Although prescription medication is an essential part of most migraine treatment plans, there might be a more cost-effective option. According to a new study published in the June issue of the journal Headache, behavioral therapies, such as relaxation training, hypnosis and biofeedback, can be a cheaper, and long-lasting, alternative to medication.
Researchers compared the costs of several types of minimal-contact behavioral treatment with preventive prescription drugs. With minimal-contact treatment, a patient sees a therapist only a few times a year and uses instructional literature or relaxation CDs to practice behavioral techniques at home.
After six months, minimal-contact behavioral treatment was comparable to drug treatment using medicines that cost 50 cents or less per day. But after one year, minimal-contact therapy was nearly $500 cheaper.
The cost of prescription migraine medications might not seem like much at first, but it keeps adding up over time, says study co-author Donald Penzien, PhD, director of the Head Pain Center at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
“The cost of behavioral treatment is front-loaded,” he says. “You go to a number of treatment sessions, but then that’s it. And the benefits last for years.”
