Providing treatment options for your patient with headaches

In order to devise a treatment plan for your patient, first you must help your patient set goals for treatment. What are reasonable goals?

There are three reasonable goals for a treatment plan for your patient with headaches:

1. To reduce use of abortive treatments and increase their efficacy
2. To reduce headache disability
3. To establish pain control and lower stress

Your patient may indicate a preference for pharmacological or non-pharmacological therapy. You may find many patients are not receptive to prescription drugs and become overwhelmed by potential side effects, preferring instead to at least try remedies that they consider more natural. These may be supplements and / or lifestyle alteration.

If your patient does not wish to try a pharmaceutical intervention, there are many non-pharmacologic treatments that you can recommend:

1. Get adequate sleep
2. Practice yoga / meditation
3. Attend therapeutic massage treatments
4. Use essential oils such as peppermint oil
5. Exercise
6. Wear sunglasses