An interventional study of Group A (Dry Needling) and Group B (Dry cupping) in Dry Needling, Dry Cupping and Cervicogenic Headache, sponsored by Cairo University. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 25 Years to 45 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-11-14.
Sponsored by Cairo University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study aims to compare the added effects of dry needling and dry cupping to conventional physical therapy on headache pain intensity, headache frequency, headache duration, upper cervical range of motion, and disability levels in patients with cervicogenic headache.
It will be assumed that:
Neck pain is a highly popular musculoskeletal complain and the second most common musculoskeletal condition affecting people in their adolescence after low back pain. It is a common condition affecting general populations with high economic burden for neck pain including raised treatment costs, reduced productivity, and job-related problems. Headache is one of the most common disorders associated with neck pain with a potential for major disability.
Migraine, tension-type headache (TTH), and cervicogenic headache (CGH) are common types of headaches that negatively affect the quality of life, work activities, and family life. It has a direct or indirect economic burden on society.
Cervicogenic headache (CH) is a secondary headache caused by a disorder of the cervical spine and its disc or bony and/or periarticular components. In this type, pain originates from the back of neck and radiates towards the front of the head and eye on the same side. CGH can last from a few hours to days. The prevalence rate of CGH was estimated to be from 0.4% to 2.5% in the adult population and appears to affect women more than men.
The physiological mechanism of pain in CGH headache is the convergence of upper cervical spinal nerves (C1, C2, and C3) afferents and trigeminal afferents in the trigeminocervical nucleus caudalis. This convergence allows the bidirectional referral of painful sensations between the neck and trigeminal sensory receptive fields of the face and head.
Another cause of CGH is myofascial trigger points in the muscles. These trigger points, which are innervated by C1 to C3 (specifically in the suboccipital, semispinalis capitis, splenius cervices, trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid), can cause referral pain in various parts of the head.
Systematic review concluded that patients with CGH have significantly decreased cervical ROM and muscle function. Those patients have deep neck flexor weakness and tightness of the Sternocleidomastoid (SCM), trapezius and other muscles in the scapular region.
Management of CGH can involve a wide variety of therapeutic techniques, including medication, anesthetic and corticosteroid blocks, pulsed radiofrequency, cognitive therapy, relaxation therapy and physical therapy. Physical therapy interventions are recommended as nonpharmacological approaches for the treatment of CGH patients. These interventions include spinal manipulation, mobilization, manual therapy, dry needling, and therapeutic exercise.
Dry needling (DN) is an intervention method commonly used by physiotherapists for treatment of muscle pain associated with Trigger points (TrPsA). Acupuncture needles are placed directly into Muscle Trigger points (MTrPs) during this minimally invasive treatment. The benefits of DN include immediate relief in local, referred, and widespread pain and a restoration of range of motion and muscle activation patterns.
A previous study reported that the DN into the MTrPs of the suboccipital and upper trapezius muscles decreased headache index (HI), MTrP tenderness, increased functional rating index, and the range of motions in patients with CGH.
Cupping therapy (CT) is a physical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practiced by ancient Chinese, Egyptians, and Greeks and currently used by therapists and acupuncturists in the treatment of a wide range of medical conditions and played a vital role in human health. This alternative therapy involves creating a vacuum inside a cup positioned over the surface of the skin, using the local negative pressure to improve blood flow.
It has been used to treat various medical conditions, such as musculoskeletal injuries, dermatologic conditions, and chemical imbalances within the body. The most common use is reducing musculoskeletal or myofascial pain. It has been used to treat fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, neck and shoulder pain, and low back pain.
Cupping produces localized hyperemia to the applied area, The dilation of capillaries improves microcirculation which decreases muscle tone and promotes healing via metabolic changes.
Cupping therapy was the most preferred treatment method after herbal treatments in headache patients. Acupuncture and wet cupping method has a beneficial effect on pain intensity and cervical ROM in cervical headache patients when compared to shame acupuncture.
Moreover, a systematic review concluded that the evidence for dry needling and cupping is not greater than placebo in treatment of myofascial pain.
There is no study compare between effect of dry needling and dry cupping on cervicogenic headache patients.
Therefore, this study aims to compare between the effect of dry needling versus dry cupping on pain, Range of Motion (ROM) and level of disabilities in patients of cervicogenic headache.
192 studies on the registry are indexed under Post-Traumatic Headache; 54 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 45 is close to the median of 44 across 169 interventional studies indexed under Post-Traumatic Headache.
Browse Post-Traumatic Headache studies →Cairo University is the lead sponsor of 4,941 studies on the registry; 1,458 are open to participants now.
Of its 37 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 5 (14%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
The patients will be included in our study if they meet the following criteria:
The diagnosis of active TrPs will be based on the major criteria proposed by):
Exclusion Criteria:
The patients will be excluded if they have:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Other: Group A (Dry Needling)
Other: Group B (Dry cupping)
Other: Group C (control)
The patient will receive dry needling on suboccipital, upper trapezius and SCM muscles with conventional therapy 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks.
Patients will receive dry cupping on suboccipital, upper trapezius and SCM muscles weeks with conventional therapy 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks.
will receive standard exercise three sessions per week for four weeks. This standard regimen consists of the same exercises as group A and B.
Cervical Range of Motion (CROM)
CROM device will be used for the assessment of upper cervical ROM.
Time frame: Pre- intervention and after 4 weeks of treatment
The Arabic Version Of Neck Disability Index (NDI).
to assess the level of disabilities in patients with cervicogenic headache, in % points.
Time frame: Pre- intervention and after 4 weeks of treatment
Headache impact test 6 items
used to assess headache severity.
Time frame: Pre- intervention and after 4 weeks of treatment
Numerical pain rating scale
used to assess headache pain intenisty.
Time frame: Pre- intervention and after 4 weeks of treatment
Pressure Algometer
used to assess trigger points pain pressure threshold
Time frame: Pre- intervention and after 4 weeks of treatment
No study locations are listed for this record.
Start is estimated for Nov 2024; primary completion for Jan 2025, 1 month later.
Of 89 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Post-Traumatic Headache, half reached primary completion within 11 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 26. This study's planned 1 month is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 90 studies reached it within 12 months; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 26.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Nov 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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