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Manual Therapy vs. Multicomponent Exercise in Cervicogenic Headache

20. august 2026 opdateret af: Borna Farhoomand, Pamukkale University

Effects of Manual Therapy Versus Multicomponent Exercise on Sensorimotor Function, Suboccipital Muscle Thickness, and Central Sensitization in Cervicogenic Headache: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of manual therapy and a multicomponent exercise program on suboccipital muscle thickness, joint position sense, pain, central sensitization, balance, and kinesiophobia in patients diagnosed with cervicogenic headache.

Cervicogenic headache is a common secondary headache originating from dysfunction in the upper cervical spine. Dysfunction in the deep neck muscles, impaired neck joint awareness, and heightened pain sensitivity (central sensitization) are frequently observed in these patients. While both manual therapy and targeted exercise are used in physiotherapy practice, evidence regarding their direct comparative effects on suboccipital muscle morphology and somatosensory parameters remains limited.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups for a duration of 4 weeks (12 sessions total):

  1. Manual Therapy Group: Receives joint mobilization, myofascial release, trigger point release, and suboccipital distraction targeting the cervical region.
  2. Multicomponent Exercise Group: Receives deep cervical flexor strengthening, cervical proprioception training, head-eye coordination training, and progressive balance exercises.

The main questions the study aims to answer are:

  • Do manual therapy and multicomponent exercise improve suboccipital muscle thickness and cervical joint position sense in patients with cervicogenic headache?
  • Is there a significant difference between manual therapy and multicomponent exercise in reducing pain intensity, central sensitization, disability, and fear of movement (kinesiophobia)? It is hypothesized that both intervention protocols will yield significant clinical improvements, with specific synergistic adaptations in muscle structure, somatosensory system processing, and pain-related fear.

Studieoversigt

Status

Ikke rekrutterer endnu

Betingelser

Intervention / Behandling

Undersøgelsestype

Interventionel

Tilmelding (Anslået)

32

Fase

  • Ikke anvendelig

Deltagelseskriterier

Forskere leder efter personer, der passer til en bestemt beskrivelse, kaldet berettigelseskriterier. Nogle eksempler på disse kriterier er en persons generelle helbredstilstand eller tidligere behandlinger.

Berettigelseskriterier

Aldre berettiget til at studere

  • Voksen

Tager imod sunde frivillige

Ingen

Beskrivelse

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of cervicogenic headache by a specialist physician,
  • Aged between 18 and 45 years,
  • Ability to read and write (literate),
  • Provision of signed informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of head or neck surgery,
  • History of spinal surgery,
  • History of severe cardiac conditions or cardiac surgery that contraindicates exercise,
  • History of ongoing or past malignancy,
  • Diagnosis of psychiatric disorders,
  • Diagnosis of migraine,
  • Diagnosis of fibromyalgia,
  • Having received medical (except analgesics), physical therapy, or other interventions (e.g., alternative medicine, massage therapy) for cervicogenic headache within the last 6 months,
  • Engaging in regular exercise or attending an exercise facility within the last 6 months,
  • Experiencing headaches strictly associated with the menstrual period,
  • Investigator decision for exclusion based on ethical or clinical grounds,
  • Communication problems interfering with evaluation and treatment.

Studieplan

Dette afsnit indeholder detaljer om studieplanen, herunder hvordan undersøgelsen er designet, og hvad undersøgelsen måler.

Hvordan er undersøgelsen tilrettelagt?

Design detaljer

  • Primært formål: Behandling
  • Tildeling: Randomiseret
  • Interventionel model: Parallel tildeling
  • Maskning: Dobbelt

Våben og indgreb

Deltagergruppe / Arm
Intervention / Behandling
Eksperimentel: Manual Therapy Group
Participants in this arm will receive 12 sessions of manual therapy (3 sessions per week for 4 weeks). Interventions include upper cervical joint mobilization, myofascial release, suboccipital distraction, and trigger point therapy targeting the suboccipital and cervical region.
Upper cervical joint mobilization, myofascial release, suboccipital distraction, and trigger point therapy targeting the cervical region.
Aktiv komparator: Multicomponent Exercise Group
Participants in this arm will receive 12 sessions of a multicomponent exercise program (3 sessions per week for 4 weeks). Interventions include deep cervical flexor strengthening, cervical proprioception training, gaze stability/head-eye coordination exercises, and progressive postural balance training.
Deep cervical flexor strengthening, cervical proprioception exercises, gaze stability/head-eye coordination training, and progressive balance exercises.

Hvad måler undersøgelsen?

Primære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Change from Baseline Pain Intensity
Tidsramme: Baseline and Post-intervention (Week 4)
Evaluated using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) measured in centimeters to assess headache pain intensity.
Baseline and Post-intervention (Week 4)
Change from Baseline Central Sensitization Inventory Score
Tidsramme: Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks
Assessed using the 25-item Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) with a total score ranging from 0 to 100 to evaluate the severity of central sensitization.
Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks
Change from Baseline Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia Score
Tidsramme: Baseline and Post-intervention at Week 4
Evaluated using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) 4-point Likert scale (17-68 score range) to measure fear of movement and re-injury.
Baseline and Post-intervention at Week 4
Change from Baseline Migraine Disability Assessment Score
Tidsramme: Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks.
Assessed using the 5-item Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire to evaluate the total number of days with headache-related disability (score range 0 to 21+ for disability severity grades I to IV)
Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks.
Change from Baseline Neck Disability Index Score
Tidsramme: Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks
Evaluated using the 10-item Neck Disability Index (NDI) questionnaire to measure neck pain-related functional disability (score range 0 to 50, higher scores indicating higher disability).
Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks

Sekundære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Change from Baseline Suboccipital Muscle Thickness
Tidsramme: Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks
Evaluated using B-mode ultrasonography (9-12 MHz linear probe) to measure the thickness (in millimeters) of the rectus capitis posterior major (RCPM) and obliquus capitis superior (OCS) muscles bilaterally at the C1-C2 level.
Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks
Change from Baseline Cervical Joint Position Sense Error
Tidsramme: Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks
Evaluated using the Cervical Range of Motion (CROM) device to measure cervical joint position error (in degrees) at target angles set at 65% of the participant's active range of motion.
Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks
Change from Baseline Head-Eye Movement Control Test Score
Tidsramme: Baseline and Post-intervention at Week 4
Evaluated using the Head-Eye Movements Control Test, scored as 0 (negative/stable), 1 (moderately positive), or 2 (strongly positive/unstable).
Baseline and Post-intervention at Week 4
Change from Baseline Deep Cervical Flexor Muscle Endurance
Tidsramme: Baseline and Post-intervention (Week 4).
Assessed in seconds using the Cervical Deep Neck Flexor Muscle Endurance Test in a hook-lying chin tuck position.
Baseline and Post-intervention (Week 4).
Change from Baseline Postural Balance Score
Tidsramme: Baseline and Post-intervention at Week 4
Measured using the Sway mobile application across five stance positions (feet together, left/right tandem, left/right single-leg) under blindfolded conditions, producing a total balance score from 0 to 100.
Baseline and Post-intervention at Week 4
Change from Baseline Cervical Range of Motion
Tidsramme: Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks
Evaluated using the Baseline CROM Deluxe device to measure active cervical flexion, extension, right/left lateral flexion, and right/left rotation in degrees. Two trials will be performed for each movement and the arithmetic mean will be analyzed.
Baseline and Post-intervention at 4 Weeks

Samarbejdspartnere og efterforskere

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Sponsor

Datoer for undersøgelser

Disse datoer sporer fremskridtene for indsendelser af undersøgelsesrekord og resumeresultater til ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieregistreringer og rapporterede resultater gennemgås af National Library of Medicine (NLM) for at sikre, at de opfylder specifikke kvalitetskontrolstandarder, før de offentliggøres på den offentlige hjemmeside.

Studer store datoer

Studiestart (Anslået)

1. september 2026

Primær færdiggørelse (Anslået)

28. februar 2027

Studieafslutning (Anslået)

31. marts 2027

Datoer for studieregistrering

Først indsendt

17. august 2026

Først indsendt, der opfyldte QC-kriterier

17. august 2026

Først opslået (Faktiske)

20. august 2026

Opdateringer af undersøgelsesjournaler

Sidste opdatering sendt (Faktiske)

24. august 2026

Sidste opdatering indsendt, der opfyldte kvalitetskontrolkriterier

20. august 2026

Sidst verificeret

1. august 2026

Mere information

Begreber relateret til denne undersøgelse

Andre undersøgelses-id-numre

  • E-60116787-020-796732

Plan for individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)

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