The effects of aerobic exercise for persons with migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain. A randomized, controlled, clinical trial

Aim To evaluate aerobic exercise in migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain. Methods Consecutively recruited persons with migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain were randomized into an exercise group or control group. Aerobic exercise consisted of bike/cross-trainer/brisk walking for 45 minutes, three times/week. Controls continued usual daily activities. Pain frequency, intensity, and duration; physical fitness, level of physical activity, well-being and ability to engage in daily activities were assessed at baseline, after treatment and at follow-up. Results Fifty-two persons completed the study. Significant between-group improvements for the exercise group were found for physical fitness, level of physical activity, migraine burden and the ability to engage in physical activity because of reduced impact of tension-type headache and neck pain. Within the exercise group, significant reduction was found for migraine frequency, pain intensity and duration, neck pain intensity, and burden of migraine; an increase in physical fitness and well-being. Conclusions Exercise significantly reduced the burden of migraine and the ability to engage in physical activity because of reduced impact of tension-type headache and neck pain. Exercise also reduced migraine frequency, pain intensity and duration, although this was not significant compared to controls. These results emphasize the importance of regular aerobic exercise for reduction of migraine burden.

Level of physical activity, well-being, stress and self-rated health in persons with migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain

Background

The prevalence of migraine with co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain is high in the general population. However, there is very little literature on the characteristics of these combined conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate a) the prevalence of migraine with co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain in a clinic-based sample, b) the level of physical activity, psychological well-being, perceived stress and self-rated health in persons with migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain compared to healthy controls, c) the perceived ability of persons with migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain to perform physical activity, and d) which among the three conditions (migraine, tension-type headache or neck pain) is rated as the most burdensome condition.

Methods

The study was conducted at a tertiary referral specialised headache centre where questionnaires on physical activity, psychological well-being, perceived stress and self-rated health were completed by 148 persons with migraine and 100 healthy controls matched by sex and average age. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess characteristics of migraine, tension-type headache and neck pain.

Results

Out of 148 persons with migraine, 100 (67%) suffered from co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain. Only 11% suffered from migraine only. Persons with migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain had lower level of physical activity and psychological well-being, higher level of perceived stress and poorer self-rated health compared to healthy controls. They reported reduced ability to perform physical activity owing to migraine (high degree), tension-type headache (moderate degree) and neck pain (low degree). The most burdensome condition was migraine, followed by tension-type headache and neck pain.

Conclusions

Migraine with co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain was highly prevalent in a clinic-based sample. Persons with migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain may require more individually tailored interventions to increase the level of physical activity, and to improve psychological well-being, perceived stress and self-rated health.

Leisure time and occupational physical activity in relation to obesity and insulin resistance: a population-based study from the Skaraborg Project in Sweden

The objective was to study obesity and insulin resistance in relation to leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and occupational physical activity (OPA) in a Swedish population, with particular focus on sex differences. Using a cross-sectional design, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), glucose/insulin metabolism, blood pressure, heart rate, self-reported education, smoking, alcohol consumption, LTPA, and OPA were assessed in 1745 men and women (30-74 years) randomly chosen from 2 municipalities in southwestern Sweden. In both men and women, LTPA was inversely associated with BMI, waist circumference, and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), respectively. These associations remained statistically significant after adjustments for age, OPA, education, alcohol consumption, smoking, and study area, and also for BMI in the analyses concerning waist circumference and HOMA-IR. A statistically significant interaction term (P = .030), adjusted for multiple confounders, revealed a stronger association between LTPA and HOMA-IR in women compared with men. Occupational physical activity was positively associated with BMI (P < .001), waist circumference (P < .001), and HOMA-IR (P = .001), however, only in women. These associations remained when adjusting for multiple confounders. The sex differences were confirmed by statistically significant interaction terms between sex and OPA in association with BMI, waist circumference, and HOMA-IR, respectively. The observed sex differences regarding the strength of the association between LTPA and insulin resistance, and the positive association between OPA and obesity and insulin resistance found solely in women, warrant further investigation. Although exploration of the metabolic effects of OPA appears to be needed, thorough measurement of potential confounders is also vital to understand contextual effects.

Manual joint mobilisation techniques, supervised physical activity, psychological treatment, acupuncture and patient education for patients with tension-type headache. A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Tension-type headache (TTH) has been ranked the second most prevalent health condition worldwide. Non-pharmacological treatments for TTH are widely used as a supplement or an alternative to medical treatment. However, the evidence for their effects are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the evidence for manual joint mobilisation techniques, supervised physical activity, psychological treatment, acupuncture and patient education as treatments for TTH on the effect of headache frequency and quality of life.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted from February to July 2020 for clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, and individual randomised controlled trials (RCT). The primary outcomes measured were days with headache and quality of life at the end of treatment along with a number of secondary outcomes. Meta-analyses were performed on eligible RCTs and pooled estimates of effects were calculated using the random-effect model. The overall certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach (GRADE). In addition, patient preferences were included in the evaluation.

Results

In all, 13 RCTs were included. Acupuncture might have positive effects on both primary outcomes. Supervised physical activity might have a positive effect on pain intensity at the end of treatment and headache frequency at follow-up. Manual joint mobilisation techniques might have a positive effect on headache frequency and quality of life at follow-up. Psychological treatment might have a positive effect on stress symptoms at the end of treatment. No relevant RCTs were identified for patient education. The overall certainty of evidence was downgraded to low and very low. No serious adverse events were reported. A consensus recommendation was made for patient education and weak recommendations for the other interventions.

Conclusion

Based on identified benefits, certainty of evidence, and patient preferences, manual joint mobilisation techniques, supervised physical activity, psychological treatment, acupuncture, and patient education can be considered as non-pharmacological treatment approaches for TTH. Some positive effects were shown on headache frequency, quality of life, pain intensity and stress symptoms. Few studies and low sample sizes posed a challenge in drawing solid conclusions. Therefore, high-quality RCTs are warranted.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s10194-021-01298-4.

Has aerobic exercise effect on pain perception in persons with migraine and coexisting tension-type headache and neck pain? A randomized, controlled, clinical trial

BACKGROUND

A large subset of persons with migraine suffers from coexisting tension-type headache and neck pain which may adversely affect the prognosis of migraine. Aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease migraine burden in these persons. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the effect of aerobic exercise in persons with migraine and coexisting tension-type headache and neck pain can be explained by changes in pain perception.

METHOD

Seventy consecutively recruited persons with migraine and coexisting tension-type headache and neck pain were randomized into exercise group or control group. Aerobic exercise consisted of bike/cross-trainer/brisk walking for 45 min, three times/week for 3 months. Controls continued their usual daily activities. Pericranial tenderness, pain thresholds, supra-thresholds and temporal summation were assessed at baseline, after treatment and at follow-up (6 months from baseline).

RESULTS

Fifty-two persons with migraine and coexisting tension-type headache and neck pain completed the study. Aerobic exercise did not induce consistent changes in nociceptive pathways measured by pericranial tenderness, pressure pain thresholds and sensitivity to electrical stimulation.

CONCLUSION

The effect of aerobic exercise cannot be explained by measurable effects on the pain modulation system. Thus, the positive effect on migraine burden may rather be explained by positive alteration of avoidance behaviour. Aerobic exercise can be recommended as a safe and inexpensive migraine treatment strategy.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study adds further knowledge about the positive effect of aerobic exercise for persons with migraine and coexisting tension-type headache and neck pain. This effect cannot be measured by changes in pain modulation, but may rather be explained by positive alteration of avoidance behaviour.

Creatine kinase and creatine kinase B-subunit in stable and unstable angina pectoris

Repetitive ischaemic episodes may have a cumulative effect leading to irreversible myocardial cell damage with enzyme release. Using plasma creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase B-subunit (CK-B) concentrations this theory has been tested in forty-eight patients admitted with acute chest pain, but without ECG signs of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The patients were classified into four groups: Fourteen patients with non-ischaemic heart disease (non-IHD), seventeen with stable angina pectoris (SAP), ten with unstable angina pectoris (UAP), and seven patients who developed AMI during the study period. The enzyme variation in non-IHD delineates the background noise, and the increased variability in AMI indicates the full scale of the enzyme signals in cases of irreversible cell damage. Patients with SAP have the same enzyme signal as the background noise in respect of both CK and CK-B. However, in UAP the signal of CK-B equals the background noise, whereas the CK signal is separated from the latter. The reason may be that the signal to noise ratio of CK-B is poor and the analytical sensitivity low. Therefore, the behaviour of CK-B in this study does not support the above theory although our findings for CK indicate that the consequence of repeated ischaemic attacks is slight enzyme release.

Migraine co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain: Validation of questionnaires

Background and aim

Migraine often includes co-existing tension-type headache (TTH) and neck pain (NP). Multiple headache questionnaires assessing headache impact have beendescribed previously; however, none of the existing questionnaires have been designed to cover migraine with co-existing TTH and NP. Therefore a new questionnaire was developed to measure these co-morbidities. The aim was to determine face and content validity of the newly developed questionnaire, “Impact of Migraine, Tension-Type Headache and Neck Pain” (impact M-TTH-NP) and to determine face and content validity of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ short form), Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MSQ v. 2.1), WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), Major Depression Inventory (MDI) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) not yet validated in this target population.

Material and methods

The new multi-dimensional questionnaire “Impact M-TTH-NP” cover pain, triggers, psychosocial, socioeconomic and work related aspects, based on a four-week recall period. The items are rated on an 11-point numeric rating scale with the end points 0 = no impact and 10 = most imaginable impact. Face validity was assessed by migraine patients with co-existing TTH and NP. They were recruited between September 2012 and March 2013 from a tertiary referral headache centre. Nine women with a mean age of 38 years participated in group interviews. The questionnaires were reviewed for relevance and meaningfulness. Content validity was assessed by 13 headache experts. They had worked with headache diseases for an average of 9 (range, 2–38) years. Experts were recruited between August 2012 and October 2012. Nine medical doctors, two physical therapists, one headache nurse and one psychologist (eight women and five men, mean age of 42 years) participated. The experts rated each item of the questionnaires using a four-point Likert scale with the end points 1 = not relevant and 4 = highly relevant. The quantitative measurement of content validity was calculated by the item-level content validity index (I-CVI) and the scale-level content validity average method (S-CVI/Ave). The average deviation (AD) index was used as a measure of interrater agreement.

Results

Impact M-TTH-NP showed acceptable face validity. Of 78 items twelve were revised and one was added based on group interviews and expert review. Seventy-two items (92%) obtained I-CVI≥0.78 (range 0.78–1.00) indicating excellent content validity, 71 items (91%) obtained acceptable AD index. Nine items did not meet either the limit for excellent I-CVI and/or acceptable AD index. The overall S-CVI/Ave was 0.92 indicating an excellent content validity. In addition, four of the five additional questionnaires showed acceptable face validity (MSQ, WHO-5, MDI and NDI) and three showed excellent content validity (WHO-5, MDI and NDI) for patients suffering from migraine and co-existing TTH and NP.

Conclusions and implications

The impact M-TTH-NP questionnaire showed acceptable face validity and excellent content validity and may be useful when evaluating treatment effect in this target group. The new impact M-TTH-NP questionnaire in combination with the additional questionnaires that together assess pain, triggers, psychosocial and socioeconomic aspects may provide a deeper understanding of the complexity of migraine with co-existing TTH and NP

Parathyroid carcinoma: a case with recurrence treated with extensive vascular surgery to the neck

Parathyroid carcinoma is a slow growing tumor, and the patients most often die from complications to the hypercalcemia. Therefore, any attempt should be made to remove local recurrence and metastasis surgically, as medical treatment is disappointing. A case treated with extensive vascular surgery to the neck is reported.

Neck pain and headache: Pathophysiology, treatments and future directions

INTRODUCTION

Neck pain is a prevalent neurologic and musculoskeletal complaint in the general population and is often associated with primary headache disorders such as migraine and tension-type headache (TTH). A considerable proportion, ranging from 73% to 90%, of people with migraine or TTH also experience neck pain, and there is a positive correlation between headache frequency and neck pain. Furthermore, neck pain has been identified as a risk factor for migraine and TTH. Although the exact underlying mechanisms linking neck pain to migraine and TTH remain uncertain, pain sensitivity appears to play an important role. People with migraine or TTH exhibit lower pressure pain thresholds and higher total tenderness scores compared with healthy controls.

PURPOSE

This position paper aims to provide an overview of the current evidence on the relationship between neck pain and comorbid migraine or TTH. It will encompass the clinical presentation, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of neck pain in the context of migraine and TTH.

IMPLICATIONS

The relationship between neck pain and comorbid migraine or TTH is incompletely understood. In the absence of robust evidence, the management of neck pain in people with migraine or TTH relies mostly on expert opinion. A multidisciplinary approach is usually preferred, involving pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic strategies. Further research is necessary to fully dissect the linkage between neck pain and comorbid migraine or TTH. This includes the development of validated assessment tools, evaluation of treatment effectiveness, and exploration of genetic, imaging, and biochemical markers that might aid in diagnosis and treatment.