Some case reports suggest sexual activity during a migraine or cluster headache may relieve the pain in at least some patients, researchers in Germany say.

Anke Hambach, Stefan Evers, Oliver Summ and Ingo W. Husstedt of the University of Munster in Germany and colleagues performed an observational study among patients of a tertiary headache clinic. A questionnaire was sent to 800 migraine patients and 200 cluster headache patients.

“We asked for experience with sexual activity during a headache attack and its impact on headache intensity,” the researchers wrote in the study. “The survey was strictly and completely anonymous.”

Thirty-eight percent of the migraine patients and 48 percent of the patients with cluster headache responded.

The study, published in the journal Cephalalgia, found 34 percent of the patients with a migraine had experience with sexual activity during an attack; out of these patients, 60 percent reported an improvement of their migraine attack, 70 percent of them reported moderate to complete relief and 33 percent reported worsening.

In cluster headache, 31 percent of the patients had experience with sexual activity during an attack; out of these patients, 37 percent reported an improvement of their cluster headache attack -- 91 percent of them reported moderate to complete relief -- and 50 percent reported worsening.

Some patients, in particular male migraine patients, even used sexual activity as a therapeutic tool, the researchers said.

“The majority of patients with migraine or cluster headache do not have sexual activity during headache attacks,” the researchers said. “Our data suggest, however, that sexual activity can lead to partial or complete relief of headache in some migraine and a few cluster headache patients.” (UPI)


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성관계가 편두통 완화시켜

독일의 연구진들에 의하면 성관계가 두통의 통증을 완화한다고 한다.

독일의 머스터 대학 연구진들은 독일의 한 병원에서 800명의 편두통 환자와 200명의 군발성 두통 환자들을 대상으로 설문조사를 하였다.

연구진들은 두통 환자들의 성생활에 대해서 물었고, 성관계가 그들의 두통 강도에 미치는 영향을 살펴보았다. 연구는 익명으로 진행되었다.

연구 결과, 편두통 환자들 중 38%가 성관계를 가졌다고 대답하였는데, 그들 중 60%가

통증이 완화되었다고 대답했고, 70%가 약간 완화되었으며 30%는 더 악화되었다고 대답했다.

군발성 통증 환자의 경우 31%가 성관계를 가졌는데, 그 중 37%가 통증이 완화되었다고 대답하였으며, 91%는 약간 완화되었다고 하였고, 50%가 더 악화되었다고 하였다.

특히 남성 편두통 환자의 경우 성관계가 통증을 치료하는 효과가 있는 것으로 나타났다.

대부분의 두통 환자들은 통증이 있을 때 성관계를 가지지 않았다. 그러나 이 연구결과는 성관계가 통증 완화에 기여한다는데 의미가 있다.(코리아헤럴드)