A comparison of cervical spinal manipulative therapy versus muscle energy technique of selected cervical musculature for the treatment of cervicogenic headache

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

PACTR

Registry ID

PACTR202608723201632

Enrollment

Registered

2026-08-13

Start date

2026-11-23

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-09-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Musculoskeletal Diseases

Interventions

Spinal Manipulative therapy

Muscle energy technique

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: • All participants will be between 18 and 50 years of age. A study by Nilsson et al. (1997) used participants between the ages of 20 to 60 years. The mean age of individuals who suffer from CGH is 42.9 years of age (Biondi, 2005). • The diagnostic criteria for CGH have been established, with agreement that these headaches start in the neck or occipital region and are associated with tenderness of the cervical paraspinal tissues (Haldeman and Dagenais, 2001). According to Sjaastad (2000), the major diagnostic criteria for cervicogenic headaches are as follows: ? Unilateral headache without side shift. ? Precipitation of headache by neck movement, sustained awkward head positioning or by external pressure on the upper cervical or occipital area on the symptomatic side. ? Restricted range of motion in the upper cervical spine. ? Ipsilateral non-radicular neck, shoulder and arm pain. Participants will be required to have at least one of the above diagnostic criteria in order to qualify for the study. • A headache for over 3 months

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: • Participants will be excluded from the study if they are diagnosed with any of the following contraindications to manipulation: ? Rheumatoid arthritis ? Psoriatic arthritis ? Vertebral artery insufficiency ? Indication of fracture ? Osteomyelitis ? Tuberculosis ? Osteoporosis ? Trauma to the spine without imaging ? Atherosclerosis of major vessels ? Tumours in the lung, breast, thyroid or bone All these contraindications will be screened for in the case history, physical examination and cervical spine regional examination. • Those who are unwilling to give informed consent • Those who have received any intervention for their headache in the past 3 weeks to not interfere with the results of this study.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Algometer ;Headache Disability Index ;CROM Goniometer;Headache Diary	—

Countries

South Africa

Contacts

Public ContactBhavrith Singh

Student Intern

bhavrith@gmail.com+27731041336

Outcome results

None listed

Source: PACTR (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Sep 19, 2026