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Chronic Headaches

Biology, Psychology, and Behavioral Treatment

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This is the first new book in many years to provide a comprehensive review of the latest theory, research, and treatment of chronic headaches from a biopsychological perspective. It is designed to make the tools of assessment and therapy widely accessible, while placing them in the context of how the disorders arise. The physiology and psychology of pain, and each disorder, are reviewed in an accessible manner. Clinical experience, laboratory data, and illustrative vignettes aid in treatment selection.

Part I introduces the major types of headaches and provides a comprehensive review of pain. Part II details the major forms of headaches—migraine, tension-type, cluster, secondary, and headaches in children. A clinical presentation introduces each type of headache, followed by the physiological and psychological underpinnings and their implications for assessing and treating patients. Part III serves as a clinical guide for practitioners. The book closes with an analysis of how well the treatments work, the mechanisms behind the efficacy, and guidelines for treatment matching.

A range of practical tools is incorporated. Clinical evaluation is reviewed in depth, including the interview, psychometrics, and psychophysiological assessment. Key sections of the 2004 International Headache Society diagnostic criteria serve as a “mini” diagnostic manual. Tables allow rapid look-up of the various disorders and their distinguishing characteristics; trigger point referral patterns; and the comparative merits of migraine medications. Blank headache diaries, appropriate for various stages of treatment, serve as models. A relaxation exercise is provided, as are muscle tension and hand temperature norms. Key terms are defined in the extensive glossary to help psychologists and medical professionals share vocabulary. Medical, herbal, and behavioral therapies are discussed in terms of the underlying science.

Chronic Headaches is intended for healthcare providers, pain specialists, psychologists, researchers, and clinicians who study headaches in a variety of disciplines. This accessible, student-tested text is ideal for graduate courses on the psychology of pain and/or chronic headaches. Readers will gain expertise in headaches and a clear sense of how to translate this knowledge into clinical practice.

Table of Contents

Contents: Foreword. Preface. Part I: Foundations. Headache Nosology and Warning Signs. Pain Neurophysiology and Perception. Psychological Variables in Chronic Pain. Part II: Principal Types of Headaches: Physiology and Psychology. Migraines. Psychophysiology of Migraine. Tension-Type Headaches. Other Primary Headaches: Chronic Daily and Cluster Headaches. Benign Secondary Headaches: Cervicogenic, Temporomandibular Dysfunction, Trigeminal Neuralgia, and Posttraumatic Headache. Headaches in Children. Part III: Clinical Guide to Headaches. Headache Triggers. A Guide to Headache Medications. Clinical Assessment in Behavioral Medicine. Elements of Behavioral Medicine Treatment. Part IV: Behavioral Medicine Treatment Outcome Literature. Outcome: Meta-Analyses and Representative Studies. Process: Studies of the Components of Behavioral Treatment. Patient Selection and Treatment Matching. Long-Term Outcome and Future Directions.

Reviews

"[This] is the book I have been hoping would be written. It is comprehensive, scientifically rigorous, and skillfully written … biology and psychology are interwoven to provide a comprehensive and sophisticated history, overview, and analysis of the field." – Kenneth Holroyd, Ph.D., Ohio University

"It is certainly a book that I would want to have on my bookshelf and one that I would recommend to colleagues and assign to students…existing headache professionals could indeed learn from this book." – Frank Andrasik, Ph.D., University of West Florida

"This book adds an intensity and comprehensiveness that is not duplicated in any current text." – Paul N. Duckro, Ph.D., Saint Louis University School of Medicine

"From diagnostic criteria to evaluation to treatment, this volume is a compendium of current knowledge about headache. Written in a clear style, the book features topical and name indexes, a glossary, and an extensive reference list. Summing up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above in the health care field, especially practitioners." – J.D. Campbell in Choice

"Students in psychology, health sciences, counselling, psychotherapy or medicine can use this book as a medical and psychological primer in pain management. It succinctly discusses and analyses recent and historical research and integrates the findings […] Borkum covers all the major forms of chronic benign headache and concisely brings together the ever-expanding studies of psychology and medicine." - Ian Clancy, The Psychologist