Disentangling preventive effects of differential exercise types on tension-type headache: a component network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Abstract

Background: The effectiveness of exercise for tension-type headache (TTH) is unclear because of the complexity of exercise regimens-usually the combination of different types of exercise. We aimed to estimate the effectiveness of exercise for TTH and to test the incremental effect of each type of exercise by component network meta-analysis (CNMA).

Methods: We searched Ovid Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from database inception to 25 December 2023, and a supplementary search was conducted on 10 February 2025. We included randomized controlled trials of exercise, including aerobic, resistance, and stretching exercise, in adults with TTH. The primary outcome was headache frequency, and secondary outcomes were headache intensity and medication use.

Results: Twelve trials with 759 participants were included. There were no significant differences between exercise and usual care in reducing headache frequency at the end of treatment with very low certainty evidence (mean difference [MD] -2.30, 95% [confidence interval] CI -8.86 to 4.26), while CNMA suggested that resistance exercise significantly reduced headache frequency (incremental mean difference [iMD] -6.00, 95% CI -9.10 to -2.90) and stretching exercise increased headache frequency (iMD 4.60, 95% CI 1.20 to 8.00). Exercise was better than usual care in reducing headache intensity (MD -2.29, 95% CI -3.23 to -1.34); the CNMA suggested that no single type of exercise had the greatest effect.

Conclusion: Resistance exercise could be considered an effective and accessible treatment for patients with TTH. But our study was limited by heterogeneity and inconsistency of results, and more studies are warranted.