Common Pain Mechanisms in Migraine, Migraine-Related Neck Pain, and Lower Back Pain: A Cross Sectional Study

Episodic migraine is a neurological condition characterized by recurrent, moderate-to-severe headaches occurring on fewer than 15 days per month. Attacks typically last 4 to 72 hours and are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and light/sound sensitivity. Treatment involves acute, on-demand medication and preventative strategies to reduce attack frequency.

Episodic migraine is a neurological condition characterized by recurrent, moderate-to-severe headaches occurring on fewer than 15 days per month. Attacks typically last 4 to 72 hours and are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and light/sound sensitivity. Treatment involves acute, on-demand medication and preventative strategies to reduce attack frequency. Additionally, this sample includes individuals diagnosed with episodic migraine and experiencing neck pain without having any other diagnosed neck problems.

Episodic migraine is a neurological condition characterized by recurrent, moderate-to-severe headaches occurring on fewer than 15 days per month. Attacks typically last 4 to 72 hours and are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and light/sound sensitivity. Treatment involves acute, on-demand medication and preventative strategies to reduce attack frequency. Additionally, this sample includes individuals diagnosed with episodic migraine and experiencing low back pain without having any other diagnosed lower back problems.

Episodic migraine is a neurological condition characterized by recurrent, moderate-to-severe headaches occurring on fewer than 15 days per month. Attacks typically last 4 to 72 hours and are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and light/sound sensitivity. Treatment involves acute, on-demand medication and preventative strategies to reduce attack frequency. Additionally, this sample includes individuals diagnosed with episodic migraine and experiencing neck pain and low back pain without having any other diagnosed neck and lower back problems.

Chronic migraine is defined by having 15 or more headache days per month for over three months, with at least eight of those days meeting migraine criteria. Symptoms include moderate-to-severe throbbing pain, nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light, sound, or smell.

Chronic migraine is defined by having 15 or more headache days per month for over three months, with at least eight of those days meeting migraine criteria. Symptoms include moderate-to-severe throbbing pain, nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light, sound, or smell. Additionally, this sample includes individuals diagnosed with chronic migraine and experiencing neck pain without having any other diagnosed neck problems.

Chronic migraine is defined by having 15 or more headache days per month for over three months, with at least eight of those days meeting migraine criteria. Symptoms include moderate-to-severe throbbing pain, nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light, sound, or smell. Additionally, this sample includes individuals diagnosed with chronic migraine and experiencing low back pain without having any other diagnosed lower back problems.

Chronic migraine is defined by having 15 or more headache days per month for over three months, with at least eight of those days meeting migraine criteria. Symptoms include moderate-to-severe throbbing pain, nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light, sound, or smell. Additionally, this sample includes individuals diagnosed with chronic migraine and experiencing neck pain and low back pain without having any other diagnosed neck and lower back problems.

The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) measures somatic and emotional symptoms common in central sensitization syndrome. Section A measures 25 symptoms with 5 response options (0 to 4). The total score ranges from 0 to 100. Section B asks patients whether they have previously been diagnosed with preliminary specific CSI conditions.

The Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) consists of pain levels where the person indicates the pain they are currently experiencing with a vertical line on a plane. The pain felt by the person is given on a scale of 0-10, "0: no pain", "10: I feel very severe pain".

The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire evaluates the last 3 months of disability and consists of a 5-item self-administered test covering disability at work/school, household chores, family and social or leisure activities. The total number of days missed in these activities is the total score and classifies the disability as minimal disability (0-5 points), mild disability (6-10 points), moderate disability (11-20 points), or severe disability (≥21).

The Neck Disability Index includes a total of 10 questions covering topics such as pain, personal care, concentration, work, driving, and sleeping. Each question is scored on a scale of 0 to 5 points. The questionnaire is graded out of a maximum of 50 points. A score of "0" means no limitations, while a score of "50" means a complete disability.

The Oswestry Disability Index consists of 10 questions that assess the extent to which back pain affects various daily living activities such as sitting, personal care (dressing, bathing, etc.), standing, walking, sleeping, and traveling. Each question is scored on a scale of 0-5, with a total score of 0-100. Higher scores indicate a higher level of functional disability.

The Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) is a questionnaire for headaches that assesses vitality, pain, psychological distress, sociability, role, and cognitive functioning. Each item is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (6=never, 8=rarely, 10=sometimes, 11=very often, 13=always). The total score is determined by summing the scores on all six items and ranges from 36 to 78 points. (≤49 = little/no impact, 50-55 = some impact, 56-59 = significant impact, and 60-78 = serious impact).

The Pain Catastrophizing Scale is a 13-item scale that assesses negative thoughts and feelings related to experienced pain. Each item is scored between 0-never and 4-always. The total score ranges from 0-52, with higher scores indicating a higher level of pain catastrophizing. The scale consists of subscales of "Helplessness, Magnification, and Rumination."

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) consists of 14 items; 7 items assess anxiety symptoms and 7 items assess depression symptoms. Each item is scored between 0 and 3 points. By summing the subscale scores, a score of 0-21 can be obtained for each of the Depression and Anxiety subscales. For each subscale, a score of 0-7 is considered the normal range, a score of 8-10 suggests the presence of a mood disorder, and a score of 11 or higher indicates a possible mood disorder.

The Fremantle Headache Awareness Questionnaire (FHAQ) is a Likert-type questionnaire (0=Never/Never feel like this, 1=Rarely feel like this, 2=Sometimes or occasionally feel like this, 3=Frequently feel like this, 4=Always or most of the time) that assesses altered perceptions related to headache in an individual. The questionnaire asks individuals nine questions, including how they perceive their head relative to their body and how they perceive their body position when experiencing a headache.

The Fremantle Neck Awareness Questionnaire (FreNAQ) is a Likert-type questionnaire (0=Never/Never feel like this, 1=Rarely feel like this, 2=Sometimes or occasionally feel like this, 3=Frequently feel like this, 4=Always or most of the time) that assesses an individual's perception of altered neck-specific sensations. The questionnaire asks nine questions, including how individuals perceive their neck relative to their body and how they perceive their body position.

The Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire (FBAQ) is a Likert-type questionnaire (0=Never/Never feel like this, 1=Rarely feel like this, 2=Sometimes, or occasionally feel like this, 3=Frequently feel like this, 4=Always or most of the time) that assesses an individual's altered perception of their waist. The questionnaire asks individuals nine questions, including how they perceive their waist relative to their body and how they perceive their body position.

Pressure pain threshold measurements will be performed using an analog algometer to objectively assess pain sensitivity. The pressure pain threshold is defined as the pressure value at which an individual first reports a sensation of pain during mechanical pressure application, and it is a reliable and widely used method in the assessment of musculoskeletal pain and central sensitization. Measurements will be performed bilaterally over the temporalis muscle, superior trapezius muscle, suboccipital muscles, and lumbar paraspinal muscles to assess migraine-related pain sensitivity and possible generalized sensitivity. The analog algometer probe will be placed perpendicular to the measurement point, and the pressure will be increased gradually. Participants will be asked to report their first sensation of pain, and the value at this point will be recorded. Three repetitions will be performed for each measurement point, and the average value will be used in the analyses.

The "Allodynia Symptom Checklist (ASC-12)" is a 12-item questionnaire where zero points are awarded for "Not applicable to me," "Never," and "Rarely," one point for "Less than half," and two points for "More than half." Total scores range from "0" to "24." Allodynia levels are determined as follows: 0-2 points: none, 3-5 points: mild, 6-8 points: moderate, 9 and above: severe.

Demographic and clinical information such as sex, age, weight, height, education level, occupation, medical history, family history, number of years diagnosed with migraine (if any), migraine triggers, symptoms experienced during attacks, number of headache days per month, number of headache attacks per month, duration of attacks, and localization of headaches will be recorded for all patients.