Effects of Aerobic Exercise Within a Behavioral Treatment Program for Chronic Headaches
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Migraine Headaches |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Neurology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | Any |
| Updated: | 11/18/2012 |
| Start Date: | December 2011 |
| End Date: | August 2012 |
| Contact: | Lauren E Baillie, Ph.D. |
| Email: | lbaillie@umc.edu |
| Phone: | 601-984-5862 |
Additive Effects of Aerobic Exercise to a Standard Behavioral Self-Management Program for Chronic Headaches
This proposed study seeks to examine whether adding an aerobic exercise prescription to a
behavioral treatment program for chronic headaches will improve headache frequency and
intensity, headache-related disability, and mood. It is hypothesized that participants who
receive the exercise prescription at the start of treatment will show greater gains than
those who receive the prescription halfway through treatment. It is also predicted that
participants who begin the exercise component halfway through treatment will demonstrate
greater improvement in the second half of treatment compared to the first half.
Aerobic exercise has long been discussed as a potential treatment for chronic headaches,
though research in this area has been somewhat limited. It is warranted to consider the
effectiveness of aerobic exercise as part of a larger headache management intervention.
Early research in this area suggests that including an exercise component in conjunction
with other effective forms of headache management, such as progressive muscle relaxation,
biofeedback, and stress management, is associated with improvement in number of days with a
headache, headache pain intensity and mood. None of these studies have specifically
analyzed the effectiveness of the aerobic exercise component, though Lemestra et al. (2002)
noted that participants who continued with their exercise regimen had better overall
outcomes three months after the intervention ended.
Given the high rates of obesity and the fact that many people do not meet the minimum daily
requirement for exercise, it is worthwhile to investigate the additive effect of exercise to
behavioral headache interventions.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of chronic headache (according to International Headache Association (IHA)
guidelines) by research personnel
- Interested in receiving behavioral treatment for chronic headaches
- Engaged in less than 60 minutes/week of physical activity in the past 3 months
- Physically capable of engaging in a regular exercise routine
- Interested in in taking part in a regular exercise routine
- Regular internet access (at least once a week)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Males
- Unable to access internet at least once a week
- Currently engaging in regular exercise
- Not interested in participating in regular exercise
- Not capable of safely exercising
- Pregnant, nursing, or planning on becoming pregnant during the course of the study
- Does not meet IHA diagnostic criteria for chronic headache
- Not interested in behavioral headache treatment
- Diagnosis of Medication Overuse Headache, or headaches related to a physical or
neurological disorder
- Cognitive or other forms of impairment that would decrease ability to fully engage in
treatment
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University of Mississippi Medical Center The University of Mississippi Medical Center, located in Jackson, is...
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