Exercise potent in fighting off migraine - study

Migraine is defined as a chronic neurological disorder marked by moderate to severe headaches. Characterized by pulsating and unilateral headaches, other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and sound.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, found that migraine sufferers who work out regularly help prevent migraines just as well as relaxation therapy and prescription drugs.

While relaxation therapy and the prescription drug are known to prevent migraine attack, the impact of following a regular exercise regime was not known.

The study
To assess if regular exercise regimes aid in alleviating migraine symptoms, researchers enrolled 91 migraine sufferers, aged between 18 and 65 years. All participants have had migraine attacks for at least a year and experienced headaches two-eight times per week.

All participants were randomly divided into three groups – first receiving a prescription drug for migraine, second underwent a training and supervision session in specific relaxation techniques, while the third received training and supervision in an exercise program.

All participants were required to maintain a record of headache frequency and severity for one month prior to the start of their specific intervention program.

While members of the relaxation group were taught breathing, stress management, and relaxation techniques to combat migraine pain, the participants in the drug group adjusted their medication dose as per requirement until the maximum-toleration dose. The participants in the third group – the exercise group – practiced indoor cycling for 40 minutes. They followed the regime for at least three days a week.

Findings of the study
At the end of the study span, researchers found that participants in the exercise group were equally likely to cut their odds of migraine attacks as participants in the relaxation therapy and the prescription drug group.

“It was a bit surprising and very interesting that the change in number of migraine attacks was almost similar in all three groups,” said study’s lead researchers, Dr Emma Varkey, from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

”This non-pharmacological approach may therefore be an option for the prophylactic treatment of migraine in patients who do not benefit from or do not want daily medication,” she added.

The findings of the study are published online ahead of print in the journal Cephalagia.