Teaching sequence – Kiel Pain Clinic

Three school lessons against headaches and migraines

Around 11.1 million pupils were taught in general education and vocational schools in Germany during the 2013/14 school year (Federal Statistical Office 2014). 8.4 million of these pupils attended general education schools. Approximately half of all children experience headaches and migraines at school, at home, or during leisure time. In Germany, almost 4.2 million children are affected. 660,000 pupils suffer from headaches once a week or more frequently. Without early intervention, headaches become more frequent or even chronic for many of these children. The "Mütze – Kindheit ohne Kopfzerbrechen" (Cap – Childhood without Headaches) campaign demonstrates that there is an alternative to chronic pain and suffering at school.
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The Headache School

Headaches are the most common health problem in schools. A representative survey of schools revealed that, depending on the type of school, between 20 and 50% of students report headaches as a significant and persistent health issue. This survey also provided clear evidence that headaches are a major contributing factor to the development of addictive behavior and substance abuse. The distress caused by headaches can make children susceptible to experimenting with drugs in an attempt to improve their well-being. Therefore, specific knowledge about headache treatment and prevention is crucial for preventing drug addiction in children.

In light of these facts, teacher Karin Frisch from Wiesbaden and neurologist Prof. Dr. Hartmut Göbel from the Kiel Pain Clinic developed a teaching sequence on a voluntary basis, which is being made available to teachers free of charge. Currently, there are no national or international measures or concepts specifically aimed at teachers and students for the prevention of headaches in schools. This medically and didactically sound teaching sequence is designed to provide comprehensive information and training for teachers, students, and parents. The goal is to raise awareness of headaches and migraines among school-aged children. Knowledge about headache disorders, the ability to recognize different types, and the dissemination of preventative behaviors can lead to the early detection of headaches and the initiation of specific measures, such as parent-teacher conferences, consultation with specialists, and medical professionals. All necessary materials are available for free download on the website below.

Three school lessons against headaches and migraines

Voices on the project

“Digital lifestyles, information overload, pressure to succeed, demanding parents. Early exposure to our performance-driven society often leads to health problems among young people. A common issue: headaches. Medicine recognizes over 200 types, and young people, in particular, find it difficult to describe and articulate their symptoms.
Health campaigns often suffer from the fact that information has to be “requested” rather than provided. The concept of the “Action Hat – Childhood Without Headaches” initiative immediately convinced us precisely because it addresses this problem. The initiators bring the topic into schools, thus directly reaching those affected. From our perspective, this preventative approach is particularly promising.
Today’s young people are tomorrow’s employees. As a health insurance company with extensive preventative services and significant efforts in workplace health management, we didn’t hesitate and are delighted to be able to support this project. Karin Frisch and Prof. Dr. Hartmut Göbel are making a pioneering contribution to the societal ideal of a carefree childhood.”
Wiesbaden, August 2014
Christian Diel
Press and Communications, R+V Company Health Insurance Fund