Exploring the Impact of Treating Functional Constipation on Headache Episodes in Children Suffering from Migraine

Abstract

Background: Migraine and functional constipation are prevalent chronic conditions among children, with many children suffering from migraines also experiencing functional constipation. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the impact of constipation treatment on headaches in children with migraines. Methods: This clinical trial involved 32 children aged 4 to 15 years, all diagnosed with both migraine and functional constipation. They were randomly divided into two groups: An intervention group and a control group, each comprising an equal number of participants. In the intervention group, both migraine and constipation were treated concurrently, whereas in the control group, only migraine was addressed. The outcomes of the two groups were then monitored and compared. Results: After the treatment, the intervention group experienced a significant reduction in the average number of monthly headache attacks (3 ± 2.4) compared to the control group (7.1 ± 6.9) with a P-value of 0.016. The average duration of each headache attack was shorter in the intervention group (2.3 ± 4.8 hours) compared to the control group (2.9 ± 4.2 hours), although this difference was not statistically significant. Parental satisfaction with the treatment was higher in the intervention group than in the control group, but this difference also lacked statistical significance. Constipation treatment was successful in all children in the study. Conclusions: The study's findings indicate that treating constipation in children with both migraine and functional constipation significantly reduces the frequency of headache attacks. However, it does not have a significant impact on the duration of headache attacks or on parental satisfaction with the treatment.