Migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) has been found to be associated with several pain conditions including neck and back pain. However, no published evidence has been shown the exact relationship between these. Therefore, in the present study, it was determined that back pain is highly frequent in individuals with a chronic headache (CH), followed by an episodic headache (EH) and no headache. 

Low back pain is a frequently occurred health issue in the general population and among subjects with primary headaches. The study aimed to assess the relative frequency of self-reported back pain among individuals with and without primary headaches and evaluated pain sensitivity.

A total of 796 subjects completed an ICHD criteria headache interview and delivered data of interest in a self-administered questionnaire. Headache was categorised as episodic (EH) or chronic (CH). Further, a total of 494 cephalic and extracephalic pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) and 495 pericranial total tenderness score (TTS) were also evaluated.

Both headache groups exhibited the higher 1-year relative frequency of back pain than no headache group after adjusting education,  poor self-rated health, age and gender. The TTS among the back pain patients were higher in CH group as compared to EH and lower in no headache group than both headache groups. Further, CH group exhibited lower temporalis and finger PPT as compared to EH and no headache group.

Individuals with CH showed highly frequent back pain followed by EH and no headache. Among CH patients, back pain correlates with lower extracephalic and cephalic PPTs indicating central sensitisation may be a substrate or result of comorbidity.