Relationship Between Active Trigger Points and Head/Neck Posture in Patients with Migraine

Objective To investigate the relationship between the presence of active trigger points (TrPs), craniocervical posture, and clinical features (frequency, intensity, and duration) in patients with migraine. Design A cross-sectional study. Methods Fifty patients with migraine (90% women; age, 34.1 years) participated. Clinical data regarding migraine (frequency, intensity, and duration) were obtained. Trigger points were bilaterally explored in the following muscles: masseter, suboccipital, temporalis (anterior, medium, and posterior fibers), sternocleidomastoid, upper trapezius, and splenius capitis. Eight measures of head and neck posture were obtained from radiographs using the K-Pacs software. Results Individuals with migraine showed active and latent TrPs in all the muscles, the suboccipital, upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, and temporalis muscles being the most affected. The results showed a relationship between the number of active TrPs and several x-ray outcomes, suggesting that the higher number of active TrPs was positively associated with a reduction in cervical lordosis and head extension of the head on the neck. No association between the number of active TrPs and clinical features of migraine was seen. Conclusion Our study supports the hypothesis that active TrPs are associated with reduced cervical lordosis and head extension in individuals with migraine.