Effectiveness and Acceptability of MINDFULNESS by Smartphone, for Patients with Chronic Migraine and Medication Overuse

Background and significance Chronic Migraine is a disabling condition that affects the 2% of migraine population. It is often associated with medication overuse that makes this condition very difficult to treat. The literature of the last decades confirm the efficacy of withdrawal for patients with medication overuse. Also, patients need to be carefully followed after withdrawal to avoid relapses in overuse and to improve the clinical benefit. It has been also reported that the clinical results can be improved if traditional therapies are combined with behavioral approaches in particular mindfulness, that help patients to become more conscious about their symptoms and able to manage pain without medication.

This preliminary study will be performed because the emergency for Covid-19 with the restrictions imposed will not allow patients. The literature of the last decades promote the use of smart phone or telemedicine for clinical and therapeutic application with encouraging results. Twenty five patients that have been submitted to a withdrawal according to the standard procedure at our hospital will practice mindfulness daily by a standard session of 12 minutes on their smartphone recorded by the expert who generally manage their sessions at the hospital. Also a weekly video-call to evaluate the clinical condition and to encourage to use strategies for pain management will be scheduled.

This modality will allow the patients to continue their therapeutic process and to be followed regularly during the one year after withdrawal

Inclusion criteria

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• Years age >18 yrs
• clinical diagnosis of Chronic Migraine with medication Overuse
• withdrawal treatment at the Besta institute
• written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• none