Examining headache severity, head posture, neck muscle endurance, and cervical dysfunction in females with and without migraine and their interrelationships

This study aimed to examine headache severity, head posture, cervical muscle endurance, cervical dysfunction, and quality of life in females with and without migraine, and to determine the relationships among these parameters in individuals with migraine. Seventy-one females participated in this study. Headache intensity with Visual Analog Scale, headache severity with Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), head posture with universal goniometer, cervical muscle endurance with deep neck flexor endurance and deep neck extensor endurance tests, cervical dysfunction with Bournemouth Questionnaire (BQ) and general health status with Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) were assessed. The Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate differences between groups. Pearson's and Spearman's correlation tests examined relationships among scores. In individuals with migraines, compared to healthy controls, headache intensity, headache severity, and cervical dysfunction were greater, cervical extensor endurance was lower, and quality of life was poorer (p< 0.05). A notable correlation was found between section 1 of the NHP and the BQ (r = 0.441); section 2 of the NHP and headache intensity (r = 0.506); section 2 of the NHP and HIT-6 (r = 0.479); and section 2 of the NHP and the BQ (r = 0.542). Additionally, there was a very good correlation between HIT-6 and headache intensity (r = 0.651); and BQ and HIT-6 (r = 0.651). Understanding these relationships highlights the importance of addressing both headache symptoms and cervical dysfunction in a comprehensive treatment approach.