However, no significant benefit seen for migraine pain intensity
MONDAY, April 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Yoga therapy may reduce the frequency of headaches for people with migraine, according to a meta-analysis scheduled to be published in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience.
Qi Wu, from the First Hospital of Changsha in China, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to identify randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of yoga therapy for migraine attack.
Based on five clinical trials (356 participants), the researchers found that yoga therapy was associated with substantially reduced headache frequency (standard mean difference, −1.43; 95 percent confidence interval, −2.23 to −0.64; P = 0.0004) and a reduced Headache Impact Test-6 score (standard mean difference, −2.19; 95 percent confidence interval, −4.09 to −0.28; P = 0.02). There was no significant association observed between yoga and migraine pain intensity (standard mean difference, −1.37; 95 percent confidence interval, −2.76 to 0.01; P = 0.05) or the McGill Pain Questionnaire (standard mean difference, −2.09; 95 percent confidence interval, −6.39 to 2.22; P = 0.34).
“Yoga is one common complementary and alternative medicine therapy, and is increasingly practiced worldwide,” the authors write. “Adjuvant yoga therapy may provide additional benefit to reduce the headache frequency in patients with migraine attack.”
Journal of Clinical Neuroscience
Volume 99, May 2022, Pages 147-151
Highlights
• Current evidence is insufficient for routine clinical use of yoga therapy for migraine. Several studies have explored the efficacy of yoga therapy for migraine patients, but the results are conflicting.
• The results find that compared to control group for migraine patients, yoga therapy can significantly decrease headache frequency with significant heterogeneity among the studies.
• Adjuvant yoga therapy may provide additional benefit to reduce the headache frequency in patients with migraine attack.
Abstract
Introduction
The efficacy of yoga therapy for migraine remains controversial. We conduct this meta-analysis to explore the influence of yoga therapy on the treatment efficacy of migraine.
Methods
We have searched PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO and Cochrane library databases through February 2021, and included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the efficacy of yoga therapy for migraine attack.
Results
Five RCTs involving 356 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control group for migraine, yoga therapy was associated with substantially reduced headache frequency headache frequency (SMD = −1.43; 95% CI = −2.23 to −0.64; P = 0.0004) and HIT−6 score (SMD = −2.19; 95% CI = −4.09 to −0.28; P = 0.02), but revealed no obvious influence on pain intensity (SMD = −1.37; 95% CI = −2.76 to 0.01; P = 0.05) or McGill Pain Questionnaire (SMD = −2.09; 95% CI = −6.39 to 2.22; P = 0.34).
Conclusions
Yoga therapy may benefit to reduce the headache frequency of migraine patients.