A randomized, controlled trial to investigate exercise training and its cost-effectiveness in the treatment of chronic headaches among working women.
Background
Tension-type headaches and cervicogenic headaches as well as migraines are the most common reasons for visits to a doctor among working women. They have mainly been treated with medication and physical therapy. However, so far there is hardly any evidence-based research data regarding the training methods used as part of physical therapy.
Aims
The aim was to investigate whether neck and cervical muscle training was effective in reducing headaches. In addition, the aim was to investigate how training affects the participants’ quality of life and physical activity in their free time and how cost-effective the program was.
Methods
The participants recruited for the two-year study were 18 to 60-year-old working women who live in Tampere or Helsinki and who have suffered from headaches. The study began in the autumn of 2012 and it was organized in collaboration with Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Jyväskylä Central Hospital – Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine and the Department of Health Sciences University of Jyväskylä.
After the initial assessments, the participants were randomly divided into two groups. Each group first having six sessions supervised by a physical therapist over a period of six months, after which training continued independently over the next six months. The study also monitored headaches and the participants’ engagement in exercise in their free time. The follow-ups will take place 6, 12 and 24 months after the training began.
Schedule
2012—
Registration
NCT01664585
Contact
Marjo Rinne, Senior Researcher
marjo.rinne(a)ukkinstituutti.fi
Publications
Rinne M, Häkkinen A, Ylinen J, Nikander R, Kukkonen-Harjula K. Therapeutic exercise training to reduce chronic headache in working women: a protocol of randomised controlled trial. Physiotherapy 2015:101:(suppl. 1):eS1285-eS1286
Last updated: 2.11.2020