Muscle Strength in Shoulder and Neck Muscles in Tension Type Headache Patients. Effect of Specific Strength Training

Background: Tension Type Headache (TTH) is highly frequent and is of great socio-economic importance. Andersen et al. 2008 has shown that maximal muscle strength is reduced in women with trapezius myalgia. It is shown that specific strength training leads to prolonged pain relief. Aim:Test: To investigate the impact of TTH on shoulder, and neck muscle strength in patients with TTH compared to healthy controls. Intervention: To investigate the effect of specific strength training on patients with TTH compared with control group, receiving training in ergonomics. Method: Test part. 60 tension headache patients, 30 healthy. Muscle testing of neck and shoulder. Testing conducted by blinded research assistant. Intervention group: 60 patients with tension headache randomly assigned to the intervention group or control group. Intervention with specific strength training program runs for 10 weeks. The control group will be trained in ergonomics. 3 months follow up.