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A Swedish study shows that regular exercise is just as effective as drugs or relaxation therapy in treating migraines


making headway “T


his non-pharmacological approach [physical activity] may be an option for the prophylactic [preventative]


treatment of migraine in patients who do not benefit from or do not want daily medication,” wrote Dr Emma Varkey, lead author in a Swedish study published in the journal Cephalalgia in October.* The aim of the research was to


evaluate the effect of exercise in warding off migraine – a chronic neurological disorder characterised by moderate to severe headaches and nausea, which affects 10 per cent of people worldwide. Doctors use a variety of methods to


prevent migraines, including topiramate – an anti-epilepsy drug – and relaxation exercises. While exercise is also prescribed, there has not previously been suffi cient evidence that it works.


three-month study Conducted by scientists at the University of Gothenburg, the randomised trial was based on 91 migraine patients. The patients were all women – the disorder is more prominent in females – from a headache clinic. Aged 18–65, they got headaches between two and eight times a month. The women were split into three


groups. One-third were prescribed a daily dose of topiramate, which was slowly increased to the individual’s highest tolerable level (with a maximum of 200mg a day), while another third carried out relaxation exercises according to a recorded programme. The fi nal group of women were asked to exercise on a static bike for 40 minutes, three times a week, under the supervision of a physiotherapist. The study lasted for three months in total and over this time the patients’


Migraine is more prominent in females, and doctors treat it in various ways


migraine status, quality of life, aerobic capacity and level of physical activity were evaluated before, during and after their treatment.


surprising results The results show that migraine attacks decreased by approximately 75 per cent across all three groups and that there was no signifi cant difference between them. Commenting to Reuters Health, Dr


Varkey said: “Topiramate is a drug of fi rst choice that’s shown great effects in studies. It was a bit surprising and very interesting that the change in the number of migraine attacks was similar in all three groups. “The only parameter where topiramate


was better than exercise and relaxation was the reduction of pain intensity. On the other hand, the non-pharmacological


options were free from adverse events and the exercise group increased oxygen uptake, which is very positive.” While women in the exercise and


relaxation groups had no issues, eight women who took topiramate had side-effects – such as tingling, fatigue, depression, vertigo and constipation – and three dropped out as a result. Varkey told Reuters Health: “From a


wider health-based perspective, it should be stressed that patients with migraine are less physically active than the general population, and that exercise has positive effects in terms of general wellbeing and the prevention of disease. “Additional and larger studies are, of


course, need to verify our results and to gain evidence for exercise as migraine treatment, but our results are hopeful.”


* Varkey, E et al. Exercise as migraine prophylaxis: A randomized study using relaxation and topiramate as controls. Cephalalgia. Vol 31, no 14, 1428–1438, Oct 2011 52 Read Health Club Management online healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital november/december 2011 © cybertrek 2011


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