Patients
with migraine should be ruled out for musculoskeletal disorders as women with
migraine experienced restriction or decrease in cervical rotation and
symptomatic upper cervical joints.
Migraine is one of major disorder that cause disability and affects about 14% of the world's population. There are two major types of migraine– chronic and episodic. Although both types have different clinical existence, migraine, in general, may have associated with musculoskeletal disorders of the cervical spine.
The musculoskeletal disorders of the cervical spine show different behavior with episodic and chronic migraine.A recent cross-sectional study evaluatedthe association of migraine and musculoskeletal disorders. For evaluation, head/neck posture, symptomatic upper cervical spine joints presence, cervicocephalic kinesthesia and active global and upper cervical spine mobility was considered. A total of 93 women participated in this study, of which 55 women suffered from episodic migraine, 16 from chronic migraine and 22 were matched healthy women (control).
All the disorders were evaluated by an investigator, who did notknow about the participant’scondition. The evaluation of disorders was done differently; head/neck posture was assessed through cranio-vertebral and cervical lordosis angles; upper cervical joints pain; cervicocephalic kinesthesia by JPSE and spine mobility through flexion-rotation test.
A little cervical rotation was noticed only in women who suffered from migraine. The cervical mobility noticed was same between both the chronic andepisodic migraine sufferers. The flexion-rotation test also exhibited significant difference that means both groups presented with restricted upper cervical spine mobility. About 50% of migraineurs showed pain which was evoked on upper cervical spine manual examination. JPSE exhibited no difference between the groups. The frequency of symptomatic upper cervical joints also exhibited no difference among the groups.
Overall, migraine showed association with restricted
cervical rotation, symptomatic upper cervical joints and decreased upper
cervical rotation. But both types of migraine groups showed the same results.
These findings may help clinician to manage migraine in a better way.
European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine
Musculoskeletal disorders of the upper cervical spine in women with episodic or chronic migraine
Gabriela N et al.
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