Muscle Relaxation App Helps Calm Migraine in a Small NYU Study

Diving Brief:

• A study of 51 patients demonstrated that a smartphone application for a progressive muscle relaxation technique is a feasible method for migraine self-management, University of New York School of Medicine researchers said Tuesday.
• Migraine sufferers who used the app, called Relaxahead, at least twice a week had an average of four fewer days of headaches a month, the study revealed. The application was developed by a NYU team that has partnered with the Boston-based Irody Digital Medical Monitoring Company, in which NYU Langone holds a financial interest.
• The application is not yet accessible to the public. The results of the study were published online in the journal Nature Digital Medicine.

Insight on diving:

Progressive muscle relaxation, or PMR, is a form of behavioral therapy in which patients relax and tense different muscle groups to reduce stress. Migraine patients are generally prescribed medications and behavioral therapy, but do not use them because of their cost and inconvenience, said NYU researchers.

Previous studies have shown that a behavioral therapy in office reduces the frequency and intensity of migraine. The NYU team wanted to know if a smartphone app would increase compliance with non-pharmacological approaches to migraine management.

In the United States, more than 36 million people suffer from migraines, characterized by moderate to severe headaches, often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.

The NYU study participants had an average of 13 days of headaches per month, ranging from 4 to 31. They were asked to use the application for 90 days and to record daily the frequency and severity of their symptoms. headache. The application followed for how long and often patients used the PMR. Participants had an average of 11 minutes of PMR on the days they were used.

The researchers concluded that the application demonstrated the feasibility of an application-based PMR in a low-cost study.

"Our study proves that patients can undergo behavioral therapy if it is easily accessible and as they please, and that it is affordable," said lead researcher and neurologist Mia Minen.

The use of the application in the study decreased to 51% after six weeks and to 29% after three months. The study's authors are working on ways to encourage more frequent sessions and to introduce the application into their clinical practices.

The American Academy of Neurology, the American Brain Foundation and grants from HHS and the National Institutes of Health funded the study.