PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY AND FITNESS IN PATIENTS WITH HEADACHE DISORDERS

Recent studies indicate that aerobic activities might reduce severity and/or frequency of migraine attacks. The present study was intended t o investigate whether physical activities and fitness (aerobic enduran ce, flexibility, and muscle strength endurance) as well as body compos ition are different in patients with headache disorders and healthy co ntrol subjects. The study included 56 patients (aged 17-64 years) with headache disorders (migraine, tension-type, cluster, analgetics abuse , and other types of headache) and 145 age-matched volunteers without history of recurrent or chronic headache. A standardized questionnaire revealed similar self-esteem of physical activities in both groups. O bjective physical fitness testing in a representative sample of 22 pat ients and 36 control subjects showed significantly reduced aerobic end urance in female and male patients as well as reduced flexibility in f emale patients as compared to control subjects, whereas muscle strengt h endurance was not significantly different between both groups. Femal e patients presented with a significantly higher total body fat as com pared to control subjects. In conclusion, headache patients turned out to be less physically fit than control subjects. There was a discrepa ncy between self-esteem and objective test results regarding physical activity and fitness in patients with headache disorders.