Patients' expectations and experiences of physiotherapy management of migraine

Migraine is a debilitating condition with diverse presentations, and the role of physiotherapy management remains a contentious topic. There is need for an in-depth understanding of patients' expectations and lived experience of physiotherapy management of migraine. Exploration of patients' perceptions and preferences for treatment may provide valuable management insights for both clinicians and researchers.

The aim of this study was to explore participants' perspectives regarding physiotherapy management of migraine through semi-structured interviews with migraine sufferers.

Twenty single semi-structured interviews were conducted from March until September 2024 following recruitment at the University of Queensland, as well as via social media dissemination and poster placement at the university and various sites in the community. Reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken, and common themes were identified.

The average age of the participants was 38.15 ± 16.2 years. Three key themes were identified from the interviews, with relevant sub-themes explored: (i) Patients have varied expectations of what physiotherapy can offer; (ii) Patient preferences of physiotherapy treatments and outcomes ranged widely (iii) Physiotherapy as part of overall migraine management.

The findings indicate that patients seeking physiotherapy for management of their migraine prioritise short-term relief in parallel with being provided with long-term strategies. Physiotherapists should be equipped with the skills and knowledge to provide personalised advice and education, appropriate manual therapy and other treatments for short-term relief and self-management strategies that patients are seeking, in conjunction with broader medical care.