Integrating Suboccipital Muscle Inhibition Techniques with Adjunctive Therapies for Tension-type Headache: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Objective: Tension Type Headache (TTH) recounted as ‘a band encircling the head’ which is mild to moderate in intensity and bilateral in location. Suboccipital Muscle Inhibition Technique (SMIT) is one of the manual therapy procedures utilised for treating myofascial areas that have been compromised due to restriction. Aim: To determine the effect of SMI combined with other therapeutic approaches in patients with. Materials and Methods: The following researches were performed in PubMed, Cochrane and google scholar from year 2015-2024 with the keywords “Suboccipital Muscle Inhibition” and “Tension Type Headache”. The searches yielded 1,630 studies, out of which four randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria and were include in the narrative review. Results: This review summarise the literature of SMI technique, spinal manipulation and electrotherapy intervention in reducing headache intensity, disability and pericranial tenderness and increase in craniocervical flexion and extension in individuals with TTH. Conclusion: Integrating SMI techniques with adjunctive therapies holds great promise for the management of TTH. Clinicians should consider this multimodal approach in their treatment plans. TTH is a chronic condition and on amalgamating this technique with other therapeutic intervention shows better improvement in pain management.