Document Detail


Pharmacotherapy of tension-type headache (TTH).
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19463068     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: Tension-type headache (TTH) is a highly prevalent condition, yet it requires less medical attention than migraine, mostly because the pain and disability burden are milder. METHODS: Proper diagnosis is a paramount step in therapeutic adequacy. It comes from careful history, thorough physical examination and use of ancillary investigations when appropriate to rule out underlying causes of secondary headaches that could mimic TTH, as there is no biological marker for the condition. RESULTS: Research in TTH is insufficient. Thus, pathophysiologic understanding and therapeutic innovations are lagging. In that context, the clinicians should not be surprised by the paucity of pharmacotherapeutic options. CONCLUSION: In this article, we review the existing literature on medications and make practical recommendations based on the evidence of their efficacy. We review both abortive and prophylactic medications (such as tricyclic antidepressants and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, respectively). Both are used for chronic TTH and abortive medications only for infrequent episodic TTH (ETTH). As far as frequent ETTH, abortive medications are used and prophylactic medications often but not systematically. We comment and advise on general therapeutic principles of TTH management.
Authors:
Marc E Lenaerts
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy     Volume:  10     ISSN:  1744-7666     ISO Abbreviation:  Expert Opin Pharmacother     Publication Date:  2009 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-05-25     Completed Date:  2009-08-13     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  100897346     Medline TA:  Expert Opin Pharmacother     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1261-71     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
University of California, Davis Mercy Medical Group 3000, Q St. Sacramento, CA 95816, USA. marc.lenaerts@chw.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Analgesics / therapeutic use*
Evidence-Based Medicine
Humans
Tension-Type Headache / drug therapy*,  prevention & control
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Analgesics

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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