Open AccessGeneralized Pressure Pain Hypersensitivity in the Cervical Muscles in Women with Migraine
Author(s) -
Florencio Lidiane Lima,
Giantomassi Maria Carolina Merli,
Carvalho Gabriela Ferreira,
Gonçalves Maria Cláudia,
Dach Fabíola,
FernándezdelasPeñas César,
BevilaquaGrossi Débora
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
pain medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.893
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1526-4637
pISSN - 1526-2375
DOI - 10.1111/pme.12767
Subject(s) - medicine , migraine , anesthesia , migraine disorders , dermatology , physical therapy
Objective To investigate the differences in pressure sensitivity in the cervical musculature including the upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, suboccipital, levator scapulae, and anterior scalene muscles between women with migraine and healthy controls. Design Cross‐sectional study. Subjects Thirty women with migraine and 30 healthy women participated. Methods Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were bilaterally assessed over upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, suboccipital, levator scapulae, and anterior scalene muscles in a blinded design. Mean values of both sides were pooled for statistical analysis. Comparison between groups was performed by unpaired Student t ‐test and correlation with headache features with Spearman's correlation test. Results Migraine patients exhibited lower PPT in all muscles compared with controls: upper trapezius ( P = 0.046); suboccipital ( P < 0.001); sternocleidomastoid ( P < 0.001); anterior scalene ( P < 0.001), and levator scapulae ( P < 0001). No associations were observed between the frequency and the intensity of migraine or years with the disease and PPT. Conclusion This study showed generalized pressure pain hypersensitivity in the cervical musculature in women with migraine. Our findings provide support for the physical therapy treatment and evaluation of musculoskeletal cervical spine disorders in individuals with migraine and reinforce that all cervical muscles should be evaluated.