The effectiveness of CV-4 and resting position techniques on subjects with tension-type headaches

Abstract

Tension-type headache (TTH) is a common reason for consulting a clinician. Manual therapies are being used in clinical settings to treat TTH with no documented research to validate their efficacy. This study investigated the effectiveness of CV-4 and resting position techniques on TTH sufferers. Sixty adults between the ages of 21 and 65 (X=36, SD=12) who were experiencing a TTH were randomly assigned to groups. Subjects in the first group received a 10-minute session wherin multiple still points were induced using the CV-4 craniosacral technqiue. Subjects in the second group were placed supine in a resting position with the head and neck positioned for ten minutes in the most comfortable points in the ranges of protraction-retraction and flexion-extension. Subjects in the third group received no treatment; they lay quietly for 10 minutes. Pain intensity and the affective component of pain were measured before and after the treatments using visual analog scales. To determine if significant differences existed between the groups, a one-way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used, followed by univariate tests and post-hoc tests. The MANCOVA was significant (F=3.59; df=4, 108; p<0.05). Analysis of covariance for the variables of pain intensity and affect revealed significant differences among the groups (F=5.38; df=2,56; p<0.05 for intensity and F=4.45; df=2,56; p<0.05 for affect). Tukey tests revealed a significant improvement, in both intensity and affect scores, between the group receiving the CV-4 treatment and the no-treatment group and no significant difference between the group using only the resting position and the group receiving no treatment. The CV-4 technique is an effective technique for treating patients with TTH. Additional investigation is warranted to examine the duration of relief and to address the effectiveness of multiple treatment sessions utilizing the CV-4 and resting position techniques.