Skip to content

Exercise in Migraine and Co-existing Tension-type Headache and Neck Pain

The Effect of a Specific Exercise Program on Patients Suffering From Migraine and Co-existing Tension-type Headache and Neck Pain

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02269501
Enrollment
70
Registered
2014-10-21
Start date
2012-11-30
Completion date
2018-05-23
Last updated
2019-02-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Migraine, Neck Pain, Tension-type Headache

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to study the effect of a physical exercise program on patients suffering from migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain. The investigators hypothesized that migraine patients are ofte physically inactive because of their headache and that they will benefit from a specific exercise program.

Detailed description

Migraine and tension-type headache are among the most common neurological diseases and are causing reduced quality of life, private and socio-economic consequences in terms of medical consumption and work-related absenteeism. The clinical experience shows that physical activity, like cycling and brisk walking, can prevent migraine attacks, but the evidence of the efficacy is sparse. The primary aim of the study is to investigate the acute and the long term effect of exercise on patients suffering from migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain. The project will be the first of its kind that explores the effect of an exercise program on patients who both suffer from migraine, tension-type headache and neck pain. We expect that the participants from the exercise program will achieve a reduced pain impact on everyday life, an improved fitness and quality of life, and a decrease of absence days and medication use.

Interventions

Sponsors

Danish Headache Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Migraine * Tension-type headache * Neck pain

Exclusion criteria

* Whiplash injury or other significant neck trauma * Nerve root compression * Post traumatic headache * Medication overuse headache * Cluster headache * Trigeminal neuralgia * Pregnancy and breast feeding * Severe physical and psychological illnesses * Alcohol and or drug abuse * Current insurance claim owing to headache * Persons not able to speak or understand Danish * Persons deemed not to implement the program because of musculoskeletal pain or physical limitations

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Changes in painAt baseline and after three, six and 12 months follow-upPain intensity, pain frequency and pain duration for migraine, tension-type headache and neck pain based on four-weeks headache and neck pain diaries prior inclusion; and diaries filled out each day for three months during intervention and again four weeks prior to six months follow-up and again four weeks prior to 12 months follow-up

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Changes in aerobic fitnessAt baseline and after three and six months follow-upÅstrands submaximal bicycle test
Changes in headache and neck pain impactAt baseline and after three, six and 12 months follow-upHeadache and neck pain impact measured by the following questionnaires: Impact of Migraine, Tension-Type Headache and Neck Pain (a newly developed questionnaire), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ short form), Migraine Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MSQ v. 2.1), Psychological well-being index (WHO-5), Major Depression Inventory (MDI) and Neck Disability Index (NDI).
Changes in quatitative sensory testingAt baseline and after three and six months follow-upQuantitative sensory tests are measured by: Total tenderness score, local tenderness score, pressure pain threshold and suprathreshold pain sensitivity

Countries

Denmark

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026