
Behavioral and Physical Treatments for Migraine Headache.
This report identifies and summarizes evidence from controlled trials published from 1966 to 1996 on the efficacy of behavior and physical treatments for migraine headache.
Drug Treatments for the Prevention of Migraine Headache.
This report identifies and summarizes evidence from full reports of controlled trials published from 1966 to 1996 on the efficacy and tolerability of drug treatments for the prevention of migraine headache.
Self-Administered Drug Treatments for Acute Migraine Headache.
The objective of this review was to identify and summarize evidence from controlled trials on the efficacy and tolerability of self-administered drug treatment for acute migraine headache.
Parenteral Drug Treatments for Acute Migraine Headache.
The objective of this review was to identify and summarize evidence from controlled trials on the efficacy and tolerability of parenteral drug treatments for acute migraine headache.

These reports can be purchased from National Technical Information Service (NTIS).

Download Technical Reviews

Treatment of Headache

Technical Review 2.1. Resource Utilization and Costs of Care for Treatment of Chronic Headache. Available from the NTIS.
Technical Review 2.2. Behavioral and Physical Treatments for Migraine Headache. Available from the NTIS.
Technical Review 2.3. Drug Treatments for the Prevention of Migraine Headache. Available from the NTIS.
Technical Review 2.4. Self-Administered Drug Treatments for Acute Migraine Headache. Available from the NTIS.
Technical Review 2.5. Parenteral Drug Treatments for Acute Migraine Headache. Available from the NTIS.

Evidence-based Practice Center: Duke University
Topic Nominator: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Current as of February 1999

Internet Citation:

Treatment of Headache. Overview. February 1999. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/headachetp.htm