The World Health Organisation Global Burden of Disease Study lists tension type headache and migraine as the second and third most common disorders on the planet. Migraine accounts for more than 50% of the disability attributable to all neurological disease worldwide and is the 4th leading cause of all disease-associated disability among women. Migraine is usually characterised by headache associated with numerous other symptoms. These symptoms commonly include dizziness, intolerance to head movement and balance problems. Patients with migraine often complain of dizziness under various different descriptions such as lightheadedness, rotational vertigo, and can describe their balance as “having just stepped off a boat”. Research has shown that a specialised form of physiotherapy called vestibular rehabilitation can help balance and dizziness but its usefulness in Migraine is unknown. To assess if there is potential for vestibular rehabilitation to improve outcomes as part of multi-modal therapy it is essential to determine whether patients attending a migraine clinic who have dizziness as part of their migraine symptoms have any objective vestibular signs and symptoms. The aim of this study will be to assess and quantify signs of vestibular dysfunction in patients with migraine who are attending a multidisciplinary migraine clinic. Patients with migraine will undergo physical assessment of their balance and walking, and their visual acuity during head movement. They will also have their symptoms of migraine and dizziness assessed with questionnaires. A profile of the physical impairments of migraine patients who have dizziness as part of their migraine will be established.
