Resistance training reduces pain indices and improves quality of life and body strength in women with migraine disorders

• Published in: Sport sciences for health 2022-06, Vol.18 (2), p.433-443
• Main Authors: Sari Aslani, Payam, Hassanpour, Maryam, Razi, Omid, Knechtle, Beat, Parnow, Abdolhossein
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Body mass index; Chronic illnesses; Exercise; Females; Human Physiology; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Original Article; Sports Medicine
• ISSN: 1824-7490; 1825-1234
• DOI: 10.1007/s11332-021-00822-y

Purpose The benefits of resistance training (RT) for migraineurs appears to be lacking although beneficial of aerobic training have been shown in previous studies. The aim of the current study, therefore, is to investigate the influence of RT on migraine headache indices, upper and lower-body strength, and quality of life (QOL) in women with migraine disorders. Methods Twenty female migraine patients who were referred by a neurologist were randomly assigned to two groups including RT group ( n  = 10) and control (CON) group ( n  = 10). The RT protocol consisted of 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week, 45–60 min per session. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and pain diary were utilized to measure the subjects’ migraine indices including duration, pain severity, and frequency within 48 h pre- and post-training protocol. Patients in the Control group (CON) have been refrained from regular exercise during this study. The quality of life (QOL) and muscular strength were measured by the Headache Impact Tests (HIT) and one-repetition maximum (1RM) test, respectively, for 48 h pre- and post-training protocol. Results The RT resulted in a significant decrease in the migraine indices (headache intensity, frequency, and duration) ( p  = 0.02, p  = 0.001, p  = 0.04, respectivetly). Increased quality of life and chest and leg muscular strength significantly ( p  = 0.001 for all) were also showed after 8-week RT protocol. However, there were not any significant differences between groups considering, BMI and waist-hip ratio (WHR) after executing RT protocol ( p  > 0.05). Conclusion Based on the results of the current study that mainly had a positive trend, it could state that RT protocol with special consideration for migraine patients is probably an alternative therapy or augmentative complement to established interventions for migraine treatment.