If you're one of the millions of headache sufferers around the world, more effective relief might be on the way in years to come.

That's because the International Headache Society has just published new research guidelines intended to stimulate more research into headache treatment, and to provide researchers with guidelines to cut health risks associated with treatment.

The guidelines will enhance clinical trial safety for patients, and will also allow researchers to determine if older drugs still used to treat tension-type headaches are as effective and safe as they should be.

The last research guidelines for tension-type headache research were published in 1995, but few novel or evidence-based treatment options have become available since that time. Focusing specifically on episodic tension-type headaches (ETTH) and chronic tension-type headaches (CTTH), Bendtsen's goal is to spur new research into the treatment of these commonly occurring headaches. This includes analgesics for episodic headaches as well as preventative treatments for chronic headache sufferers.

Millions of people suffer from ETTH, which can range in frequency from a few times a year to 14 times a month. Many people suffer from CTTH, which can be debilitating. The treatments for these can vary profoundly depending on the severity of the condition.

Over the years, research has found that analgesics - otherwise known as pain-relievers - are usually the most effective way of treating all but the most severe episodic headaches.

However, severe episodic headaches and CTTH will often benefit from preventative treatments, which is usually the most effective way of providing lasting relief. Researchers have also found that chronic headache sufferers seldom benefit from analgesics.

Source: SAGE Publications