Systematic review of randomized clinical trials of complementary/alternative therapies in the treatment of tension-type and cervicogenic headache
Complementary Therapies in MedicinePublished 1 September 1999
Cameron McDermaid, Carol Hagino, Howard Vernon
Citations137
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score1.02
SNIP1.32
Generate an AI Snapshot to get a quick, structured summary of this paper.
Study Snapshot
ObjectiveStudy objective
MethodsResearch methodology
PopulationPopulation studied
Sample sizeSample sizes
OutcomesStudy outcomes here
ResultsStudy results comes here
LimitationsResearch study limitations comes here
A concise AI-generated summary of the paper will appear here once you click Generate AI Snapshot.
TL;DR
RCTs for CAM therapies of the treatment of non-migrainous headache exist in the literature and demonstrate that clinical experimental studies of these forms of headache can be conducted.
Abstract
RCTs for CAM therapies of the treatment of non-migrainous headache exist in the literature and demonstrate that clinical experimental studies of these forms of headache can be conducted. Evidence from a sub-set of high quality studies indicates that some CAM therapies may be useful in the treatment of these common forms of headache.
Keywords
Medicine
New England Journal of MedicineUnconventional Medicine in the United States -- Prevalence, Costs, and Patterns of Use
4,209 Citations1993David M. Eisenberg, Ronald C. Kessler +4 more
The frequency of use of unconventional therapy in the United States is far higher than previously reported and expenditure associated with use in 1990 amounted to approximately $13.7 billion, comparable to the $12.8 billion spent out of pocket annually for all hospitalizations in theUnited States.
The LancetDoes quality of reports of randomised trials affect estimates of intervention efficacy reported in meta-analyses?
3,591 Citations1998David Moher, Ba’ Pham +6 more
Study of low methodological quality in which the estimate of quality is incorporated into the meta-analyses can alter the interpretation of the benefit of intervention, whether a scale or component approach is used in the assessment of trial quality.
Controlled Clinical TrialsA method for assessing the quality of a randomized control trial
1,370 Citations1981Thomas C. Chalmers, Harry Smith +5 more
A reasonable standard design and conduct of trials will facilitate the interpretation of those with conflicting results and help in making valid combinations of undersized trials.
SpineConservative Treatment of Acute and Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain
988 Citations1997Maurits W. van Tulder, Bart W. Koes +1 more
The quality of the design, execution, and reporting of randomized controlled trials should be improved, to establish strong evidence for the effectiveness of the various therapeutic interventions for acute and chronic low back pain.
JAMAEpidemiology of Tension-Type Headache
752 Citations1998Brian S. Schwartz
Episodic tension-type headache is a highly prevalent condition with a significant functional impact at work, home, and school; despite its greater individual impact, CTTH has a smaller societal impact than ETTH.
CephalalgiaEpidemiology of Headache
734 Citations1995BK Rasmussen
The study supports the notion that migraine and tension-type headache are separate clinical entities and that migraine without aura and migraine with aura are distinct subforms of migraine.
SpineThe Prevalence of Chronic Cervical Zygapophysial Joint Pain After Whiplash
508 Citations1995Leslie Barnsley, Susan M. Lord +2 more
In this population, cervical zygapophysial joint pain was the most common source of chronic neck pain after whiplash, and it was found that both blocks relieved the patient's pain and bupivacaine provided longer relief.
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences NeurologiquesImpact of Migraine and Tension-Type Headache on Life-Style, Consulting Behaviour, and Medication Use: A Canadian Population Survey
419 Citations1993John Edmeads, Helen Findlay +4 more
The effects of headaches on sufferers are detailed, with over 70% of headache sufferers interpersonal relationships are impaired, and regular activities are limited in 78% of migraine attacks and 38% of tension-type headaches.
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences NeurologiquesA Canadian Population Survey on the Clinical, Epidemiologic and Societal Impact of Migraine and Tension-Type Headache
321 Citations1992William Pryse‐Phillips, Helen Findlay +4 more
SpineThe Cervical Zygapophysial Joints as a Source of Neck Pain
316 Citations1988Nikolai Bogduk, Anthony Marsland
Experimental NeurologyStructural relation of the trigeminal spinal tract to upper cervical roots and the solitary nucleus in the cat
313 Citations1961Frederick W. L. Kerr
The distribution of trigeminal and cervical afferents in the upper cervical cord is described in detail and indicates that anatomic convergence of these two systems is present throughout the dorsal horn in the first and second cervical segments.
SpineThe Cervical Zygapophysial Joints as a Source of Neck Pain
273 Citations1988Nikolai Bogduk, Anthony Marsland
The high yield of positive responders in this study probably reflects the propensity of patients with zygapophysial joint syndromes to gravitate to a pain clinic when this condition is not recognised in conventional clinical practice.
Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & PsychiatryThird occipital nerve headache: a prevalence study.
263 Citations1994Susan M. Lord, L Barnsley +2 more
Third occipital nerve headache is a common condition in patients with chronic neck pain and headache after whiplash and patients with a positive diagnosis were significantly more likely to be tender over the C2-3 zygapophysial joint.
Journal of Clinical EpidemiologyMeta-analyses to evaluate analgesic interventions: A systematic qualitative review of their methodology
208 Citations1996Alejandro R. Jadad, Henry J McQuay
Ninety percent of the meta-analyses had methodological flaws that could limit their validity and the main deficiencies were lack of information on methods to retrieve and to assess the validity of primary studies and lack of data on the design of the primary studies.
PainPressure pain thresholds and thermal nociceptive thresholds in chronic tension-type headache
205 Citations1989Michael Langemark, Kai Jensen +2 more
Chronic tension-type headache might be a result of dysmodulation of nociceptive impulses, but it is likely that sensitized nOCiceptors also play a role.
Behavior TherapyMigraine and tension headache: A meta-analytic review
193 Citations1980Edward B. Blanchard, Frank Andrasik +3 more
The relative efficacy of several psychological treatments for headache were compared to each other and to the effects of medication placebo using a procedure known as meta-analysis, and showed that frontal EMG biofeedback alone, or combined with relaxation training, or relaxation training alone were equally effective and significantly superior to medication placebo.
Complementary Therapies in MedicineThe effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of cervicogenic headache
191 Citations1998N Nilsson, Henrik Wulff Christensen +1 more
Spinal manipulation has a significant positive effect in cases of cervicogenic headache and this difference was statistically significant (p = .04, chi 2 for trend).
SpineThe Prevalence of Cervicogenic Headache in a Random Population Sample of 20–59 Year Olds
181 Citations1995N Nilsson
Cervicogenic headache appears to be a relatively common form of headache, similar to migraine in prevaience, in the general population and in the group experiencing frequent headaches.
Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & PsychiatryOn the concept of third occipital headache.
181 Citations1986Nikolai Bogduk, Anthony Marsland
Three out of ten consecutive patients presenting with suspected cervical headache were found to suffer pain mediated by the third occipital nerve and stemming from a C2-3 zygapophysial joint.
Nursing ResearchEffects of Therapeutic Touch On Tension Headache Pain
175 Citations1986E. Keller, VIRGINIA M. BZDEK
Study results indicated that TT may have potential beyond a placebo effect in the treatment of tension headache pain.
CephalalgiaEffect of Peppermint and Eucalyptus Oil Preparations on Neurophysiological and Experimental Algesimetric Headache Parameters
157 Citations1994Hartmut Göbel, Gustavo Schmidt +1 more
The essential plant oil preparations often used in empiric medicine can be shown by laboratory tests to exert significant effects on mechanisms associated with the pathophysiology of headache.
Acta Odontologica ScandinavicaAcupuncture in treatment of facial muscular pain
141 Citations1991Anders Johansson, Bengt Wenneberg +2 more
It is concluded that acupuncture is an alternative method to conventional stomatognathic treatment for individuals with craniomandibular disorders of muscular origin.
PubMedSpinal manipulation vs. amitriptyline for the treatment of chronic tension-type headaches: a randomized clinical trial.
140 Citations1995Patrick D. Boline, Kassem Kassak +3 more
The results of this study show that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches and that Amitriptyline therapy was slightly more effective in reducing pain at the end of the treatment period but was associated with more side effects.
CephalalgiaHome-Based Behavioral Treatments for chronic Benign Headache
140 Citations1997C. Keith Haddock, AB Rowan +4 more
Results of the quantitative analyses suggest that home-based treatments produce comparable, or with certain outcome measures, superior results to clinic-based treatment, and Methodological analyses are presented along with suggestions for future research.
JAMASpinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Episodic Tension-Type Headache
134 Citations1998Geoffrey M. Bove, N Nilsson
As an isolated intervention, spinal manipulation does not seem to have a positive effect on episodic tension-type headache.
Churchill Livingstone eBooksModern manual therapy of the vertebral column
129 Citations1986Gregory Price Grieve
Modern manual therapy of the vertebral column is described as a form of “modern medicine” based on the principles of medicine and “progress”.
CephalalgiaGuidelines for Trials of Drug Treatments in Tension-Type Headache
125 Citations1995J Schoenen
The present guidelines were developed under the auspices of the International Headache Society because of the need to improve the quality of controlled trials of drug treatments in tension-type headache.
CephalalgiaAn Open Study Comparing Manual Therapy with the Use of Cold Packs in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Headache
123 Citations1990Ole Kudsk Jensen, F Nielsen +1 more
It is concluded that the type of manual therapy used in this study seems to have a specific effect in reducing post-traumatic headache and suggests that post- traumatic dizziness, visual disturbances and ear symptoms could be part of a cervical syndrome.
Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & PsychiatryAcupuncture versus medical treatment for migraine and muscle tension headaches.
116 Citations1984Li‐Cher Loh, P W Nathan +2 more
In 48 patients with chronic migraine and muscle tension headaches, a comparison was made between a prophylactic course of acupuncture and of medical treatment; a beneficial response to acupuncture was more likely when the patient had local tender muscular points.
CephalalgiaClassical Homeopathic Treatment of Chronic Headaches
114 Citations1997Harald Walach, W. Haeusler +7 more
A randomized, placebo-cor rolled, double-blind clinical trial to determine the efficacy of classical homeopathic therapy in patients with chronic headaches found no significant difference in any parameter between homeopathy and placebo.
Clinical Journal of PainTreatment of Recurrent Tension Headache
113 Citations1994Moniek C. Bogaards, Moniek M. ter Kuile
PubMedSpinal manipulation and beta-endorphin: a controlled study of the effect of a spinal manipulation on plasma beta-endorphin levels in normal males.
109 Citations1986Howard Vernon, M.S.I. Dhami +2 more
The results of this study demonstrated a small, but statistically significant, increase in serum beta-endorphin levels in the experimental group at the 5-min postintervention point, and a steady decrease in the placebo and control groups, which was distinct from the response in the Experimental group.
PubMedA randomized controlled trial of the effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of cervicogenic headache.
106 Citations1995N Nilsson
The results suggest a possible effect of manipulation on cervicogenic headache, but because of methodological problems, such an effect could not be unequivocally demonstrated.
PainTraditional Chinese acupuncture in tension-type headache: a controlled study
103 Citations1992Tiziana Tavola, Costanzo Gala +2 more
No single M MPI scale predicted the response to treatment, but the mean MMPI profile of acupuncture non‐responders showed the presence of ‘Conversion V’, and no difference between acupuncture and placebo treatment was found.
CephalalgiaMuscle Tenderness in Tension Headache Treated with Acupuncture or Physiotherapy
96 Citations1990Jane Carlsson, Astrid Fahlcrantz +1 more
There was a significant correlation between the intensity of headache and muscle tenderness and there was a marked reduction in the intake of analgesics in the physiotherapy group.
PubMedCervicogenic dysfunction in muscle contraction headache and migraine: a descriptive study.
93 Citations1992Howard Vernon, Igor Steiman +1 more
The premise that the neck plays an important, but largely ignored role in the manifestation of adult benign headaches is supported, as well as X-ray evidence of joint dysfunction in the upper and lower cervical spine.
CephalalgiaPrimary Headaches: Reduced Circulating β-Lipotropin and β-Endorphin Levels with Impaired Reactivity to Acupuncture
85 Citations1981Fabio Facchinetti, Giuseppe Nappi +2 more
Patients suffering from primary headache are characterized by low βLPH and βEP plasma levels and by a poor reactivity of circulating opioids to non-stressful stimuli.
Headache The Journal of Head and Face PainManagement of Chronic Head and Neck Pain: Effectiveness of Altering Factors Perpetuating Myofascial Pain
82 Citations1987Steven B. Graff‐Radford, John L. Reeves +1 more
Psychosomatic MedicineNonpharmacological Management of Headaches During Pregnancy
71 Citations1995Dawn A. Marcus, Lisa Scharff +1 more
The first study evaluated the effectiveness of a combined nonpharmacological treatment consisting of relaxation, skin-warming biofeedback, and physical therapy for pregnant women with chronic headaches and concluded that it was more effective than an attention control in reducing headaches during pregnancy.
Acupuncture in MedicineA Pilot Study of Acupuncture for Tension Headache, Using a Novel Placebo
66 Citations1996AR White, C Eddleston +3 more
There was no difference between the changes in weekly headache index in the two groups, comparing scores before and after treatment, however, Group A experienced a considerably higher number of headache-free weeks than Group B.
PubMedGuidelines for the nonpharmacologic management of migraine in clinical practice. Canadian Headache Society.
66 Citations1998William Pryse‐Phillips, David W. Dodick +7 more
The guidelines for the nonpharmacologic management of migraine are based on consensus of Canadian experts in neurology, emergency medicine, psychiatry, psychology and family medicine, and consumers.
European Journal Of Oral SciencesEffect of acupuncture on headache measured by reduction in number of attacks and use of drugs
62 Citations1979L. BØRGLUM JENSEN, Birte Melsen +1 more
Headache The Journal of Head and Face PainTreatment of Headache by Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation
56 Citations1985Seymour Solomon, Karen M. Guglielmo
CephalalgiaAcupuncture Treatment of Chronic Tension Headache – A Controlled Cross-Over Trial
55 Citations1985P. E. Hansen, J H Hansen
Traditional Chinese acupuncture was found to be significantly more pain-relieving than placebo acupuncture, according to the pain registration of the patients themselves.
Headache The Journal of Head and Face PainTension‐Type Headaches
54 Citations1994Stephen D. Silberstein
Tension‐type headache is the term designated by the International Headache Society to describe what was previously called tension headache, muscle contraction headache, psychomyogenic headache, stress headache, ordinary headache, and psychogenic headache.
Headache The Journal of Head and Face PainNon‐Invasive Treatment of Vascular and Muscle Contraction Headache: A Comparative Longitudinal Clinical Study
46 Citations1989Barry A. Reich
PubMed CentralDemographic and clinical characteristics of chiropractic patients: a five year study of patients treated at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College
42 Citations1994David Paul Waalen, Tariq White +1 more
As duration of complaint lengthened, the number of treatments required to reach resolution also increased and more than 70% of CMCC’s patients obtained complete or substantial relief from symptoms which compared well with other teaching clinics and private chiropractic practice.
Headache The Journal of Head and Face PainSafety and Effectiveness of Cranial Electrotherapy in the Treatment of Tension Headache
41 Citations1989Seymour Solomon, Arthur H. Elkind +5 more
Acupuncture & Electro-Therapeutics ResearchEFFECTIVENESS OF ACUPUNCTURE AND PHYSIOTHERAPY ON MYOGENIC HEADACHE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY
36 Citations1984Esa Ahonen, M. O. K. Hakumäki +4 more
It is concluded that either acupuncture therapy or physiotherapy relieves pain in tension-neck and headache patients.
Headache The Journal of Head and Face PainHealth Status in Patients with Tension Headache Treated with Acupuncture or Physiotherapy
31 Citations1990Jane Carlsson, Lars‐Erik Augustinsson +2 more
Headache The Journal of Head and Face PainThe Effectiveness of Physical Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Daily Headaches
30 Citations1989Gary W. Jay, Janel Brunson +1 more
CephalalgiaOculomotor Disturbances in Patients with Tension Headache Treated with Acupuncture or Physiotherapy
25 Citations1990Jane Carlsson, Ulf Rosenhall
There was a reduction of headache intensity in both groups while tenderness of the trapezius muscles was reduced in the physiotherapy group but unchanged in the acupuncture group.
Acupuncture & Electro-Therapeutics ResearchEFFECTS OF THE ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINTS WITH TENSION HEADACHE
23 Citations1992Olavi Airaksinen, Pekka J. Põntinen
The results suggested that the stimulation had positive effects on myofascial trigger points, but these effects were seen only on the treated points.
Europe PMC (PubMed Central)Guidelines for the nonpharmacologic management of migraine in clinical practice
23 Citations1998Pryse-Phillips, W E, Dodick, D W +7 more
Headache The Journal of Head and Face PainPlasma Opioid Levels in Post‐traumatic Chronic Headache and Trigeminal Neuralgia: Maintained Response to Acupuncture
23 Citations1982Giuseppe Nappi, Fabio Facchinetti +6 more
Complementary Therapies in MedicineTension headache and signs and symptoms of craniomandibular disorders treated with acupuncture or physiotherapy
11 Citations1998
