Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04242290

Cervicospinal Posture and Pain in Cervicogenic Headache

Cervicogenic headache (CEH) is a type of symptomatic headache that is characterized by chronic unilateral headache secondary to cervical spine dysfunction. Generally, it gets worse by neck movements, continuous placement of the head in an awkward position and exposure to external pressure on the upper cervical or occipital region.

The pain was demonstrated to originate from lower cervical disc prolapse and spinal nerve roots in some studies, while it is suggested in some others to occur due to the upper cervical region as well. Although disturbed cervical alignment has been determined in tension headache and migraine, there are few studies with controversial results in the literature investigating the effects of the change in cervical lordosis on CEH. These contradictory results strongly influence the decision of whether exercise should be added to the treatment protocol in CEH and also the creation of an appropriate treatment program by the clinicians. In light of this background, the aim of this study was to compare the cervical radiographs of patients with CEH and patients with neck pain without a headache.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Cervicogenic Headache Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Headache Disorders Headache Disorders, Secondary Neck Pain Nervous System Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Post-Traumatic Headache Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Hitit University Erol Olcok Training and Research Hospital

Çorum, 19000, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

The general demographics, pain status and cervical radiological evaluations of the patients was performed in this prospective, cross-sectional, single-blind study evaluating two different disease groups compatible in age and gender and the two groups were compared.

For inclusion in the Cervicogenic Headache group, inclusion criteria determined by the Cervicogenic Headache International Study Group (CHISG) were used.

Symptoms of all patients were questioned in detail and physical examinations were performed. After obtaining demographic information such as age, height and weight, severity and duration of pain were asked to the patients and Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were used for pain assessment Cervical radiographic analysis was evaluated measuring general cervical lordosis and upper cervical lordosis on lateral standing X-rays using Surgimap®. General cervical lordosis and Upper cervical lordosis measurements were performed on the lateral cervical graph.

Who can participate

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

For Cervicogenic headache group

  • Unilateral headache, starting from the upper neck/occipital region and spreading to the oculofrontotemporal area on the symptomatic side
  • Pain triggered by neck movements and/or continuous awkward positions
  • Decreased joint range of motion in the cervical vertebra

Exclusion criteria

For Cervicogenic headache group

  • Previously diagnosed to have any other syndromes of headache (Migraine, Tension headache, etc.)
  • Presence of bilateral headache; For the neck pain group,
  • Presence of 2 or more neurological symptoms (decreased upper extremity muscle strength, decreased reflexes and hypoesthesia compatible with the dermatome regions)
  • Suggesting nerve root compression (radiculopathy, plexopathy); for both groups,
  • Presence of any signs suspicious of central nervous system involvement (hyperreflexia, nystagmus, decreased vision, etc)
  • Reluctance to participate in the study.

Treatment and study plan

Lateral radiography

Diagnostic Test

The lordosis angles were measured on the lateral cervical graphs of all patients.

Primary outcomes

  1. General cervical lordosis

    Time frame: 3 months

    General cervical lordosis is basically measured by the "Cobb" method. In the lateral graph, the angle between the two lines drawn perpendicular to the lines passing on the inferior end plate of the C2 and C7 vertebrae is considered as the "General cervical lordosis angle".

Secondary outcomes

  1. Upper cervical lordosis

    Time frame: 3 months

    For the measurement of upper cervical lordosis, a line is drawn from the uppermost posterior point of the odontoid process to the lowermost posterior point of C2. The second line is drawn to pass between the lowermost-posterior portions of the C3 and C4 cervical vertebrae. The angle between these two lines is considered the "upper cervical lordosis angle"

Other outcomes

  1. Neck disability index

    Time frame: 3 months

    The NDI is the most widely used questionnaire to investigate the disability associated with neck pain.

  2. Visual analog scale

    Time frame: 3 months

    The VAS pain scale is used to measure and monitor pain severity.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hitit University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Is it Possible to Distinguish Cervicogenic Headache From Neck Pain With Cervicospinal Posture?: A Single-blind, Prospective Cross-sectional Trial

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Jan 27, 2020
Registry last updated
Jan 27, 2020

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.