Some migraineurs are considered fortunate since they are capable of experiencing prodromal symptoms. Prodromal symptoms alert the patient when they are about to have a migraine attack. Prodromal symptom does not offer any relief but at least it allows the migraineur to plan for the down period they are about to go into. Provided a migraineur has learnt the cognitive behavioral therapy they are in a position to use the prodromal symptoms to short circuit the migraine headache.In cognitive behavioral therapy the aim is to consciously manipulate and recognize the role that the behavior of a patient plays in the development of the headaches. The therapist and the patient will both work to establish the patients behavior when they feel they are about to have a headache. For the patients who are not lucky enough to experience prodromal symptoms they work with their therapist to establish the patients behavior when the pain starts. After establishing the patient’s behavior, the therapist and patient then develop alternative behaviors for the patient to try in place of the earlier ones. The hope is that by changing the patient’s behavior they might be able to change the migraine.There are several issues that cognitive behavioral therapy seeks to establish. The therapist works with the patient to achieve the following.
There are several behavioral therapy techniques, the most common include: self-talk, reframing, desensitization, role-playing and positive thinking.By itself cognitive behavioral therapy is helpful but much more helpful when combined with preventive drug therapy. A study carried out I 1989 showed that minimal-therapist contact behavioral therapy and clinic- based therapy had almost equal success rates. This was true when observed initially and on a follow up six months later. It is therefore true that Minimal contact therapy offers an affordable and effective alternative to clinic based therapy which might be more expensive.
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