RECRUITING

Treating Chronic Cervicogenic Head and Neck Pain

Study Overview

This clinical trial focuses on testing the efficacy of different digital interventions to promote re-engagement in cancer-related long-term follow-up care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Description

The primary aim is to test the combined effectiveness of OMT and targeted head exercise (THE) to achieve a significant decrease in headache measures of frequency, intensity, and duration in a Treatment group when compared to a Control group whose members receive only standard medical care. A parallel, 2-arm, longitudinal, randomized controlled trial (RCT) will focus upon female patients (18 to 75 years of age) who have been diagnosed with chronic cervicogenic headache (CeH) based upon a differential diagnosis that includes classification according to the International Headache Society Classification IHSD 3rd Edition, reproduction of referred headache resulting from manual pressure over the upper cervical regions, and objective MRI findings. It is estimated that a sample size of 30 will provide sufficient statistical power (79%) to detect an intervention effect that corresponds to a clinically meaningful recovery (60%). CeH is classified as a secondary headache disorder because the headache pain is a consequence of injury to, or disease of, the bony and/or soft tissues of the upper cervical spine. It has been reported that some patients diagnosed with CeH demonstrate atrophy and/or fatty infiltration (FI) of the RCPm muscles on MRI. FI and/or a reduction in the cross-sectional area (CSA) of active muscle would not be expected to be the direct cause of chronic headache, but either or both could prevent muscles from generating normal physiologic levels of force. It has been shown that there is a functional connection between the pain sensitive dura mater and RCPm muscles and it is known that mechanical stretching of the dura mater results in referred headache. While FI and/or a reduction in the CSA of active muscle would not be expected to be the direct cause of chronic headache, it is known that muscle pathology will result in functional deficits. It is proposed that pathology in RCPm muscles will compromise the normal functional relationship between the RCPm and the dura mater and result in referred head and neck pain. It is predicted that at the end of the study, the Treatment group will show a significant decrease in headache measures that will be accompanied by a significant increase in CSA and a significant decrease in FI on MRI, and restoration of a normal head posture that will not be seen in the Control group. The proposed study is unique in that we are proposing both a mechanism and a source for some instances of CeH. By testing the effectiveness of specific interventions to address a specific pathology within a specific headache population, and by restricting the study cohort to female subjects presenting with CeH, this study will increase the ability to detect a significant change in the outcomes by increasing the power of the statistical analysis.

Official Title

Treating Chronic Cervicogenic Head and Neck Pain With Osteopathic Manipulation and Exercise Therapy

Quick Facts

Study Start:2022-09-01
Study Completion:2026-06-01
Study Type:Not specified
Phase:Not Applicable
Enrollment:Not specified
Status:RECRUITING

Study ID

NCT05617365

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Ages Eligible for Study:18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study:FEMALE
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:No
Standard Ages:ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Inclusion CriteriaExclusion Criteria
  1. Age 18 years or older
  2. Willing and able to provide informed consent
  3. Able to understand and follow study procedures
  4. Stable medical condition
  1. * Have you been involved in a rear-end motor vehicle accident within the past 3 years?
  2. * Have you had spinal surgery performed on your neck?
  3. * Do you have a pinched nerve in the neck that produces pain radiating down your arm.
  4. * Have you been diagnosed with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or ankylosing spondylitis.
  5. * Do you have ongoing central nervous system pathology such as hemiparesis, cervical radiculopathy, spondylolisthesis grade III or IV, central nervous system causes of balance \& coordination deficits, orthostatic hypotension, vestibular disorders, pregnancy, recent spinal fractures, moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.

Contacts and Locations

Study Contact

Richard C Hallgren, PhD
CONTACT
517-256-7631
hallgren@msu.edu

Study Locations (Sites)

Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan, 48824
United States

Collaborators and Investigators

Sponsor: Michigan State University

Study Record Dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Registration Dates

Study Start Date2022-09-01
Study Completion Date2026-06-01

Study Record Updates

Study Start Date2022-09-01
Study Completion Date2026-06-01

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

  • Cervicogenic Headache
  • Neck Pain, Posterior