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Therapeutic exercise as treatment for migraine and tension-type headaches: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials

A. Gil-Martínez, P. Kindelan-Calvo, D. Agudo-Carmona, R. Muñoz-Plata, I. López-de-Uralde-Villanueva, R. La Touche [REV NEUROL 2013;57:433-443] PMID: 24203665 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33588/rn.5710.2013310

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Volumen 57 | Number 10 | Nº of views of the article 18.540 | Nº of PDF downloads 2.302 | Article publication date 16/11/2013

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ABSTRACT

AIM To analyse the effectiveness of therapeutic exercise on migraines and tension-type headaches (TTH).

MATERIALS AND METHODS Electronic databases were used to search the literature for relevant articles. Eligibility criteria were: controlled randomised clinical trials (RCT), conducted on patients with migraine or TTH, in which the therapeutic intervention was based on therapeutic exercise, and the papers had been published in English and Spanish. Two independent reviewers performed the analysis of the methodological quality using the Delphi scale.

RESULTS Ten RCT were selected, seven of which offered good methodological quality. According to all the studies analysed, the intensity and frequency of pain diminished in comparison to the situation prior to establishing therapeutic exercise, and in five studies the effect was higher than in the control group. The qualitative analysis showed strong evidence of the absence of adverse events following the application of therapeutic exercise. Furthermore, strong evidence was also found of the effect of physiotherapeutic treatment, including therapeutic exercise, in lowering the intensity, frequency and duration of pain in patients with TTH. Limited evidence was also found of the effectiveness of aerobic exercise in patients with migraine, although it was not better than the effects derived from other forms of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS Results show that therapeutic exercise is a safe treatment that provides beneficial effects on migraines or TTH. Further RCT are required in the future with appropriate methodological designs to confirm these results. KeywordsHeadache Migraine Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Review Tension-type headache Therapeutic exercise CategoriesCefalea y Migraña Dolor

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Original

Therapeutic exercise as treatment for migraine and tension-type headaches: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials