Migraine Frequency and Severity Decrease in Response to a Therapeutic Neck Exercise Program in a Case Series of Migraineurs
Headache. 2018; 58, 189.
Migraine Frequency and Severity Decrease in Response to a Therapeutic Neck Exercise Program in a Case Series of Migraineurs
Holt, N.L., Kurka, C.
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a therapeutic neck exercise program in migraine sufferers.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in all but 1 migraineur presenting to a headache clinic over a 3 month period (August 1 - October 31, 2017) to evaluate the effectiveness of a therapeutic neck exercise program on their migraines.
Results: A patient cohort (n=40) composed of both male and female migraineurs initially presented with an average of 5.9 migraine days per month. Each patient underwent a structured therapeutic neck exercise program with an average of 12 visits over 11 weeks. 62.5% of this cohort experienced a 50% or greater decrease in migraine frequency. In addition to decreased migraine frequency, the cohort showed a reduced maximum severity of migraines: average initial maximum migraine severity = 8.9/10, ending maximum migraine severity = 5.1/10 on a 0-10 verbal rating scale.
Conclusions: A structured therapeutic neck exercise program significantly decreased the average frequency and severity of migraines in a group of 40 migraineurs.
For those who are interested in the growing body of medical research that documents the ability of neck conditions to cause head and face pain, we have prepared a list of discussion points supported by citations from the medical literature.