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Is aerobic exercise helpful in patients with migraine? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Roy La Touche1,2,3,4, Juan José Fernández Pérez1, Alejandro Proy Acosta1
1Departamento de Fisioterapia, Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Purpose:
To assess the effects of aerobic exercise (AE) on patients with migraine in terms of pain intensity, frequency and duration of migraine, and quality of life.
Methods:
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials were conducted. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for relevant outcomes and were pooled in a meta-analysis using the random-effects model.
Results:
A total of 10 articles from 1950 to 2019 were included, involving 508 patients. The meta-analysis showed statistically significant differences in the decrease in pain intensity (five studies, n = 166; SMD = 1.25; 95% CI 0.47-2.04), frequency (six studies, n = 214; SMD = 0.76; 95% CI 0.32-1.2) and duration of migraine (four studies, n = 106; SMD = 0.41; 95% CI 0.03-0.8), in the short-term. In addition, the meta-analysis showed statistically significant differences in the increase in quality of life (four studies, n = 150; SMD = 2.7; 95% CI 1.17-4.24), even though the Egger's test suggested significant evidence of publication bias for the analysis of quality of life (intercept = 5.81; t = 6.97; P = .02).
Conclusions:
There is low- and moderate-quality evidence that in patients with migraine AE can decrease the pain intensity, frequency and duration of migraine and can also increase quality of life.
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