Manual therapies for cervicogenic headache: a systematic review

Aleksander Chaibi,Michael Bjørn Russell

doi:10.1007/s10194-012-0436-7

Aleksander Chaibi, Michael Bjørn Russell

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10194-012-0436-7

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Abstract

This paper systematically reviewed randomized clinical trials (RCT) assessing the efficacy of manual therapies for cervicogenic headache (CEH). A total of seven RCTs were identified, i.e. one study applied physiotherapy ± temporomadibular mobilization techniques and six studies applied cervical spinal manipulative therapy (SMT). The RCTs suggest that physiotherapy and SMT might be an effective treatment in the management of CEH, but the results are difficult to evaluate, since only one study included a control group that did not receive treatment. Furthermore, the RCTs mostly included participant with infrequent CEH. Future challenges regarding CEH are substantial both from a diagnostic and management point of view.

Highlights

Cervicogenic headache (CEH) is a secondary headache characterized by unilateral headache and symptoms and signs of neck involvement [1,2,3,4,5]
This paper systematically reviewed randomized clinical trials (RCT) assessing the efficacy of manual therapies for cervicogenic headache (CEH)
The RCTs suggest that physiotherapy and spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) might be an effective treatment in the management of CEH, but the results are difficult to evaluate, since only one study included a control group that did not receive treatment

Summary

Introduction

Cervicogenic headache (CEH) is a secondary headache characterized by unilateral headache and symptoms and signs of neck involvement [1,2,3,4,5]. It is often worsened by neck movement, sustained awkward head position or. The prevalence of CEH varies in the general population depending on the diagnostic criteria, i.e. 1.0 % applying six positive criteria of the Cervicogenic Headache International Study Group (CHISG) and 4.6 % when only five criteria were used, while it was 2.5 % applying the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria [3, 5,6,7,8]. Along with different diagnostic criteria, it is likely that other methodological differences play a role

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