Aura negatively affects static balance and mobility in individuals with migraine. Dizziness is a prevalent symptom in this population.

There is evidence of balance control impairments in subjects with all subtypes of migraine compared to control subjects. The presence of aura and frequent migraine attacks reflect negatively in the postural control performance and may have a significant clinical impact in patients with migraine that should be addressed with appropriate clinical interventions.

Objective To assess the presence and handicap due to vestibular symptoms in three subgroups of patients with migraine and controls. Methods Women between 18-55 years old were diagnosed by headache specialists and stratified as migraine with aura (n = 60), migraine without aura (n = 60), chronic migraine (n = 60) and controls (n = 60). Information regarding demographics, headache and vestibular symptoms were collected in this cross-sectional study. The self-perceived handicap related to vestibular symptoms was assessed through the Dizziness Handicap Inventory questionnaire. Results A total of 85% of women with migraine with aura and chronic migraine had vestibular symptoms contrasted to 70% of the migraine without aura group ( p < 0.05), and 12% of the control group reported symptoms ( p < 0.0001). Patients with migraine exhibited greater Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores than controls ( p < 0.001); and migraine with aura and chronic migraine groups reached greater scores than migraine without aura ( p < 0.01). Presence of migraine is associated with a greater risk of vestibular symptoms (migraine without aura: 5.20, migraine with aura: 6.60, chronic migraine:6.20, p < 0.0003) and with a greater risk of moderate-to-severe handicap (migraine without aura: 20.0, migraine with aura: 40.0, chronic migraine: 40.0, p < 0.0003). The presence of aura and greater migraine frequency adds to the risk of any handicap (migraine with aura: 1.9, chronic migraine: 1.7, p < 0.04) and to the risk of moderate-to-severe handicap (migraine with aura: 2.0, chronic migraine: 2.0, p < 0.0003). Migraine aura, intensity and frequency predict 36% of the dizziness handicap. Conclusion The prevalence of vestibular symptoms is increased in migraine during and between headache attacks, particularly in migraine with aura and chronic migraine along with an increased handicap due to those symptoms. Vestibular symptoms among subgroups of migraine should be considered when evaluating the functional impact of migraine.

Objective To investigate the association between the presence of self-reported neck pain in patients with migraine and clinical features, upper cervical mobility, and neck muscle performance. Methods A total of 142 patients with migraine were recruited and stratified by the presence (n = 99) or absence of self-reported neck pain (n = 43). The clinical examination included the Migraine Disability Assessment, the 12-item Allodynia Symptom Checklist, a flexion rotation test, and the Craniocervical Flexion Test. Results Migraine-related disability was reported by more than 80% in both groups ( p = 0.82). However, there was a greater prevalence and severity of cutaneous allodynia observed in the group with neck pain ( p < 0.001). Reduced upper cervical mobility was verified in 67% of the patients with neck pain and in 41% of those without neck pain ( p = 0.005). In addition, 67% of the patients with neck pain and 40% without neck pain were not able to maintain the third stage of the Craniocervical Flexion Test without compensation ( p = 0.003). Conclusions The presence of self-reported neck pain in patients with migraine was associated with a poor clinical presentation regarding cutaneous allodynia, neck mobility, and muscle function. However, there were no differences in migraine-related disability.

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BackgroundComplaints of the arm, neck, and shoulders (CANS) have a multifactorial etiology, and, therefore, their assessment should consider both work-related ergonomic and psychosocial aspects. The Maastricht Upper Extremity Questionnaire (MUEQ) is one of a few specific tools available to evaluate the nature and occurrence of CANS in computer-office workers and the impact of psychosocial and ergonomic aspects on work conditions. The purpose of the present study was to perform a translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the MUEQ to Brazilian Portuguese and verify the reliability, internal consistency, and structural validity of the MUEQ in Brazilian computer-office workers.MethodsThe cross-cultural adaptation consisted of five stages (forward translation of the MUEQ to Brazilian Portuguese, synthesis of the translation, back-translation, expert committee meeting, and the pre-final-version test). In the pre-final-version test, 55 computer-office workers participated. For reproducibility, a sample of 50 workers completed the questionnaire twice within a one-week interval. A sample of 386 workers from the University of São Paulo (mean age = 37.44 years; 95% confidence interval: 36.50–38.38; 216 women and 170 men) participated on the structural validation and internal consistency analysis. Intraclass correlation coefficient was used for the statistical analysis of reproducibility, Cronbach’s alpha was used for internal consistency, and confirmatory factor analysis was used for structural validity.ResultsThe calculation of internal consistency, reproducibility, and cross validation provided evidence of reliability and lack of redundancy. The psychometric properties of the modified MUEQ-Br revised were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, which revealed 6 factors and 41 questions. For this model, the comparative fit index (CFI), goodness-of-fit index (GFI), and non-normed fit index (NNFI) each achieved 0.90, and the consistent Akaike information criterion (CAIC), chi-square, expected cross-validation index (ECIV), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) demonstrated better values.ConclusionsThe results provide a basis for using the 41-item MUEQ-Br revised for the assessment of computer-office workers’ perceptions of the psychosocial and ergonomic aspects of CANS and musculoskeletal-complaint characterization.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12891-015-0497-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Migraine is related to changes in the performance of functional tasks, suggesting early motor control deterioration. Proper balance assessment and rehabilitation strategies should be considered for these patients.

BACKGROUND: The association between body postural changes and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) has been widely discussed in the literature, however, there is little evidence to support this association. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to conduct a systematic review to assess the evidence concerning the association between static body postural misalignment and TMD. METHOD: A search was conducted in the PubMed/Medline, Embase, Lilacs, Scielo, Cochrane, and Scopus databases including studies published in English between 1950 and March 2012. Cross-sectional, cohort, case control, and survey studies that assessed body posture in TMD patients were selected. Two reviewers performed each step independently. A methodological checklist was used to evaluate the quality of the selected articles. RESULTS: Twenty studies were analyzed for their methodological quality. Only one study was classified as a moderate quality study and two were classified as strong quality studies. Among all studies considered, only 12 included craniocervical postural assessment, 2 included assessment of craniocervical and shoulder postures,, and 6 included global assessment of body posture. CONCLUSION: There is strong evidence of craniocervical postural changes in myogenous TMD, moderate evidence of cervical postural misalignment in arthrogenous TMD, and no evidence of absence of craniocervical postural misalignment in mixed TMD patients or of global body postural misalignment in patients with TMD. It is important to note the poor methodological quality of the studies, particularly those regarding global body postural misalignment in TMD patients.