Muscle and clinical responses to a craniocervical exercise protocol in patients with migraine: A feasibility study

Verify the feasibility of applying a craniocervical exercise protocol in patients with migraine.

This feasibility study included thirty-three women with migraine who underwent an eight-week craniocervical exercise protocol. Feasibility outcomes: data on recruitment, evaluation time, participant adherence, and adverse events related. Cervical muscle function (craniocervical flexion test (CCFT), strength and endurance), its surface electromyography and pain report during the tests were evaluated before and immediately after treatment. As well as migraine disability, which was verified using the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire.

The volume of eligible participants in the headache clinic of the tertiary hospital was not sufficient. Thus, recruitment through social media was necessary. All participants included, completed the study, showing excellent adherence. In addition, no adverse events were noted during the study. An improvement in CCFT performance a decreased electromyographic activity of cervical muscles during CCFT and during the strength test for cervical flexion (p < 0.05) were observed. There was also a reduction in neck pain during the endurance test of the cervical muscles (p ≤ 0.02) and in the MIDAS questionnaire (p = 0.008). Cervical muscle strength and endurance did not present any significant change.

An eight-week craniocervical exercise protocol was able to promote better performance in the CCFT, reduced pain during the endurance test, and reduced migraine disability. It confirms the viability of this protocol to further randomized clinical trials.