Global InformationCephalalgiaphobia information
| Cephalalgiaphobia | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Psychology |
Cephalalgiaphobia is fear of headaches or getting a headache. Cephalalgia is a Latin-based term for a headache, cephalic meaning head, and algia meaning pain. Harvey Featherstone introduced this phobia in the mid-1980s as a fear of having headache or migraine pain during a pain-free period.[1] Individuals with this phobia often have a history of frequent migraines.[2] Additionally, those with cephalalgiaphobia tend to overuse analgesic medication as a result of their fear. To avoid a future headache or migraine, the individual will preemptively intake analgesic medication to improve their headache. Doctors often do not prescribe pain medications but rather psychiatric medications as a treatment for the phobia. Non-pharmacological treatments using acupuncture therapy have been shown to help reduce the fear of headache pain.[3]
- ^ Oostendorp, R., Elvers, H., Mikolajewska, E., Roussel, N., Trijffel, E., Samwel, H., Nijs, J., Duquet, W. (2016). Cervico-cephalalgiaphobia: a subtype of phobia in patients with cervicogenic headache and neck pain? A pilot study. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, 24(4), pp. 200-209. doi: 10.1179/2042618615Y.0000000015
- ^ Arnold, G., Reuter, U., Kinze, S., Wolf, T., & Einhäupl, K.M. (2008). Migraine with aura shows gadolinium enhancement which is reversed following prophylactic treatment. Wiley Online Library,18(9), pp. 644-646. doi: 0.1111/j.1468-2982.1998.1809644
- ^ Larner A.J. (2005). Acupuncture use for the treatment of headache prior to neurological referral. The Journal of Headache and Pain, 6(2), pp. 97-99. doi: 10.1007/s10194-005-0160-7