Alternative and Complementary Approaches to Migraine and Cluster Headaches

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Medical Author:

Robert A Hauser, MD

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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• Alternative Approaches to Headaches Introduction
• Migraine Headaches
• Cluster Headaches
• Where Do I Begin?
• Alternative Therapies for Migraine and Cluster Headaches
• First Do No Harm
• For More Information
• Web Links
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Alternative Approaches to Headaches Introduction

In the United States, the field of alternative and complementary medicine is growing rapidly and includes the treatment of many health conditions, including pain. In 2002, according to a government survey of approximately 31,000 people, more than a third of American adults used such practices. This was the largest study on unconventional medical approaches in the United States. If prayer is included as an alternative form of therapy, then approximately 62% of American adults are using some form of nonconventional treatment.  

Alternative and complementary medicine includes such practices as acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, meditation, herbs, homeopathy, and manipulation, to name but a few. Another term, which reflects the use of these therapies within the concepts of Western medical practice, is integrative medicine. Many physicians who are board-certified in their respective specialties, and who have sought additional training in alternative and complementary care, prefer to use this term because it encompasses the best of both worlds in the overall management of a patient. 
 
Over the last decade, integrative medical practices have increasingly been used for the management of chronic pain. This article provides a general overview of the more commonly used integrative medical approaches for the management of pain, specifically the pain of migraine and cluster headaches.