28B. Interdisciplinary Approach to Chronic Headaches

Chronic headaches are a common complaint, affecting millions of people worldwide. Underlying causes are varied, and many individuals suffer from multiple types of head pain, including migraines, tension headaches, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Many factors can affect pain intensity and frequency including dietary components, physical activity, stress, medications, and emotional events. Because of the varied causes, a single therapeutic approach is unlikely to be successful in treating the majority of patients. Conventional therapies often rely heavily on oral medication, which may provide insufficient pain control or be poorly tolerated.