Exercises just as good as drugs in migraine prevention
Written by Sade Oguntola Monday, 30 January 2012 Regular exercise has been touted for many years as a way to avoid chronic illness. Exercise has the greatest impact on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as heart attack, hypertension, and stroke. But few people realise that regular exercise can also
serve as a treatment for other illnesses, including migraine headaches, reports Sade Oguntola. Migraine headache is a painful and sometimes debilitating condition that strikes many people. This has been described as one of the worst pains anyone can suffer. Although researchers are not certain of what exactly happens to bring on an attack, it is believed that the headache itself is caused by the overfilling of blood vessels around the brain. The rebound reaction to this overfilling causes the blood vessels in turn to put pressure on sensitive nerve endings in the head, causing the throbbing and excruciating pain of migraine. People suffering from migraines have learned that there can be many different types of triggers that lead to a migraine attack. Weather, lights, noise, stress, sleeping problems, alcohol, caffeine, and many others can affect migraine sufferers in different ways. And while the exact mechanism of what causes a migraine remains unclear, “almost 40 to 50 per cent of all triggers of migraine is due to stress, sleeping problems, diet, menstrual cycle and environmental changes such as light among others,” stated Dr Mayowa Owolabi, a consultant neurologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State. Migraine headaches can be very disabling and deprive those affected of enjoying many of life’s pleasures. Job performance declines and family members feel neglected until the episodic pain subsides and normalcy returns. Unfortunately, migraines may last hours or days, and pain medication frequently sedates the sufferer to the point of deep sleep. Medical doctors use a variety of different methods to prevent migraines in patients who could have experienced two or more debilitating episodes a month. Typically the medication is taken at regular intervals, often daily. Infrequently, nonprescription non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen may help. Usually pain relief drugs for migraines should be taken as soon as symptoms begin. Mild migraines may respond to NSAIDs or aspirin. A moderate migraine may respond to a nonprescription combination of a drug containing acetaminophen (paracetamol), aspirin and caffeine. Regular exercise has been touted for many years as a way to avoid chronic illness. Exercise has the greatest impact on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as heart attack, hypertension, and stroke. Few people realise that regular exercise can also serve as a treatment for other illnesses including migraine headaches. Unfortunately, many patients who suffer from migraines avoid taking aerobic exercise because they are afraid that the physical activity may bring on a serious migraine attack. But, a new study pointed out that exercise is just as good as drugs at preventing migraines and is particularly appropriate for patients who are unwilling or unable to take preventative medicines. The study, which gives scientific evidence that exercises works in the prevention of migraine, analysed how well exercise works as a preventative treatment for migraines relative to relaxation exercises and topiramate. Topiramate is the chemical constituent of the drug found effective in the prevention of migraine. Published in the journal Cephalalgia, the study involved 91 migraine patients, a third of whom were asked to exercise for 40 minutes three times a week under the supervision of a physiotherapist, with another third doing relaxation exercises, and the final third given topiramate. The study lasted for a total of three months, during which the patients’ migraine status, quality of life, aerobic capacity and level of physical activity were evaluated before, during and after their treatment. Follow-ups were then carried out after three and six months. The results showed that the number of migraines fell in all three groups. Interestingly, there was no difference in the preventative effect between the three treatments. Nonetheless, Dr Owolabi stated that “this is single randomised control trial, which showed that exercise is as effective as Topiramate (a second line drug) in the prevention of migraine. More studies are required and comparison should be made with the first line drugs.” Patients who suffer from migraines are often advised to take exercise, but a study in the journal Headache also showed that a combination of yoga, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques reduces migraine frequency and pain. In the study, 20 migraine sufferers were asked to follow a special exercise programme three times a week for three months. The programme involved using an exercise bike (for continuous aerobic exercise) under the guidance of a physiotherapist. Not only were those who participated in the study much fitter after the training period, there was a significant decrease in the number of migraine attacks, the number of days with migraine per month, headache intensity and amount of headache medication used. How do exercises help to prevent migraine? Experts explain that exercise works to prevent migraines by promoting the release of endorphins. Endorphins, neurochemicals in the brain, diminish pain when released. Endorphin benefits are typically experienced in extreme exercise like marathons races, but moderate exercise in average athletes can also trigger their release. Walking or other aerobic exercise can also serve as a relaxing diversion. For instance, yoga attacks the migraine problem by reducing stress and alleviating muscle spasms in the neck which can trigger migraine attacks. Irritation of these so called “trigger points” initiates a cascade of chemical events that results in a migraine. In addition, exercise is thought to prevent migraines by reducing stress. When stressed, the brain chemical norepinephine is released into the bloodstream. Norepinephrine can cause migraines if there is too much of it in the system. Exercise releases another brain chemical, serotonin, which balances the effects of norepinephrine, reducing the stress level. Exercise promotes better sleep habits. One important tenet of reducing migraines is getting enough sleep. In order to prevent migraines, approximately seven to nine hours of sleep every night is require. Tiredness makes a person more susceptible to migraine. Tired people are less able to respond to stress and environmental migraine triggers.
Source:Nigerian Tribune http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/your-health/35082-exercises-just-as-good-as-drugs-in-migraine-prevention