There are many factors which may contribute to the transformation of episodic migraine( which is defined as fewer than 15 headache days per month) to chronic migraine( 15 or more headache days per month, for more than 3 months). One factor that has recently been studied is a history of sexual abuse.
Although not every migraine patient has been the victim of any form of abuse, recent research suggests that if a patient has a history of sexual abuse, this may increase the likelihood that the episodic migraine could transform to chronic migraine. In this study, chronic migraine patients were 3.5 times more likely than episodic migraine patients to report a history of sexual abuse.
Sexual abuse has been associated with the development of a variety of psychological and physical conditions. Migraine patients often report a history of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Psychosocial factors – including traumatic stress such as physical, emotional, and sexual abuse – have been shown to be associated with higher rates of headache and higher than expected rates of migraine.
Often, patients with migraine also suffer from anxiety and / or depression. A history of sexual abuse is a known risk factor for these mental health conditions. Many researchers have correlated a history of sexual abuse and chronic pain syndromes, which have often included migraine. Little research is available in this population that limits the focus to migraine, however. Research in migraine patients has generally combined all forms of abuse, without limiting the focus solely to victims of sexual abuse.
Because chronic pain often accompanies anxiety and depression, a biological link has been proposed. Stress hormones are thought to be dysregulated to some degree in patients with anxiety and depression, and this could be a factor in the increased incidence of chronic pain conditions in such individuals.
The purpose of this research, which was presented at the International Headache Society Congress in Valencia, Spain in 2015, was to assess the association of a self-reported history of sexual abuse in migraine patients – both chronic migraine and episodic migraine. Furthermore, the goal was to determine if a greater association of a history of sexual
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