Neck pain in episodic migraine: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Pain Medicine
• Headache Research

Background:

• Neck pain is more prevalent in episodic migraine (EM) patients compared to the general population.
• Individuals with episodic migraine often exhibit widespread hypersensitivity in the cranio-cervical region.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors associated with neck pain in episodic migraineurs.
• To compare pericranial muscle tenderness between episodic migraine patients with and without neck pain.

Main Methods:

• Fifty episodic migraine patients with neck pain and 50 age- and sex-matched patients without neck pain were enrolled.
• Headache characteristics, lifestyle factors, migraine disability, and neck disability were assessed.
• Cranio-cervical muscle tenderness and mechanical pain thresholds were evaluated during migraine-free periods.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in headache intensity, disability, duration, or frequency were found between groups.
• Lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol, coffee, BMI, sleep, screen time) were not associated with neck pain in EM.
• Episodic migraine patients with neck pain showed significantly higher neck and cephalic muscle tenderness scores.

Conclusions:

• Cranio-cervical muscle tenderness differs significantly between episodic migraine patients with and without neck pain.
• The studied lifestyle factors do not appear to be associated with the onset of neck pain in episodic migraine.
• Further research is required to identify other potential factors contributing to neck pain in episodic migraine.