Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-5-2023

Comments

This article is the author's final published version in Asian Spine Journal, Volume 17, Issue 6, 2023, Pg. 1043 - 1050.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.31616/asj.2023.0121. Copyright © 2023 by Korean Society of Spine Surgery.

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine whether the initiation of anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP inhibitor) medication therapy for migraines was also associated with improvements in back/neck pain, mobility, and function in a patient population with comorbid degenerative spinal disease and migraine.

OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: CGRP upregulates pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and nerve growth factor in spinal spondylotic disease, which results in disc degeneration and sensitization of nociceptive neurons. Although CGRP inhibitors can quell neurogenic inflammation in migraines, their off-site efficacy as a therapeutic target for discogenic back/neck pain conditions remains unknown.

METHODS: All adult patients diagnosed with spinal spondylosis and migraine treated with CGRP inhibitors at a single academic institution between 2017 and 2020 were retrospectively identified. Patient demographic and medical data, follow-up duration, migraine severity and frequency, spinal pain, functional status, and mobility before and after the administration of CGRP inhibitors were collected. Paired univariate analysis was conducted to determine significant changes in spinal pain, headache severity, and headache frequency before and after the administration of CGRP inhibitors. The correlation between changes in the spinal pain score and functional or mobility improvement was assessed with Spearman's rho.

RESULTS: In total, 56 patients were included. The mean follow-up time after the administration of CGRP inhibitors was 123 days for spinal pain visits and 129 days for migraine visits. Back/neck pain decreased significantly (p

CONCLUSIONS: Patients taking CGRP inhibitors for chronic migraines with comorbid degenerative spinal conditions experienced significant off-target reduction of back/neck pain.

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Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Additional Files
asj-2023-0121-Supplementary-1.pdf (126 kB)
Supplemental content: ICD-10 codes for patient inclusion criteria

Language

English

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