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Published on: June 2, 2014
Relationship Between Active Trigger Points and Head/Neck Posture in Patients with Migraine
Gabriela Natália Ferracini1, Thaís Cristina Chaves, Fabíola Dach
1From the Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences/Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo-FMRP-USP, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil (GNF, JGS); Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences/Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo-FMRP-USP/Postgraduate Program of Rehabilitation and Functional Performance, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil (TCC); Postgraduate Program of Rehabilitation and Functional Performance, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil (DB-G); Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences/Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo-FMRP-USP/Headache and Craniofacial Pain Outpatient Clinic, University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil (FD); and Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rey Juan Carlos University, Alcorcón, Spain (CF-P).
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between the presence of active trigger points (TrPs), craniocervical posture, and clinical features (frequency, intensity, and duration) in patients with migraine.
Design:
A cross-sectional study.
Methods:
Fifty patients with migraine (90% women; age, 34.1 years) participated. Clinical data regarding migraine (frequency, intensity, and duration) were obtained. Trigger points were bilaterally explored in the following muscles: masseter, suboccipital, temporalis (anterior, medium, and posterior fibers), sternocleidomastoid, upper trapezius, and splenius capitis. Eight measures of head and neck posture were obtained from radiographs using the K-Pacs software.
Results:
Individuals with migraine showed active and latent TrPs in all the muscles, the suboccipital, upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, and temporalis muscles being the most affected. The results showed a relationship between the number of active TrPs and several x-ray outcomes, suggesting that the higher number of active TrPs was positively associated with a reduction in cervical lordosis and head extension of the head on the neck. No association between the number of active TrPs and clinical features of migraine was seen.
Conclusion:
Our study supports the hypothesis that active TrPs are associated with reduced cervical lordosis and head extension in individuals with migraine.
