Migraines and exercise – trigger or therapy?

Exercise being beneficial to one’s health is about as obvious a statement as the sky being blue. Exercise helps reduce the risk of cancer, improves mental health, improves heart health, improves muscle health; almost in every way, exercise is an invaluable way of staying healthy. As many migraine sufferers may also be aware, exercise can also be a trigger for attacks. So, what do the experts think? A new study helps to answer that question. Let’s take a closer look.

EXERCISE – A MIGRAINE TRIGGER

Why does exercise sometimes trigger migraine attacks? Exercise forces your body out of autopilot, changing its normal delicate balance of electrolytes, fluid and energy sources. Dehydration occurs frequently for runners; this lack of water can trigger migraines. Exerting your body during exercise depletes your energy sources, causing fluctuations in blood sugar; this fluctuation can also trigger migraine attacks. Pushing your body beyond its normal limit (overexertion) is another trigger for migraine attacks. If these triggers can be managed during your exercise session, you should be able to gain all the benefits of working out without the cost of suffering migraines. Ensure you stay well-hydrated, eat a good meal two hours before working out and ensure you moderate the intensity of your workouts. Once you have made a good routine of balancing these factors, exercising will not overlap with migraine attacks in your life. Consult your Doctor about how to manage this if you are finding it difficult.

EXERCISE – A MIGRAINE RELIEVER

Researchers from the Department of Neurology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, undertook a wide-ranging review to study the relationship between exercise and migraines in detail. Their review found a clear trend important for migraine sufferers: numerous studies found an inverse correlation between exercise and migraines; the more exercise one did, the less prone they were to suffer a migraine attack.

This important trend led researchers to state ‘considering this combination of efficacy, minimal side effects, multiple health benefits and cost savings, exercise programs seem to be an important asset in the management of migraine’ The link between exercise triggering migraine attacks was also discussed in the review. Dr Faisal and his team did indeed find some weak evidence of exercise triggering migraines; as discussed in the previous section, this is most likely due to the various manageable factors described.

WHY EXERCISE IS THE BEST MEDICINE

Dr Faisal and his team were able to hypothesize how exercise helps migraine sufferers improve their condition, both as a short and long term preventative treatment. Exercise triggers the release of palliative compounds from the body, such as endogenous opioids, endocannabinoids, serotonin, dopamine along with other hormones which help with pain management. These are the same natural compounds which trigger ‘runners highs’ or post exercise mood boosts that can be attested to by any exerciser.

Exercising over a long period of time leads to sustained general health benefits, which indirectly helps manage migraines. Regular exercise increases quality of sleep, eliminating a known trigger of migraines (poor sleep quality). Exercise also improves general mood, limiting an important migraine trigger (anxiety and depression). As researchers noted, those ‘who adhere to exercise despite barriers may become more capable, confident and competent at managing their migraine’

‘Exercising over a long period of time leads to sustained general health benefits, which indirectly helps manage migraines. ‘