Evaluation of Headache and Childbirth in a Chronic Pain Population

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Headache and backache are common symptoms following childbirth. The incidence of these symptoms have been shown to increase during the postpartum period between 5 to 12 months following delivery. By 12 months postpartum up to 45% and 65% of women experience headache and backache, respectively. While studies have reported headache and backache as frequently persistent symptoms beyond the first year postpartum, few studies have specifically interrogated women seeking specialist pain physician input or identified predisposing risk factors. Finally there is little known about typically described pain characteristics of women who suffer with chronic postpartum headache and backache. We aim to compare the prevalence of chronic headache in women that have versus have not experienced childbirth.

Official Title
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Evaluation of Headache and Childbirth in a Chronic Pain Population

Conditions
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Headache

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Women greater than 18 years old Agreeing to be contacted for research purposes. Able to read and understand English who have had agreed to be contacted with a valid email address Exclusion Criteria: Self identified as non-female Age <18 years old. Women without computer or electronic device access or valid email address and women who did not respond

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Women with child birth<br>Women attending chronic pain clinic who have previously experienced childbirth | |
| Women without childbirth<br>Women attending chronic pain clinic who have not previously experienced childbirth | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Prevalence of chronic headache | Percentage of patients with chronic headache in women who have given birth and who have not given birth | 10 minute questionnaire | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Severity of headache | 1 to 10 scale. 1 is almost no pain, 10 is worst pain imaginable | 10 minute questionnaire | 
| Frequency of worst headache | How many days per month did patients have worst headaches | 10 minute questionnaire | 
| Age of onset of headache | Age of onset of headache | 10 minute questionnaire | 
| Postpartum headache | Percentage of headache in the postpartum period in women who have given birth | 10 minute questionnaire | 
| Predictors for postpartum headache | Association between demographics/headache characteristics/predisposing risk factors and postpartum headache | 10 minute questionnaire | 
| Risk factors for developing acute or acutely worsened headache within 5 days of delivery | Association between demographic, obstetric or anesthesia related factors and acute or acutely worsened headache within 5 days of delivery | 10 minute questionnaire |