Migrainous Corpalgia: Body Pain and Allodynia Associated with Migraine Attacks

Abstract

Cephalic and extracephalic allodynia are recognized as a common sign of sensory sensitization during migraine episodes. However, the occurrence of body pain in migraine has not been thoroughly explored. Here we report three patients presenting with spontaneous body pain in association with migraine attacks. A 41-year-old woman experienced face and limb pain along with migraine headaches; it started before, during or after headache, was usually ipsilateral to head pain, and could last from minutes to days. A 39-year-old woman had pain in her right limbs, back and neck for 30-60 min prior to right-sided migraine headaches. A 30-year-old woman perceived pain in her left upper limb for 24-48 h prior to left-sided migraine headaches. All patients had allodynia to mechanical stimuli over the painful areas. Spontaneous body pain may be associated with migraine attacks. Together with allodynia, this might be a consequence of central sensitization.

12 item Allodynia Symptom Checklist/Brasil: cross-cultural adaptation, internal consistency and reproducibility

“…Since no question was removed, the score and the classification of ASC-12/Brasil were the same, as follows: "It does not apply to me", "No, never" and "Rarely" (0 points), "At times yes and at times no" (1 point) and "Most of the times" (2 points); without allodynia (0-2) or with mild (3-5), moderate (6)(7)(8) or severe allodynia (9 or more) 4 . Although it appears to be an erroneous translation of the English term "severe", the term "severa" was chosen to classify instead of "grave", because, although the two terms are synonyms, the second denotes a risk of fatality within the spectrum of the Brazilianportuguese health conceptions 25 .…”

“…Cutaneous allodynia (CA), defined as pain in response to a non-nociceptive stimulus 1 when the stimulus is applied to normal skin 2 , has been attracting more interest by having been recognized as a signal of central sensitization during migraine attacks [3][4][5] and having been suggested as a risk factor for migraine chronification 2,6,7 . The relation of CA with migraine is believed to be due to a change in the central modulation of nociceptive pathways 8 because of central sensitization, which provokes hyperexcitability of first-, second-and third-order neurons respectively located at the periphery, in the caudal nucleus of the trigeminus and in the thalamus 5,9 .…”

Allodynia as a complication of migraine: Background and management

“…The association of allodynia with weakness was greater than for any other migraine symptom [21]. In an unusual form of migraine, migrainous corpalgia, body pain and allodynia precede the development of migraine headache [22]. Lovati et al [23] compared 63 migraineurs using the Symptom Check List 90-R, a psychological symptom inventory.…”

Generalized Mechanical Pain Sensitivity Over Nerve Tissues in Patients With Strictly Unilateral Migraine

“…10 Finally, cephalic and extracephalic cutaneous allodynia has been observed during migraine attacks. [11][12][13] Since the studies of mechanical pain hypersensitivity in migraine have focused on muscular or cutaneous tissues, it is unclear whether sensitization of central pathways leads to mechanosensitivity of other structures such as nerve trunks.Nerve mechano-sensitivity can be investigated by the application of non-noxious mechanical stimuli, for example, gentle manual palpation, or by the assessment of PPT levels. 14 Generalized sensitization of neural tissues with lower PPT levels over the median, radial, and ulnar nerves has been demonstrated in patients with whiplash associated disorders and reflects a state of hyperexcitability of the CNS.…”

“…10 Finally, cephalic and extracephalic cutaneous allodynia has been observed during migraine attacks. [11][12][13] Since the studies of mechanical pain hypersensitivity in migraine have focused on muscular or cutaneous tissues, it is unclear whether sensitization of central pathways leads to mechanosensitivity of other structures such as nerve trunks.…”