Suggested treatments for chronic headaches include medication, physical therapy, acupuncture, relaxation training, and biofeedback.
[7] Also, abortive medications can be used to "stop a headache once it has begun"; such drugs include CGRP receptor antagonists (Ubrelvy, Nurtec ODT), ergotamine (Cafergot), triptans (Imitrex), and prednisone (Deltasone).
[11] The conditions keep worsening if one takes paracetamol, aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for 15 days a month or more.
[14] Preventive medicines include CGRP receptor antagonists, gabapentin (Neurontin), tizanidine (Zanaflex), fluoxetine (Prozac), amitriptyline (Elavil), and topiramate (Topamax).
[18] Another medication to prevent headaches is botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA or BOTOX), which is given by injection instead of being taken orally.
[21] The previously mentioned medicines can improve headaches, but physicians recommend multiple forms of treatments.
[citation needed] In addition to medicines, physical therapy is a treatment to help improve chronic headaches.
[23] During office sessions, therapists use manual therapy, such as a massage, stretching, or joint movement to release muscle tension.
[24] In physical therapy, the patient must take an active role to practice exercises and make changes to his or her lifestyle for there to be improvement.
Relaxation training helps to reduce internal tension, allowing a person to control headaches triggered by stress.
[30] Relaxation training works as people become in tune with their own body, allowing them to realize when it is necessary to decrease tension before a headache occurs.
[citation needed] Also, relaxation therapy can involve mental techniques to decrease body tension.
[36] The last mental strategy involves the chronic headache patient visualizing a place of stress in his or her life and imagining a relaxed response.
[37] Meditation often involves repeating a one syllable sound or staring at a visual object to help focus attention.
[citation needed] Biofeedback is often used to evaluate the effectiveness of relaxation training, because it feeds back information to the person with chronic headaches about the "body's (biological) current state".
[40] When tense, a person's sweat gland activity increases, which is measured by electrodermograph testing of the hands.
A study involving fifteen treatment sessions found that biofeedback was "successful in reducing both frequency and severity of headache at discharge and over time".
[43] Many of the chemicals in certain foods can cause chronic headaches, including caffeine, nitrites, nitrates, tyramine, and alcohols.
[44] Some of the foods and beverages that people with chronic headaches are advised to avoid include caffeinated beverages, chocolate, processed meats, cheese and fermented dairy products, fresh yeast-risen baked goods, nuts, and alcohol as well as certain fruits and vegetables.
[55] Another behavioral study, which included multimodal treatment, showed that the "frequency of severe headaches was reduced by a clinically significant amount for 75% of the patients".
[56] Behavioral and psychological therapies work to identify and eliminate or reduce stressful situations that lead to chronic headaches.