Nurse Educators Can Train Migraine Sufferers to Prevent Headache

BY MAURY M. BREECHER
Contributing Writer

ORLANDO - (ECCC) By learning to read cues from their own bodies that a migraine may be imminent, migraine sufferers can learn to engage in "self-nurturing activities" to prevent an attack, said Dr. Kathleen Farmer on July 21 during a symposium sponsored by the Diamond Headache Clinic Research and Education Foundation.

Dr. Farmer, a psychologist with the Headache Care Center of Springfield, MO, said that the "knowledge and know-how" on how to do this can be achieved through nurse-provided education.

In a study soon to be published, Dr. Farmer said she and her co-authors demonstrated that "nurse-based education in the primary care setting can empower migraineurs to become partners in the management of their disorder" (Cady R, Farmer K., et al., "Nurse-based education: an office-based comparative model for education of migraine patients. Headache; in press").

"The concept of the migraine threshold is especially important for migraineurs to understand because their behaviors may be able to protect their ultra-sensitive nervous systems from being overwhelmed and producing migraines," she continued. "Once they realize that the migraine threshold is a genetically determined point at which a person experiences the process of migraine, they can learn to raise their own threshold by practicing biofeedback, watching a funny DVD, exercising, recreating, or participating in other positive past-times."

Used daily, such therapeutic behaviors can reduce headache frequency, severity, associated disability, and the need for medications at the same time they instill a sense of control over headache attacks.

In her study, Farmer and colleagues used four groups to demonstrate their belief that patients can be taught these therapeutic behaviors and find relief from headache. Group A watched an educational CD that explained the concept and demonstrated coping strategies with a nurse on-hand to answer questions. Group B received the CD from a nurse or doctor who would say, "This is some very important information. I'd like you to watch it." In group C, nurses handed the CD to the patients without comment. Group D was not given a CD.

"The improvement of responses by patients in the study was directly related to the amount of involvement the nurse had," said Dr. Farmer. "Our results showed that the responses of Groups A and B were similar, but there were significant differences between Groups C and D. The results showed that patients will learn how to get better if nurses in primary care settings are trained to educate their patients."

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