For Migraines, Exercise Is As Effective As Drugs

It’s a small study, with only 91 migraine sufferers enrolled, but researchers at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the University of Gothenburg are convinced that regular exercise may prevent migraines as well as drugs or relaxation therapy.  The researchers put 91 women who suffered from migraines without aura through one of three regimens. One group was given topiramate, considered by many doctors the best drug for treating migraines; another was asked to participate in relaxation therapy; and a third was asked to exercise (three times a week, for 40 minutes each exercise session) for three months. Reuters reports that all three treatments reduced the frequency of some women’s migraine attacks by as much as three quarters, although the average reduction was more modest. And while the researchers found that topiramate did a better job of reducing the intensity of pain, one third of the women in the topiramate group complained of side effects, such as numbness or tingling, fatigue, depressed mood, vertigo and constipation. Unsurprisingly, none of the women in the relaxation group or exercise group reported unpleasant side effects. Read more from Reuters.