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Therapies
Chiropractic Research
Chiropractic spinal
manipulation and tension headaches
A controlled clinical study was carried out at
the Nordic Institute for Chiropractic to determine whether the isolated
intervention of high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation in the
cervical spine has any effect on headaches caused by tension in the neck.
The study took place at an ambulatory outpatient
facility in an independent NHS- funded chiropractic research institution.
Thirty-nine people who were suffering from frequent tension headaches
emanating from the neck were recruited from 400 headache sufferers who
responded to newspaper advertisements to take part in the study. Half of
the group received high-velocity, low- amplitude cervical manipulation
twice every week for three weeks, whereas the other half of the group
received low level laser in the upper cervical region and deep friction
massage (including trigger points) in the lower cervical/upper thoracic
region, also twice a week for three weeks.
The efficacy of the treatment was recorded by the
change in the daily requirement by the patients for analgesics, the
headache intensity per episode and number of headache hours per day.
The results revealed that that both groups
experienced a significant reduction on all three outcome
measures, and there was no statistically significant difference between
the two treatment groups. Both treatments were found to be effective
although because no control group was used, it is difficult to assess how
effective these modes of treatment are in relation to other forms of
treatment.
Nilsson N. A randomized controlled trial of the
effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment
of cervicogenic headache. Nordic Institute for Chiropractic, Forskerparken
10, 5230 Odense M. Denmark Journal of Manipulative and Physiological
Therapeutics (USA) , 1995, 18/7
A randomized controlled trial of the effect of
spinal manipulation in the treatment
of cervicogenic headache
Nilsson N. Nordic
Institute for Chiropractic, Forskerparken 10, 5230 Odense M. Denmark
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological
Therapeutics (USA) , 1995, 18/7
(435-440) CODEN: JMPTD ISSN: 0161-4754
LANGUAGES: English SUMMARY LANGUAGES: English
Purpose: To determine
whether the isolated intervention of high-velocity, low-amplitude
spinal manipulation in the cervical spine has any effect on cervicogenic
headache. Design: Randomized controlled trial with a blindobserver.
Setting: Ambulatory
outpatient facility in an in dependent NHS- funded
chiropractic research institution.
Participants:
Thirty-nine subjects suffering
from frequent headaches who fulfilled the IHS criteria for cervicogenic
headache (excluding radiological criteria). These subjects were
recruited from among
some 400 headache sufferers who responded to newspaper advertisements.
Intervention: Half of
the group received high-velocity, low-amplitude cervical manipulation
twice/wk for 3 wk. The other half received low level
laser in the upper cervical region and deep friction massage (including
(rigger points) in the
lower cervical/upper thoracic region, also twice/wk for 3
wk.
Main Outcome Measure:
The change from week 2 to week 6 in analgesics use per
day, headache intensity per episode and number of headache hr per day.
Results: Despite a significant reduction in the
manipulation group on all three outcome
measures, differences between the two treatment groups failed to reach
statistical
significance. Conclusion: The results suggest a possible effect of
manipulation on
cervicogenic headache, but because of methodological problems,
such an effect could not
be unequivocally demonstrated.
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