Cervical Muscular Endurance Performance in Women With and Without Migraine
Published: Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 2019 Volume:0 Issue:0 Pages:1–24 DOI: 10.2519/jospt.2019.8816
Study Design
Cross-sectional, controlled laboratory study.
Background
Despite previous evidence, the association between migraines and cervical muscular performance is unclear.
Objective
To compare the differences in neck flexor and extensor muscle endurance between women with and without migraine.
Methods
Twenty-six women with migraine and 26 age-matched women without migraine or headache were assessed using clinical tests of neck flexor and extensor muscle endurance. The holding time (s) was compared between the groups, using the Mann-Whitney U test for independent samples.
Results
Patients with migraine exhibited a lower holding time for both neck extensor endurance (P =.001) and neck flexor endurance (P <.001) than the controls. The median neck flexor holding time was 35.0 s for the migraine group and 60.5 s for the control group. The migraine group sustained the neck extensor endurance test position for a median of 166.5 s, in contrast to 290.5 s for the control group. Both groups reported a similar level of neck pain during the endurance tests (P >.05); however, only individuals in the migraine group reported pain in the head during testing.
Conclusion
Females with migraine demonstrated decreased neck flexor and extensor endurance compared to females without migraine; which may indicate an association between migraine and reduced performance of the neck muscles. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, Epub 26 Mar 2019. doi:10.2519/jospt.2019.8816