Aerobic Exercise and Its Impact on Sensory, Musculoskeletal, and Psychosocial Aspects in Migraine

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Supervised Aerobic Exercise plus Pain Neuroscience Education: This intervention consists of a supervised aerobic exercise program combined with a single session of pain neuroscience education. Aerobic exercise will be performed on a treadmill three times per week for 16 weeks, with intensity individually prescribed based on heart rate reserve. Pain neuroscience education will be delivered in one structured session at the beginning of the intervention, focusing on migraine mechanisms, central sensitization, and the benefits of safe movement.

Physical Activity Recommendations: Participants will receive general recommendations to increase physical activity levels, consisting of either achieving 10,000 steps per day or completing at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week for 16 weeks. No supervision, structured education, or motivational strategies will be provided.

Study summary

Migraine is a neurological disorder associated with high levels of disability and changes in sensory processing, musculoskeletal function, and psychosocial factors. Aerobic exercise is a low-cost, non-pharmacological strategy that has shown potential benefits for migraine management, but its effects on sensory perception and musculoskeletal function are not yet fully understood.

This randomized controlled trial will investigate the effects of a supervised aerobic exercise program combined with pain neuroscience education compared with an active control condition in women aged 18 to 48 years diagnosed with migraine. Participants will be randomly allocated to either an intervention group, which will perform supervised aerobic exercise three times per week for 16 weeks and receive one session of pain neuroscience education, or a control group, which will receive recommendations for unsupervised physical activity at home.

Outcomes related to migraine-related disability, self-reported symptoms, sensory sensitivity, and musculoskeletal function will be assessed at baseline and after the intervention period. Questionnaires will also be collected at a 6-month follow-up. The results of this study may contribute to the development of accessible and low-risk non-pharmacological treatment strategies for people with migraine.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Headache-related disability — 16 weeks (measured before and after the 16-week intervention period).
  Headache-related disability will be assessed using the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6), a validated questionnaire that evaluates the impact of headache on daily functioning. The total score ranges from 36 to 78, with higher scores indicating greater headache-related disability.

Trial sites (1)

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