The International Headache Society (IHS) defined chronic tension type headache (CTTH) in adult patients as attacks of headache that occur on at least 15 days per month over a period of at least 6 months. CTTH is costly to individual sufferers, through pain and reduced functioning, and to society, through decreased work productivity and increased health care use. Drugs do not adequately benefit many disabled headache sufferers. Behavioral headache treatments are rooted in the conceptualization of headache as a psychophysiological disorder. Such treatments target the patient's headache-related physiological responses (relaxation training, biofeedback) or behaviors, emotions, and cognitions (cognitive-behavioral therapy, stress-management). The aim of present research was examine the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for reduction of headaches in patient with chronic tension headache.

The method of this study was field/experimental. The target population of the study consisted of patient with CTTH that referred to psychiatric or neurology clinics in kashan. The sample consisted of 38 women with CTTH were assigned randomly to drug plus cognitive behavioral therapy (experimental, n=18) and drug alone (control, n=20) groups. Subjects were completed the headache diary for one week before and after intervention.

An analysis of covariance showed significant differences between experimental and control groups in variable of frequency, intensity and duration of headache attacks. Drug plus CBT was found to be more effective in reducing of headache than the drug therapy alone.

Drug plus CBT is better than drug alone in treatment of tension headache.