Exercise may not be the only way to get relief from migraine

New Delhi : 15 to 20 per cent of the total population suffers from migraine and the most common way to diagnose it is that the patients may start feeling a throbbing, unilateral head pain, hypersensitivity to lights, sounds, odour, and aggravation by activity.

Aerobic exercise is something that is a first clinical recommendation to avoid migraine, but one third of the population may end up triggering migraine with the physical exercise and by avoiding that they can secure themselves from the sudden attack.

A new study, published in the journal Cephalalgia, highlighted an overlooked relationship between migraine and exercise, was led by Samantha G Farris from Rutgers, Department of Psychology, the State University of New Jersey.

Nearly, 100 women who were suffering from migraine took part in the research. They were asked to fill up an online survey covering anxiety sensitivity scores, intentional avoidance of moderate and vigorous physical activity (PA) in the past month.

The study results show that increased anxiety sensitivity scores associated with PA avoidance of both moderate and vigorous intensities. One-point increase in the anxiety sensitivity scale resulted in up to 5 per cent increase in the odds for avoiding PA.

The authors wrote that “patients with migraine and elevated anxiety sensitivity could benefit from tailored, multi-component intervention”.