Help for students with headaches

study „Muki“ shows the effectiveness of education in headache

09/09/2014

Headaches are no longer just a problem for many adults. Instead, more and more children and adolescents suffer from often even chronic complaints. However, a group of Munich doctors has been included in the study „Muki“ Approaches developed how students can proactively prevent the pain.

Headaches in children have long been insufficiently considered
For many adults, headaches are part of everyday life. These are the second most common form of pain after back pain, affecting about three-quarters of people over the age of 18 years with an attack or even a chronic one. In children and adolescents, on the other hand, complaints in the head area have for a long time received little attention, although according to the German Migraine and Headache Society they are becoming an increasingly common problem. „Studies from Scandinavia show that children today and often complain of more severe headaches than they did 20 years ago.“ For this reason, a group of physicians from various institutions at the Ludwig-Maximilians University has now investigated to what extent the symptoms can be alleviated if the students are informed about the relationship between headaches and lifestyle habits, stress and physical activity.

Complaints at more than one student per class disappeared after the investigation
As part of the MUKIS study (Munich study on headaches in high school students), the frequency of headaches and other complaints was assessed in a total of almost 1,700 students from Munich grammar schools. „During a school lesson, half of the students took part in a structured education about headaches, the other half did not receive them until the second survey time seven months later, "explains Prof. Dr. Andreas Straube, President of the German Migraine and Headache Society (DMKG). The result: While approximately 80 percent of 12 to 15-year-olds initially reported headaches, the comparison between the two groups showed that the likelihood of improvement was significantly higher in the intervention group One pupil per class disappeared after the investigation, the DMKG continued, which would increase the chances of being free of complaints in the next seven months through an educational lesson.

World's first study to show the success of health education
The most successful lessons were with the students, who suffered primarily from tension headaches. For the first time, MUKIS clearly demonstrated that even a brief explanation and tips for better handling of school performance pressure, leisure stress, media consumption or fixed daily structures could help to improve the situation among students. Accordingly, according to the DMKG planned for the future, the previous findings in a larger study on the subject „Headache Prevention“ in the end, such health education „as an integral part of school education.“ (No)