Exercise May Spell Relief for Migraine Sufferers

Written by yvonnethornton on January 27th, 2014

Some people who suffer from migraines say that exercise can bring on the severe headaches, but a recent study shows the opposite – that exercise may, in fact, help prevent them. In the study, three groups of participants were observed. One group took the drug topiramate, which is commonly prescribed for migraines; one group practiced relaxation exercises; and one group exercised for 40 minutes three times a week.

After three months, no significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of the presence of migraines. All three groups showed a decrease in the number of migraines they got, suggesting that exercise may be just as effective as drugs at preventing migraines.

For people who know all too well the pain and misery of a migraine, it’s worth a try. It’s probably true that there is no one “right” approach that works for everyone; different people will find that different approaches are effective for them and some trial and error is inevitable in most cases. What is true is that as long as you have no physical contraindications, exercise usually won’t hurt and is a safe and healthy activity for most people.

Migraines can be difficult to diagnose, as they have several variants. In general, they are severe and even disabling headaches affecting about 22% of women and about 10% of men. Migraines can affect a person’s ability to go about his or her daily routine for hours or even days at a time and can be difficult to treat, so the information that exercise may help prevent them is good news for those who haven’t had much success with drug treatments or relaxation exercises.

A typical migraine can produce severe, throbbing pain, visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sound and/or light. Many people find that once they have a headache, physical activity can make it worse, so finding ways to prevent migraines is important. Migraines may occur anywhere from once a year to several times a month.

The exact cause of migraines is not well understood. There is no shortage of theories, however, and they range from changes in the trigeminal nerve (a main facial nerve) to serotonin imbalance. Food sensitivity may play a role in some individuals. Another factor, particularly in women, may be hormonal fluctuations. Stress and heredity are also suspects in some cases. Still other possible triggers include sleep disturbances, barometric pressure changes, altitude changes, bright flashing lights, and strong smells such as gasoline or paint.

There are two main types of drug treatment used by migraine patients: those that treat an existing migraine and those that aim to prevent migraines from occurring in the first place. In individuals who have found that they aren’t responsive to drug treatments, regular exercise just may provide a new avenue to explore for the prevention of the debilitating headaches.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

 

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