Multimodal physical therapy for migraine relief

Effectiveness of Multimodal Physical Therapy for Episodic and Chronic Migraine With Concomitant Cervical Musculoskeletal Dysfuntions: Randomized Clinical Trial

This study is testing if adding a special physical therapy program to regular care can help people with migraines and neck pain feel better.

Quick facts

• Phase: Not applicable
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 36 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years to 65 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Neuromed IRCCS (Academic / other)
• Locations: 1 site (Pozzilli, Isernia)
• Trial ID: NCT05226559 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial evaluates the effectiveness of a multimodal physical therapy approach combined with usual care compared to usual care alone for patients suffering from episodic and chronic migraines with associated cervical musculoskeletal dysfunctions. The study involves a 28-week duration, including a 12-week screening period, an 8-week intervention, and an 8-week observational phase. Participants will undergo assessments to track migraine frequency, severity, and associated disabilities throughout the study. The goal is to determine if targeted physical therapy can alleviate migraine symptoms by addressing neck pain and dysfunction.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 18-65 with episodic or chronic migraines and concomitant cervical musculoskeletal dysfunction.

Not a fit: Patients with recent neck injuries, certain neurological conditions, or other specific headache disorders may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could significantly reduce the frequency and severity of migraines for patients with neck pain.

How similar studies have performed: Other studies have shown promising results with multimodal physical therapy approaches for pain management, suggesting potential success for this trial.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

* patients aged 18-65 years;
* patients with episodic migraine with and without aura (experiencing 6-14 days/month with migraine);
* patients with chronic migraine;
* patients who achieved \>30% \<50% reduction from their individual baseline in the number of monthly migraine days on therapy with standard stable pharmacological treatments during the past 3 months;
* concomitant cervical dysfunctions.

Exclusion criteria

* self-report of neck injury/trauma;
* acute radiculopathy;
* history of carotid or vertebral artery dissection;
* stroke;
* cervical/cranial nerve block in the past three months;
* pregnancy;
* history of infection;
* migraine attack during the assessment;
* diagnosis of other concomitant headaches (such as cervicogenic headache, tension-type headache, cluster headache, medication overuse headache);
* having received physical treatment in the past three months or botulinum toxin in the past six months;
* any unstable medical o psychiatric condition.
* history of any other rheumatic or chronic diseases such as fibromyalgia;
* neuralgias, or self-report of vestibular disease.

Where this trial is running

Pozzilli, Isernia

• IRCCS Neuromed — Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Armando Perrotta, MD — Neuromed IRCCS
• Study coordinator: Armando Perrotta, MD

Conditions Migraine; Musculoskeletal Neck Pain; Musculoskeletal Disorder of the Neck; Chronic Migraine; Episodic Migraine; Physical Therapy; Cervical musculoskeletal dysfunction; Joint Dysfunction