Neck Pain Thought to Be Due to Posture... Could the Cause Be Migraine?

Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital Professors Joo Sujin and Lim Heejin Team
Confirm Correlation Between Migraine and Neck Pain

Domestic researchers have confirmed the correlation between migraine and neck pain, drawing attention from the academic community. This is the first time such a finding has been made in the Asian region.

The research team led by Professors Sujin Cho and Heejin Lim from the Department of Neurology at Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital announced on the 12th that they confirmed this through a study titled "The Impact of Neck Pain on Headache and the Correlation Between Sleep Disorders and Neck Pain."

Sore throat stock photo. [Image source=Getty Images]

The research team analyzed 295 patients diagnosed with migraine at Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital from August 2020 to December 2021 through interviews with neurology specialists and surveys. The average age of the participants was 39 years, with 217 females (74%) and 78 males (26%). They experienced migraines for an average of 11.5 days per month, and the average score on the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) was 60, indicating "severe headache."

Among all migraine patients, 153 (51.9%) reported neck pain, and among them, 28 (18.3%) experienced severe neck pain. Additionally, 117 (76.5%) of the migraine patients with neck pain responded that "neck pain was associated with headache attacks."

In particular, when headaches were associated with neck pain, the intensity of the headache was found to be more severe. In the group that reported a correlation between neck pain and migraine, the proportion of patients experiencing severe neck pain was 22.2% (26 patients), which was higher than the 5.6% (2 patients) in the group that did not report such a correlation.

Factors causing severe headaches included neck pain, the number of medication days per month, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Furthermore, among patients suffering from both migraine and neck pain, factors that induced more severe headaches included headache frequency and obstructive sleep apnea.

Professor Heejin Lim explained, "This study confirmed that neck pain is a factor related to the severity of migraine. Sleep disorders and migraine are highly correlated due to anatomical structures and neuropeptides involved in both conditions. Especially when accompanied by obstructive sleep apnea, it can cause more severe headaches, such as morning headaches that cannot be resolved with medication."

Professor Sujin Cho stated, "This study confirmed that neck pain is a common accompanying symptom of migraine, and controlling pain and sleep disorders is a very important factor in reducing headache intensity. Despite migraine being a condition that causes serious disability in daily life, it is often perceived as a mild illness, leading to passive treatment. We will continue research to improve the quality of life for migraine patients."

This study was published in the June issue of the SCIE-level journal Journal of Clinical Medicine (IF=4.964).

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