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Cervicogenic Headache

Dose-Response and Efficacy of Spinal Manipulation for Care of Cervicogenic Headache

By |March 7, 2018|Cervicogenic Headache|

Dose-Response and Efficacy of Spinal Manipulation for Care of Cervicogenic Headache:
A Dual-Center Randomized Controlled Trial

The Chiro.Org Blog


SOURCE:   Spine J. 2018 (Oct); 18 (10): 1741–1754


Mitchell Haas, DC, MAa, Gert Bronfort, DC, PhD, Roni Evans, DC, PhD, Craig Schulz, DC, MSa, Darcy Vavrek, ND, MS, Leslie Takaki, MA, Linda Hanson, DC, MS, Brent Leininger, DC, MS, Moni B. Neradilek, MS

Integrative Health & Wellbeing Research Program,
Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing,
University of Minnesota,
420 Delaware Street SE,
Minneapolis, MN, USA, 55455.


BACKGROUND CONTEXT:   The optimal number of visits for the care of cervicogenic headache (CGH) with spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is unknown.

PURPOSE:   To identify the dose-response relationship between visits for SMT and chronic CGH outcomes; to evaluate the efficacy of SMT by comparison with a light massage control.

STUDY DESIGN/SETTING:   Two-site, open-label randomized controlled trial.

PATIENT SAMPLE:   Participants were 256 adults with chronic CGH.

OUTCOME MEASURES:   The primary outcome was days with CGH in the prior 4 weeks evaluated at the 12- and 24-week primary endpoints. Secondary outcomes included CGH days at remaining endpoints, pain intensity, disability, perceived improvement, medication use, and patient satisfaction.

METHODS:   Participants were randomized to 4 dose levels of chiropractic SMT: 0, 6, 12, or 18 sessions. They were treated 3 times per week for 6 weeks and received a focused light-massage control at sessions when SMT was not assigned. Linear dose effects and comparisons to the no-manipulation control group were evaluated at 6, 12, 24, 39, and 52 weeks. This study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (R01AT006330) and is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01530321). The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

RESULTS:   A linear dose-response was observed for all follow-ups, a reduction of approximately 1 CGH day/4 weeks per additional 6 SMT visits (p<.05); a maximal effective dose could not be determined. CGH days/4 weeks were reduced from about 16 to 8 for the highest and most effective dose of 18 SMT visits. Mean differences in CGH days/4 weeks between 18 SMT visits and control were -3.3 (p=.004) and -2.9 (p=.017) at the primary endpoints, and similar in magnitude at the remaining endpoints (p<.05). Differences between other SMT doses and control were smaller in magnitude (p > .05). CGH intensity showed no important improvement nor differed by dose. Other secondary outcomes were generally supportive of the primary.

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Dose-response of Spinal Manipulation for Cervicogenic Headache: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

By |January 25, 2017|Cervicogenic Headache|

Dose-response of Spinal Manipulation for Cervicogenic Headache: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

The Chiro.Org Blog


Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2016 (Jun 8); 24: 23 ~ FULL TEXT


Linda Hanson, Mitchell Haas, Gert Bronfort, Darcy Vavrek, Craig Schulz, Brent Leininger, Roni Evans, Leslie Takaki and Moni Neradilek

Center for Outcome Studies,
The University of Western States,
2900 NE 132nd Ave,
Portland, OR 97230 USA.


BACKGROUND:   Cervicogenic headache is a prevalent and costly pain condition commonly treated by chiropractors. There is evidence to support the effectiveness for spinal manipulation, but the dose of treatment required to achieve maximal relief remains unknown. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology for a randomized controlled trial evaluating the dose-response of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache in an adult population.

METHODS/DESIGN:   This is a mixed-methods, two-site, prospective, parallel groups, observer-blind, randomized controlled trial conducted at university-affiliated research clinics in the Portland, OR and Minneapolis, MN areas. The primary outcome is patient reported headache frequency. Other outcomes include self-reported headache intensity, disability, quality of life, improvement, neck pain intensity and frequency, satisfaction, medication use, outside care, cervical motion, pain pressure thresholds, health care utilization, health care costs, and lost productivity. Qualitative interviews are also conducted to evaluate patients’ expectations of treatment.

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