Abstract
The objective of the study is to investigate the benefits of joining a self-help group for patients with medication overuse headache (MOH). A self-help group is a voluntary gathering of a small number of persons who share a common problem. Little is known about support groups for people with chronic non-malignant pain such as MOH. Eight patients with refractory MOH attended a self-help group twice a month. During the meetings, patients were asked to focus on their headache experiences. Our data showed an increase in resourcefulness in coping with pain and a reduction in cephalalgiophobia. All patients reported general benefits in sharing their headache-related problems. No differences were found for headache frequency or analgesic overuse. To our knowledge, this is the first report on a self-help group for patients with MOH. Joining a self-help group can help patients develop positive attitudes to managing pain.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 459-463 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Neurological Sciences |
Volume | 30 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2009 |
Keywords
- Behavioural treatment
- Chronic pain
- Coping
- Medication overuse headache
- Self-help group
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Dermatology
- Clinical Neurology
- Psychiatry and Mental health