title: Yoga intervention on blood NO in female migraineurs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current survey investigates the effect of 12 weeks yoga training on headache frequency, severity, duration and blood nitric oxide levels as well as headache impacts on female migraineurs' lives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two female patients with migraine took part and were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (n = 14) received medication and the yoga group (n = 18) participated in 12 weeks yoga training in addition to receiving the same medication as that of the control group. Frequency and duration of headache were assessed by a questionnaire. Visual Analogue Scale was used to measure the severity of headache, and the metabolite of NO also was measured by Griess reaction. Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) was also used to assess the impact of headache on patients' lives. Data were analyzed by t-test mean variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 3 months intervention, in the yoga group, there was a significant reduction in the impact of headache on patients' lives, headache frequency, and severity and a non-significant reduction in headache duration in the yoga group. There was no significant difference in the plasma levels of NO between yoga and control groups before and after the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the results, yoga could be recommended as a complementary method to migraine patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Physiology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahsa Zamani
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Boroujeni
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Physiology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Mohamad
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Marandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Physiology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esfarjani
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Physiology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sattar
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shaygannejad
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Physiology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Shaghayegh Haghjooy
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Javanmard
keywords: Asana; NO; headache impact; migraine; pranayama; shavasana