Efficiency of manual therapy methods in treatment of patients with chronic tension type headache

Abstract

BACKGROUND. The treatment of chronic tension headache mainly includes pharmacological methods, but the frequent side effects of medications and the presence of contraindications in some categories of patients determine the relevance of the search for alternative methods. One of them is the use of soft techniques of manual therapy with an impact on the myofascial structures of the head and cervical spine.
 AIM. To determine the effectiveness of manual therapeutic use in patients with chronic tension headache.
 MATERIAL AND METHODS. The clinical study was conducted in the period from 2019 to 2021. The study involved 49 patients with chronic tension headache, who were divided into 2 groups: the main (37 participants) and control (12 participants). In the main group, patients received 3 manual therapy sessions. In the control group, patients received drug therapy. After 1month and 6 months, the intensity, frequency of headache, the amount of drugs taken, and the effect of headache on work ability were assessed. Statistical processing was performed using the IBM SPSS software. The Friedman test and the Kendall coefficient of concordance were used; the Wilcoxon test and signs were used for the significance of the shift. The results of the data were taken as significant at p 0.05.
 RESULTS. After the therapy in the main group of strong intensity headaches decreased 6 times (p 0.05). The number of patients with an insignificant effect of headache on work ability increased 2 times (p 0.05), there were patients (21.6%) whose headache did not influence with their ability to work, while the differences were significant (p 0.05).There was a decrease in the frequency of headache attacks in more than half of the patients (62%) and for 4 times decrease of the number of painkillers (p 0.01). There were no significant changes in the incidence and intensity of headache in the control group.
 CONCLUSION. The use of manual therapy in patients with chronic tension headache reduces the frequency, intensity of headache, the amount of drugs used and the negative effect of headache on working capacity.