Each child received eight weekly hour-long sessions of either headache education or CBT. That was followed by booster sessions at 12 and 16 weeks, plus three more booster sessions over the next year.

Children in the CBT group received a modified version of a program that teaches coping skills to help control pain. It includes relaxation skills, such as slow and deep breathing exercises, and a biofeedback component to show kids the body’s response to the techniques.

The children in the education group discussed headache-related topics and received support from therapists during their sessions.

The study was conducted between October 2006 and September 2012.

At the beginning, the children reported having migraines for an average of 21 out of 28 days. On a scale that measures disability from migraine symptoms, where 50 or above is considered severe, they averaged a disability level of 68.

After 12 months, the number of days with migraines had been cut by at least half in 86 percent of children in the CBT group, compared to only 69 percent of kids in the education group.

“We may not get rid of migraines entirely but we can reduce them significantly,” Powers said.

The researchers also found that 88 percent of the CBT group scored below 20 on the disability scale at the end of the study. That compared to 76 percent of the headache education group.

A score below 20 on the disability scale signifies mild or no disability.