Most adults Migraine Do not exercise the recommended amount each week. But for those who do, the advantage is that beyond the cardiovascular system, the number of days of migraine headaches is reduced and the rate of triggering migraine headaches such as stress is reduced. depression, And sleep disorders, new research suggests.
Dr. Mason Dice
Dr. Mason Dice of the University of Washington in Seattle said, “In an ever-growing series of studies, this study points out that it exercises as an effective way to promote general well-being and reduce the number of migraine days each month. It will be added. ” Medscape Medical News.
“This study also emphasizes that exercise is an underutilized resource for migraine patients,” Dyess said.
The findings will be presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in April.
According to Dice, the COVID-19 pandemic has led him and his colleagues to investigate the number of migraine patients. headache The clinic used “exercise, one of the most accessible prevention tools for migraine headaches.”
“The pandemic limits physical and financial access to patient care in our region and across the country, so it affects how patients use exercise and on their monthly migraine days. Understanding the impact is more important than ever, “says Dyess.
The study enrolled 4,647 people diagnosed with migraine. About three-quarters of them have chronic migraine headaches (at least 15 times a month) and about one-quarter have temporary migraine headaches (up to 14 months of migraine days). It was.
Patients provided information via a questionnaire about migraine characteristics, sleep, depression, stress, anxiety, and the amount of moderate to strenuous exercise they received each week.
Only 27% of patients reported moderate to intense exercise for at least 150 minutes each week. This is the minimum amount recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Migraine patients who did not achieve the minimum of two and a half hours of moderate to strenuous exercise recommended per week had an increased incidence of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.
Depression was reported by 47% of those who reported not exercising, while 25% reported a recommended amount of weekly exercise.
Anxiety was reported by 39% of those who did not exercise, compared to 28% of those who did recommended exercise for 150 minutes or more per week. Sleep disorders were reported by 61% of those who achieved the recommended amount of exercise, compared to 77% of non-exercises.
Exercise also seemed to reduce the risk of migraine attacks.
Of those who did not exercise, 48% had more frequent headaches (25 or more days a month) and only 5% had less frequent headaches (0-4 days a month).
In contrast, 28% had more frequent headaches and 10% had less frequent headaches among those who received recommended exercise for 150 minutes or more per week.
“Exercise should be part of the debate when counseling patients with migraine headaches. It is available throughout the socio-economic range, which can be easily integrated into the care plans of many patients. It’s a resource, “says Dyess. Medscape Medical News.
“Mysterious” interaction
However, he warned that there was a subgroup of migraine patients who simply could not tolerate moderate to strenuous exercise.
“In these patients, the study points to promoting a healthy diet and lifestyle through gentle exercise, such as yoga, rather than actively pursuing moderate or intense retirement homes.” Dyess said.
Shaheen Lakhan, MD, and PhD, a neurologist in Newton, Massachusetts, and secretary general of the Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation, asked for comment and said the interaction between exercise and migraine was “mysterious.”
“First of all, it is well known that strenuous exercise can exacerbate or induce migraine attacks, which are also found in the diagnostic criteria for migraine,” Lakhan said. .. Medscape Medical News.
“Interestingly, there is a set of evidence demonstrating a basic level of exercise as a preventative treatment for migraine,” he added.
“For these reasons, exercise is not fully utilized in clinical practice for migraine. Migraine patients take anxiety-avoidance behavior given that strenuous exercise can potentially trigger it,” Lakhan said. Said.
Also weighted in research for Medscape Medical News, “It helps remind us of the benefits we can achieve without medication, but more to provide better guidance,” said Dr. Noah Rosen, MD, director of the Northwell Health Headache Center in Great Neck, NY. I need information. Please tell me more about the types of exercise that are best for people with migraine, such as active group sports, running, and swimming. “
There was no special funding for this study. Dyess, Lakhan, and Rosen do not disclose the relevant financial relationships.
American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2021 Annual Meeting: Summary 2571, due to be announced on April 18, 2021.
