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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02422862

Clinical Effects of Upper Cervical Translatoric Mobilization in Patients With Headache

Frequently, headache is associated with disorders of the cervical spine, specially on the upper cervical spine. Therefore, restoration of the upper cervical mobility is considered fundamental for the treatment of headache.

Manual therapy interventions seek to restore upper cervical mobility through a wide range of therapeutic procedures, including mobilization or manipulation techniques. Previous systematic reviews reported preliminary evidence for the application of upper cervical manual therapy techniques for the management of headache.

The objective of this study is to study the effects of upper cervical translatoric spinal mobilization (UC-TSM) on headache intensity, cervical mobility and pressure pain threshold in subjects with headache. For this purpose, the investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial. Volunteers with headache will participate in the study and will be randomly divided into control or treatment group. Treatment group will receive UC-TSM and the control group will receive no treatment.

Headache intensity, cervical mobility, temporomandibular mobility and pressure pain thresholds (PPT) will be measured before and immediately after each treatment session (3 treatment sessions in one week period) and after one month follow-up. At this moment, global perceived effect will be assessed.

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Key information

Conditions

Headache Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Unidad de Investigación en Fisioterapia

Zaragoza, Aragon, 50009, Spain

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Present a history of headache.

Exclusion criteria

  • Receive cervical treatment in the previous month.
  • Present red flags for headache.
  • Present any contraindications to manual therapy.
  • Current involvement in compensations.

Treatment and study plan

UC-TSM

Other

Upper cervical translatoric spinal mobilization: a 30 minutes treatment consisting of 30" series of translatoric mobilizations of the upper cervical spine with 10" rest between sets. For that purpose, the patient is positioned in supine, with the cervical spine in neutral position. The therapist place a hand dorsally at the level of the vertebral arch of C1 with the metacarpophalangeal and radial border of the index finger. The other hand is placed posteriorly under the occiput, with the shoulder positioned anteriorly on the patient's forehead. The mobilization force is directed dorsally from the shoulder until the therapist feel a marked resistance and then apply slightly more pressure in order to perform a stretching mobilization.

Primary outcomes

  1. Headache intensity as measured by Visual Analog Scale

    Time frame: From Baseline to one month follow-up

Secondary outcomes

  1. Cervical mobility as measured by cervical range of motion device (CROM)

    Time frame: 1 minute Pre-Intervention, 1 minute Post-Intervention, One month follow-up

  2. Pressure pain threshold as measured by digital algometer (Somedic Farsta)

    Time frame: 1 minute Pre-Intervention, 1 minute Post-Intervention, One month follow-up

  3. Temporomandibular joint mobility as measured by digital calipher (mouth opening)

    Time frame: 1 minute Pre-Intervention, 1 minute Post-Intervention, One month follow-up

  4. Global Perceived Effect as measured by Global Perceived Effect Scale (-5 to +5 Likert Scale)

    Time frame: One month follow-up

  5. Immediate headache intensity changes as measured by Visual Analog Scale

    Time frame: 1 minute Pre-Intervention, 1 minute Post-Intervention

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Universidad de Zaragoza

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2014
Primary completion
2015
Study completion
2016
First posted
Apr 21, 2015
Registry last updated
Feb 26, 2016

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.

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