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Neck-specific strengthening exercise compared with sham ultrasound when added to home-stretching exercise in patients with migraine: study protocol of a two-armed, parallel-groups randomized controlled trial - PubMed

  • ️Wed Jan 01 2020

Comparative Study

Neck-specific strengthening exercise compared with sham ultrasound when added to home-stretching exercise in patients with migraine: study protocol of a two-armed, parallel-groups randomized controlled trial

Mariana Tedeschi Benatto et al. Chiropr Man Therap. 2020.

Abstract

Background: Migraine is a highly disabling condition and pharmacological treatment is the gold standard. However, several patients have also positive responses to the application of different manual techniques and therapeutic exercises in terms of reducing the intensity and frequency of migraine attacks. Nevertheless, the effects of a neck-specific exercise program have not yet been evaluated in these patients.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of a neck-specific exercise program in reducing the intensity and frequency of migraine attacks as compared to a sham ultrasound group.

Methods: A two-armed, parallel-groups randomized controlled trial with 3 months of follow-up will be conducted. 42 individuals, both genders, aged between 18 and 55 years old with a medical diagnosis of migraine will be included. The intervention group will perform a protocol consisting of exercises for strengthening the muscles of the cervical spine. Participants within the sham ultrasound group will receive detuned ultrasound therapy in the upper trapezius muscle. Both groups will receive a weekly session for 8 weeks. The efficacy of each intervention will be measured by the frequency and intensity of migraine at a 3-months follow-up.

Trial registration: This study was registered under access code RBT-8gfv5j in the Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos (ReBEC) in November 28, 2016.

Conclusion: This study will aim to determine the efficacy of a neck-specific exercise program in reducing the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks. If the results show that a neck-specific exercise program is effective in reducing the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks, therapists will have a low cost and easily applicable tool to treat migraine.

Keywords: Cervical exercises; Electromyography; Migraine disorders; Neck pain.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1

Study schedule summary NDI Neck Disability Index; MIDAS Migraine Disability Assessment; TAMPA Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia; PSFS Patient-specific Functional Scale; ASC-12 12 item Allodynia Symptom Checklist; CROM Cervical range of motion; PPT pressure pain threshold; CCFT craniocervical flexion test; MIVC maximal isometric voluntary contraction; EMG electromyography

Fig. 2
Fig. 2

First stage of neck-specific exercise program

Fig. 3
Fig. 3

Second stage of neck-specific exercise program

Fig. 4
Fig. 4

Muscle strength during the maximal isometric voluntary contraction. (a) cervical flexors; (b) cervical extensors

Fig. 5
Fig. 5

Endurance test of flexor (a) and extensor (b) muscles of the cervical spine

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