Hypnotherapy or transcendental meditation versus progressive muscle relaxation exercises in the treatment of children with primary headaches: a multi-centre, pragmatic, randomised clinical study

• Published in: European journal of pediatrics 2019-02, Vol.178 (2), p.147-154
• Main Authors: Jong, M. C., Boers, I., van Wietmarschen, H. A., Tromp, E., Busari, J. O., Wennekes, R., Snoeck, I., Bekhof, J., Vlieger, A. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Anxiety; Anxiety - epidemiology; Anxiety - etiology; Child; Children; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - etiology; Female; Headache; Headache - therapy; Headaches; Humans; Hypnosis - methods; Hypnotherapy; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Meditation; Meditation - methods; Mental depression; Migraine; Muscle contraction; Original; Original Article; Pain; Pediatrics; Relaxation; Transcendental meditation; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0340-6199; 1432-1076; 1432-1076
• DOI: 10.1007/s00431-018-3270-3

Many children suffer from headaches. Since stress may trigger headaches, effective techniques to cope with stress are needed. We investigated the effectiveness of two mind-body techniques, transcendental meditation (TM) or hypnotherapy (HT), and compared them with progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) exercises (active control group). Children (9–18 years) suffering from primary headaches more than two times per month received either TM ( N  = 42), HT ( N  = 45) or PMR ( N  = 44) for 3 months. Primary outcomes were frequency of headaches and ≥ 50% reduction in headaches at 3 and 9 months. Secondary outcomes were adequate relief, pain coping, anxiety and depressive symptoms, somatisation and safety of treatment. Groups were comparable at baseline. Headache frequency was significantly reduced in all groups from 18.9 days per month to 12.5 and 10.5 at respectively 3 and 9 months ( p