Positive Health Online

Abstract

MEISTER and colleagues, Medizinische Klinik, Kantonsspital Glarus, Switzerland write that migraine and other functional disorders are common yet often difficult to treat, with alternative treatment modalities warranted and gaining more widespread acceptance. The authors studies the use of psychofonia, a new form of music therapy for the treatment of migraine .

Background

Methodology

With each patient, an individualised sound pattern is created based on their individual EEG using computer technology. The authors studied prospectively 55 migraine patients treated with EEG-based music therapy.

Results

56% of patients showed improvement of at least 50% of symptoms following a12-month treatment period .

Conclusion

These data suggest that this form of music therapy is effective in treating migraine patients and should be studied in a prospective, randomised, controlled trial.

References

Meister M et al. Psychofonia a neurophysiological music therapy in migraine. Schweizerische Rundschau faer Medizin Praxis 88(21): 946-9. 20 May 1999.

Comment

It is extremely interesting that such good results are being obtained for headache and migraine using such non-invasive therapies as massage/relaxation and music therapy. The next stage of these treatments is to enable a person to use these methods him or herself when they have a headache.