Childhood tension-type headache (TTH) is a prevalent and debilitating condition for the child and family.
Due to strength
training and interdisciplinary counseling, a statistically significant and
clinically important reduction in headache frequency and duration was observed
in this research The moderate strength training program has a capability to
render key changes in physical capability both in terms of adjusting muscle
balance and enhancing shoulder strength and VO2max, leading to decrease in the
headache and health improvements.
Childhood
tension-type headache (TTH) is a prevalent and debilitating condition for the
child and family. Low-cost non pharmacological treatments are usually the first
choice of professionals and parents. This study examined the outcomes of
specific strength training for girls with TTH.
Forty-nine girls
aged 9–18 years with TTH were randomized to patient education programs with 10
weeks of strength training and compared with those who were counseled by a
nurse and physical therapist. Primary outcomes were headache frequency,
intensity, and duration; secondary outcomes were neck–shoulder muscle strength,
aerobic power, and pericranial tenderness, measured at baseline, after 10-week
intervention, and at 12 weeks’ follow-up. Health-related quality of life
(HRQOL) questionnaires were assessed at baseline and after 24 months.
For both groups,
headache frequency decreased significantly, P=0.001, as did duration, P=0.022,
with no significant between-group differences. The odds of having headache on a
random day decreased over the 22 weeks by 0.65 (0.50–0.84) (odds ratio [95%
confidence interval]). For both groups, neck extension strength decreased
significantly with a decrease in cervicothoracic extension/flexion ratio to
1.7, indicating a positive change in muscle balance. In the training group,
shoulder strength increased ≥10% in 5/20 girls and predicted VO2max increased
≥15% for 4/20 girls. In the training group, 50% of girls with a headache
reduction of ≥30% had an increase in VO2max >5%. For the counseling group,
this was the case for 29%. A 24-month follow-up on HRQOL for the pooled sample
revealed statistically significant improvements. Fifty-five percent of the
girls reported little to none disability.
The results
indicate that both physical health and HRQOL can be influenced significantly by
physical exercise and nurse counseling. More research is needed to examine the
relationship between physical exercise, VO2max, and TTH in girls. Thus,
empowering patient education to promote maximum possible outcomes for all
children needs more attention.
J Pain Res. 2016 May 4;9:257-70
Specific strength training compared with interdisciplinary counseling for girls with tension-type headache: a randomized controlled trial
Tornøe B et al.
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