Aerobic Exercise and Its Impact on Sensory, Musculoskeletal, and Psychosocial Aspects in Migraine

Migraine is a neurological disorder associated with high levels of disability and changes in sensory processing, musculoskeletal function, and psychosocial factors. Aerobic exercise is a low-cost, non-pharmacological strategy that has shown potential benefits for migraine management, but its effects on sensory perception and musculoskeletal function are not yet fully understood. This randomized controlled trial will investigate the effects of a supervised aerobic exercise program combined with pain neuroscience education compared with an active control condition in women aged 18 to 48 years diagnosed with migraine. Participants will be randomly allocated to either an intervention group, which will perform supervised aerobic exercise three times per week for 16 weeks and receive one session of pain neuroscience education, or a control group, which will receive recommendations for unsupervised physical activity at home. Outcomes related to migraine-related disability, self-reported symptoms, sensory sensitivity, and musculoskeletal function will be assessed at baseline and after the intervention period. Questionnaires will also be collected at a 6-month follow-up. The results of this study may contribute to the development of accessible and low-risk non-pharmacological treatment strategies for people with migraine.