Headache Disorders
Conditions
Keywords
Headaches, Spinal manipulation, Massage, chiropractic
Brief summary
This study will determine the effectiveness of spinal manipulation in reducing pain in people with chronic headaches accompanied by neck pain. This study will also determine the number of spinal manipulation treatments necessary for optimal pain relief.
Detailed description
Spinal manipulation is the signature therapy of chiropractic care involving manual adjustment of joints in the neck and back. Data indicate that spinal manipulation is an effective treatment for back pain and chronic headaches, particularly cervicogenic headaches, which are caused by problems in the cervical spine. However, studies that have determined the optimal frequency and duration of spinal manipulation treatment are limited. This study will determine the feasibility of conducting a large spinal manipulation clinical trial. This study will also determine the effectiveness of spinal manipulation in treating cervicogenic headaches and neck pain and the optimal number of treatments necessary to sustain spinal manipulation benefits. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive weekly sessions of either spinal manipulation or light massage treatments for 8 to 16 weeks. Self-report scales will be used to assess participants' headache frequency, pain, satisfaction with treatment, and overall physical and mental health. Assessments will occur at study entry, at the end of each week, and at the end of the study.
Interventions
PROCEDUREmassage
8 light massage treatments and hot pack
PROCEDUREspinal manipulation
8 high velocity, low amplitude spinal manipulation treatments and hot pack
PROCEDURESpinal manipulation
16 high velocity, low amplitude spinal manipulation treatments and hot pack
Sponsors
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
University of Western States
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* History of cervicogenic headaches
Exclusion criteria
* Contraindications to spinal manipulation or massage * Use of chiropractic or therapeutic massage care prior to study entry * Use of any prophylactic prescription medication * Involved in any type of lawsuit prior to study entry * Headaches with several different causes
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Modified Von Korff pain scale for headaches | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Modified Von Korff disability scale for headaches | — |
| Number of cervicogenic headaches | — |
| general physical and mental health status | — |
| patient satisfaction | — |
| neck pain | — |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed