Taking Control of Your Headaches

"If you are looking for a self-help book written for chronic headache sufferers in simple language without long scientific terms, you should see this book. It has many case studies, descriptions of headache types and suggestions for altering life styles and self-help techniques. It stresses the importance of a multimodal approach and the cautious use of medicine. Its strong points are the suggestions for relieving internal and external muscular tension while monitoring one's own body." --Alan Rapoport, MD, Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, co-author of Conquering Headache "The approach to headache management first pioneered at the St. Louis University Health Sciences Center has been in successful use for over two decades. The St. Louis Headache Program is now internationally recognized by headache specialists for its ability to resolve difficult headache presentations. In this volume, Dr. Paul Duckro and colleagues provide a highly readable and practical guide of the St. Louis formula of biopsychosocial changes which must occur in order to provide sufferers with a meaningful and lasting control. The manual is ideal for both headache sufferers and clinicians working within multidisciplinary headache and pain management settings." --Donald A. Bakal, Ph.D., Professor, University of Calgary "A clear comprehensive book on chronic headache for the patient is needed. Taking Control of Your Headache by Paul Duckro, fills that requirement. It is directed to the sufferer with frequent severe headaches and written by an experienced member of an established center. As the author states, sound, comprehensive and practical advice is offered. It presents useful information on an accepted standard for therapy and how to find help. I will readily recommend this book to my patients and their relatives, since it answers important questions and needs of the chronic headache sufferer." --Arthur H. Elkind, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York "There are about as many tips for tackling headaches as there are people who suffer from them. Some methods work in isolation sometimes. Most do not. Combining remedies without an overall game plan is often not much better. This book is a most welcome addition because it is one of the first to provide a straightforward, understandable overarching rationale that clearly points out the benefits of a comprehensive treatment approach. It then shows in convincing fashion how medical, behavioral, and physical therapies can be applied in a manner that complements one another and maximizes the chances for success. The parts are so complementary that this is truly the case where the sum will be greater than the individual parts. "This book emphasizes education, the importance of developing an active collaboration with treating professionals, and the need to integrate all therapies and therapists. Further, it stresses the goal of improved coping rather than curing. All of these are most critical to people who are plagued by unremitting headaches. By masterfully interweaving real world examples and having readers complete key self-tests, complex topics are easily grasped. Difficult, sensitive subjects are dealt with in a particularly helpful way. "Active consumers--and I stress the word 'active'--of this text will become wiser, more involved, and empowered so they truly can help take control of their headaches. In fact, this book will be of value to anyone experiencing any type of chronic health condition, for it is chock-full of prescriptions for a more healthy and balanced life." --Frank Andrasik, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Center for Behavioral Medicine, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida .,."a valuable manual for the individual who wants to be an active collaborator in treatment...the book is squarely aimed at the person who is embarking on a tertiary level, m

Paul N. Duckro, Ph.D., has been Clinical Director of the Chronic Headache Program at St. Louis University School of Medicine since 1982. A Professor in the School of Medicine, his primary interest has been in developing effective ways of using behavioral and other non-pharmacological treatments in the treatment of headache. He sees these treatments as part of the routine care of difficult headaches, and has worked to make them accessible to patients as part of physician-psychologist treatment teams without the stigma sometimes attached to the use of psychological treatment. William Richardson, M.D., is the Medical Director of the Chronic Headache Program at St. Louis University School of Medicine. A Board certified Internist, his interests include evaluation of patients with headaches and correlation of physical findings and medical problems with the headache syndrome. Janet E. Marshall is licensed as a Registered Nurse in the state of Missouri and is certified as a Biofeedback Therapist by the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America. She has worked in the fields of pain management and headache management since 1978. Greg Marshall has published articles on various technical subjects and is a prize-winning poet. Currently, he is Chair of the English Department at St. Louis Community College at Meramec.