CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT05692232Updated Jan 25, 2023

The Efficacy of Manual Therapy and Pressure Biofeedback Guided Strength Training on Pain and Functional Limitations

An interventional study of Pressure biofeedback guided DCFM strength training and Manual therapy in Cervicogenic Headache, sponsored by King Saud University. Completed at 1 site in Saudi Arabia. Open to participants aged 25 Years to 50 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-01-25.

Sponsored by King Saud University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 10 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Feb 2022, registered Jan 2023).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
25 Years to 50 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Cervicogenic headache (CGH) is a widespread illness that results in excruciating pain and a sizable functional handicap. Deep cervical flexor muscle (DCFM) strength and endurance were also worse in CGH patients. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of manual therapy and pressure biofeedback-guided DCFM strength training on pain intensity and functional limitations in individuals with CGH.

Read the detailed description

The study followed a two-arms parallel group randomized comparative design, including sixty individuals with CGH, and they were allocated into two groups at random. For three consecutive weeks, in addition to the conventional treatment common to both groups, groups 1 and 2 received pressure biofeedback-guided DCFM strength training and manual therapy, respectively. At baseline, the first week, the second week, and the third week post intervention, pain intensity and functional limitations were evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS), the number of headache days per week, and the headache disability inventory (HDI) questionnaire. The main effects of the intervention were evaluated for a between-group factor, within-group factor, and interaction between time and groups over/at multiple time points. Data was analyzed using an independent t-test, mixed design 2-way ANOVA, with keeping the level of significance 'p' at 0.05.

02

Conditions studied

  • Cervicogenic Headache

Keywords

  • Pressure biofeedback
  • Deep cervical flexor muscles
  • Muscle Strengthening
  • Manual therapy
  • Pain
  • Disability
03

In context

Post-Traumatic Headache

188 studies on the registry are indexed under Post-Traumatic Headache; 50 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 60 is above the median of 44 across 166 interventional studies indexed under Post-Traumatic Headache.

Browse Post-Traumatic Headache studies →

Lead sponsor

King Saud University is the lead sponsor of 164 studies on the registry; 21 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
25 Years to 50 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Individual with a diagnosed case of cervicogenic headache with unilateral head pain without side shift or bilateral head pain with a dominant side that hurts more than the other side, sustained awkward head positioning, external pressure over the upper cervical or occipital region on the symptomatic side.
  • Aged between 25 and 50 years
  • Patients with recurrent CGH and chronic mechanical neck discomfort that has persisted for longer than three months.
  • A positive cervical flexion rotation test.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • a negative cervical flexion rotation test.
  • Subjects had a history of any of the following conditions: a fractured vertebral column or previous surgery on it; spinal stenosis; a prolapsed disc; temporomandibular joint dysfunction or headaches involving the autonomic nervous system; vertigo or visual disturbance; or a congenital condition of the cervical spine.
  • Showed non-cooperation
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
60 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Group 1

    Thirty participants randomly allocated to group 1. All the participants received a pressure biofeedback guided deep cervical flexor muscle strength training along wth conventional intervention.

    Other: Pressure biofeedback guided DCFM strength training · Other: Conventional intervention

  • Active comparator
    Group 2

    Thirty participants randomly allocated to group 2. All the participants received a manual therapy along wth conventional intervention.

    Other: Manual therapy · Other: Conventional intervention

Interventions

  • OtherPressure biofeedback guided DCFM strength training

    A pressure biofeedback guided DCFM strength training was carried out according to the Jull protocol. Keeping the participant's cervical spine in a neutral position and ensuring a stabilizer pressure biofeedback unit placed beneath the cervical lordosis. The pressure sensor was inflated at 20mm Hg. The participants were asked to nod their heads slowly. As the DCFM is activated, the cervical lordosis gently flattens, and the pressure sensor measures an increase in pressure. The activation score is the maximum pressure that can maintain for 10 seconds.

  • OtherManual therapy

    A manual therapy, including a slow, sustained elongation of muscles with a holding period of 7-10 seconds and a superficial oscillatory mobilization (grade-I) with 1-2 oscillations per second for 30 seconds per session was performed on the DCFM and at the cervical spine (C0-C5), respectively. The participants were asked to lie supine and prone while delivering stretching and mobilization, respectively.

  • OtherConventional intervention

    A hot pads was applied for 20minutes underneath the cervical spine covering either side of shoulder in a relaxed supine position.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain intensity

    The pain intensity was assessed by a visual analogue scale. It is a reliable and valid tool to measure the pain intensity. It is an objective line marked with zero indicate no pain and ten indicate maximum unbearable pain at the either end of the line. Individuals are asked to show the level of pain by putting their fingers on the line between either ends.

    Time frame: 6 weeks

  2. Functional limitations

    The functional limitation due to cervicogenic headache was evaluated by a self-rated questionnaire called as, Headache Disability Index. A minimum and maximum scores ranges from 0 to 100. a score of 10-28 is considered to constitute mild disability; 30-48 is moderate disability; 50-68 is severe disability; 72 or more is complete disability.

    Time frame: 6 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of applied Medical Science, King Saud University
    Riyadh, 11433, Saudi Arabia
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 25, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05692232
Lead sponsor
King Saud University
Collaborators
Majmaah University
Responsible party
AMIR IQBAL (Researcher, King Saud University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jan 20, 2023
Start date
Feb 20, 2022
Primary completion
Aug 19, 2022
Completion
Sep 29, 2022
Last update
Jan 25, 2023

Study contacts

AMIR IQBAL, MPT
principal investigator · King Saud University

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion