Placebo-Controlled Evaluation of Abbreviated Progressive Muscle Relaxation and of Relaxation Combined With Cognitive Therapy in the Treatment of Tension Headache

Authors

• Edward B. Blanchard, State University of New York Albany
• Kenneth A. Appelbaum, State University of New York Albany
• Cynthia L. Radnitz, State University of New York Albany
• Denise Michultka, State University of New York Albany
• Belinda Morrill, State University of New York Albany
• Cynthia Kirsch, State University of New York Albany
• Joel Hillhouse, State University of New York Albany
• Donald D. Evans, State University of New York Albany
• Patricia Guarnieri, State University of New York Albany
• Virginia Attanasio, State University of New York Albany
• Frank Andrasik, State University of New York Albany
• James Jaccard, State University of New York Albany
• Mark P. Dentinger, State University of New York Albany

Abstract

Sixty-six tension headache patients were randomly assigned to one of four conditions for 8 weeks: (a) progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) alone; (b) PMR plus cognitive therapy (PMR + Cog); (c) pseudomeditation, a credible attention-placebo control; or (d) continued headache monitoring. A comparison of overall headache activity (headache index), derived from a daily headache diary, for 4 weeks before treatment to 4 weeks after treatment, revealed that active treatment (PMR and PMR + Cog) was superior to either control condition. Moreover, level of headache medication consumption decreased significantly for the active treatment groups. Although headache-index comparisons of the two active treatments showed no advantage for adding cognitive therapy to PMR, a measure of clinically significant change showed a trend for PMR + Cog to be superior to PMR alone.

Publication Title

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Recommended Citation

Blanchard, E., Appelbaum, K., Radnitz, C., Michultka, D., Morrill, B., Kirsch, C., Hillhouse, J., Evans, D., Guarnieri, P., Attanasio, V., Andrasik, F., Jaccard, J., & Dentinger, M. (1990). Placebo-Controlled Evaluation of Abbreviated Progressive Muscle Relaxation and of Relaxation Combined With Cognitive Therapy in the Treatment of Tension Headache. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58 (2), 210-215. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.58.2.210