Efficacy and Feasibility of Behavioral Treatments for Migraine, Headache, and Pain in the Acute Care Setting.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This narrative review examines the use of behavioral interventions for acute treatment of headache and pain in the emergency department (ED)/urgent care (UC) and inpatient settings.

RECENT FINDINGS: Behavioral interventions demonstrate reductions of pain and associated disability in headache, migraine, and other conditions in the outpatient setting. Behavioral treatments may be a useful addition for patients presenting with acute pain to hospitals and emergency departments. We review challenges and limitations and offer suggestions for implementation of behavioral interventions in the acute setting. Some evidence exists for relaxation-based treatments, mindfulness-based treatments, hypnosis/self-hypnosis, and immersive virtual reality for acute pain, migraine, and headache. There are few high-quality studies on behavioral treatments in the inpatient and emergency department settings. Further research is warranted to determine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of these interventions. Given the general safety and cost-effectiveness of behavioral interventions, healthcare professionals may want to include these therapies in treatment plans.