Alternative Therapies for Tension Headache

Therapy	Best Evidence *	Probably Useful †	Least Evidence ‡
Diet and Nutrition/Lifestyle		Magnesium 250 mg b.i.d.–t.i.d.
Mind-Body Interventions	Relaxation therapy; biofeedback; cognitive therapy.	Guided imagery; meditation; progressive muscle relaxation; stress management; tai chi; therapeutic touch; yoga.
Bioelectromagnetic Therapies			Energy healing; magnets; TENS.
Alternative Systems of Care		Acupuncture; traditional Chinese medicine; ayurveda.	Homeopathy: belladonna 6C q 30 min for 1½ hrs; bryonia 6C q 30 min for 1½ hrs; gelsemium 30C q 30 min for 1½ hrs; kali bichromicum 6C q 1 hr up to 6 doses, then t.i.d.
Hands on Healing			Chiropractic.

^*Therapies with the highest degree of scientific support for efficacy and safety.
^†Therapies that are often helpful but that do not have the highest degree of supporting evidence for efficacy and safety.
^‡Therapies that may be useful but that have limited scientific evidence for efficacy and safety.
NOTE: C denotes the number of times that a substance is diluted at a ratio of 1:100.
SOURCE: Sierpina, VS: Integrative Health Care: Complementary and Alternative Therapies for the Whole Person, F.A. Davis, Philadelphia, 2000.