{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,25]],"date-time":"2026-04-25T14:26:41Z","timestamp":1777127201235,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,29]],"date-time":"2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753747200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3 Universit\u00e0ria del Bages (FUB)\u2014Manresa Campus of the UVic-UCC"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Few studies have examined exercise-based treatments for migraine and tension-type headache (TTH), and even fewer have focused on strength training and chronic headache, as these present greater challenges. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a group-based neck and shoulder strength training intervention combined with postural correction for patients with chronic headache. Methods: This prospective, single-arm, uncontrolled pilot study with a pre\u2013post design included patients with chronic migraine (n = 10) and TTH (n = 12) who participated in an 8-week group-based program consisting of neck and shoulder strength training three times per week, along with instructions for postural correction. The primary outcome was change in headache frequency. Secondary outcomes included changes in the intensity and duration of headache, number of days of analgesic use, and functionality. Results: In total, 22 patients completed the intervention and were included in the analysis. Headache frequency decreased at follow-up for the overall group (r = 0.531; p = 0.014). In-depth analysis showed that 45% of participants experienced an average reduction of 38% in headache frequency. Additionally, large to moderate effect sizes were observed for the secondary outcomes. Conclusions: This is the first study to introduce a group-based exercise program targeting the neck and shoulder muscles, combined with postural correction and standard pharmacological treatment, for patients with chronic primary headache. It was found to be a safe, well-tolerated, useful, and promising intervention for improving headache frequency, duration, and functionality.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14155359","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,29]],"date-time":"2025-07-29T12:39:29Z","timestamp":1753792769000},"page":"5359","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Strength Training and Posture Correction of the Neck and Shoulder for Patients with Chronic Primary Headache: A Prospective Single-Arm Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2957-4270","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jordi","family":"Padr\u00f3s-Aug\u00e9","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, University of Vic\u2014Central University of Catalonia, Campus UManresa, 08242 Manresa, Spain"},{"name":"Sport, Exercise and Human Movement, University of Vic\u2014Central University of Catalonia, 08500 Vic, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6262-2986","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Henrik Winther","family":"Schytz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Danish Headache Centre, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Glostrup Hospital, 2600 Copenhagen, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3968-6364","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karen","family":"S\u00f8gaard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark"},{"name":"Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rafel","family":"Donat-Roca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, University of Vic\u2014Central University of Catalonia, Campus UManresa, 08242 Manresa, Spain"},{"name":"Sport, Exercise and Human Movement, University of Vic\u2014Central University of Catalonia, 08500 Vic, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0042-8034","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gemma Victoria","family":"Esp\u00ed-L\u00f3pez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, Gasco Oliag St, 5, 46010 Valencia, Spain"},{"name":"Exercise Intervention for Health Research Group (EXINH-RG), Faculty of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, Gasco Oliag St, 5, 46010 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bjarne Kjeldgaard","family":"Madsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Danish Headache Centre, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Glostrup Hospital, 2600 Copenhagen, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1186\/s10194-017-0753-y","article-title":"Level of physical activity, well-being, stress and self-rated health in persons with migraine and co-existing tension-type headache and neck pain","volume":"18","author":"Hammarlund","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. 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