Massage Therapy by Trained Family Members in Management of Headache in Patients with Migraine: A Double Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Migraines are a cause of disability, affecting individuals, families, and communities. Scientists believe that efforts are needed to improve the best management practices for migraines. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of neck and head massage on the intensity of headache and headache-induced disability in migraine patients. Methods: In this double-blinded randomized controlled trial, 90 dyads of migraine patients and families were assigned into three groups (massage, touch, and control) equally by the random minimization method. The massage group received head and neck massage twice a week for 30 minutes over four weeks. The touch group received light touch. The pain and headache impact test (HIT) scores were measured before, immediately, and one month after the intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS software V.22 using Shapiro-Wilk, chi-square, and repeated measures ANOVA tests, and statistical modeling at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The results of the Multivariate test showed that the time, group, and interaction between time and group effects were significant (P = 0.001). Results of statistical modeling in within-group pairwise comparisons showed that in the massage group, the mean difference of pain and HIT scores decreased significantly after the intervention compared to baseline and one month after intervention (P = 0.001). In intergroup pairwise comparisons, the pain and HIT in the massage group were significantly lower than the two others (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Massage therapy can be useful in the management of headache in the short term and its induced disability in the short and long term in migraine patients.