Relieving headaches with pressure, heat, and cold

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, April, 2001 by Alan R. Gaby

Fifteen patients (mean age, 37 years) with recurrent migraine or tension headaches were studied. During three headache episodes, the patients used a headband designed to produce pressure on the head. Heat or cold was also applied by inserting microwaved or frozen gel-packs into a pocket of the headband. Headache medications were used as previously. Thirteen patients (87%) rated the treatment as "optimally effective" and 2 (13%) rated it as "moderately effective." All patients felt that the pressure was helpful, but the preference for heat or cold varied. The duration of headaches while using the headband ranged from 0.67 to 2.83 hours, compared with 2 to 8 hours without the use of the headband.

Comment: The application of pressure to the head, combined with heat or cold, has been used for thousands of years as a method of obtaining relief from headaches. The results of the present study support the effectiveness of this approach to treating headaches. Although the possibility of a placebo effect cannot be ruled out, it would be difficult to devise a suitable placebo for pressure, heat, or cold.

Landy SH, Griffin B. Pressure, heat, and cold help relieve headache pain. Arch Fam Med 2000;9:792-793.