Serenity Now

News Note

By Darren Buford

Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, June/July 2001.

Researchers from the University of Mississippi Medical Center found some alternative therapies can assuage sufferers of migraine headaches. Of the remedies tested (biofeedback training, hypnosis, stress-management therapy and relaxation training), the most effective proved to be an integration of behavioral treatments with drug therapies. These therapies consist of both clinic-based and home-based interventions. The latter approach teaches patients how to develop self-help skills at home. While relaxation training, biofeedback and cognitive-behavioral therapy proved somewhat effective (none proved more prevalent than another), there was not enough evidence as to whether acupuncture or hypnosis were beneficial.