Written by Four Green Steps.com
Great news for anyone suffering from chronic migraines- the easiest way to prevent these painful headaches could be as simple as regular exercise. A new study suggests exercise might be the best medicine as it seems to reduce migraines to the same extent as prescription drugs.
The small, new study, conducted by researchers at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the University of Gothenburg, shows that regular exercise seems to prevent migraines about as well as drugs or relaxation therapy. The finding was published in the journal Cephalalgia.
The results were surprising because the drug used in the study, topiramate, is one of the top drugs of choice for treating migraines, study researcher Dr. Emma Varkey told Reuters.
Topiramate seemed to do a bit better than relaxation therapy and exercise in terms of reducing the severity of migraine pain, Reuters reported. But relaxation therapy and exercise were devoid of the side effects caused by topiramate, which include depressed mood, vertigo and constipation, and even caused some study participants to drop out.
