A non-pharmacological treatment of vascular headache during pregnancy.

This study investigates the use of biofeedback, relaxation and psychotherapy on five patients with severe, vascular headaches that occurred during the course of pregnancy. The subjects received between four and twelve sessions of treatment overall. The subjects all showed a marked reduction or complete cessation of headaches during treatment, the term of pregnancy, and during a follow-up evaluation months after the birth of the child. Possible alternate explanations for improvement are discussed along with the study's limitations. This preliminary investigation strongly suggests that psychological treatment may be a particularly useful intervention for management of headaches that occur in pregnant women.