Vestibular rehabilitation outcomes in patients with a history of migraine.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of physical therapy for patients with vestibular disorders with and without a history of migraine headaches.


METHODS
Retrospective case series.


METHODS
Outpatient physical therapy clinic.


METHODS
Thirty patients with both a history of migraine and a diagnosis of vestibular/balance disorder considered unrelated to migraine were identified by retrospective chart review. Thirty patients without a history of migraine, matched retrospectively by diagnosis, vestibular function, and age (+/-5 years), were used as a comparison group.


METHODS
Both groups were treated with a custom-designed physical therapy program for a mean of 4.1 visits over a mean of 3.3 months.


METHODS
Patients completed the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale, the Dynamic Gait Index, and the Timed Up & Go Test and rated the severity of their dizziness on an analog scale of 0 to 100.


RESULTS
Significant differences were demonstrated within both groups between initial evaluation and discharge in each of the assessment measures used. Patients with a history of migraine demonstrated worse scores on all outcome measures than did the patients without a history of migraine. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups' scores before and after therapy except for the total Dizziness Handicap Inventory score at discharge (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with vestibular disorders with or without a history of migraine demonstrated improvements in both subjective and objective measures of balance after physical therapy. Patients with a history of migraine perceived a greater handicap from dizziness than did patients without a history of migraine that was greater than the difference in physical function performance measures between groups.
Wrisley
Diane M
DM
Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 6035 Forbes Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, U.S.A.
Whitney
Susan L
SL
Furman
Joseph M
JM
D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004244:Dizziness; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D004856:Postural Balance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*