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Headache Mar 2022The aim of this study was to identify the manual therapy (MT) methods and techniques that have been evaluated for the treatment of cervicogenic headache (CH) and their... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to identify the manual therapy (MT) methods and techniques that have been evaluated for the treatment of cervicogenic headache (CH) and their effectiveness.
BACKGROUND
MT seems to be one of the options with the greatest potential for the treatment of CH, but the techniques to be applied are varied and there is no consensus on which are the most indicated.
METHODS
A systematic search in Scopus, Medline, PubMed, Cinahl, PEDro, and Web of Science with the terms: secondary headache disorders, physical therapy modalities, musculoskeletal manipulations, cervicogenic headache, manual therapy, and physical therapy. We included articles published from 2015 to the present that studied interventions with MT techniques in patients with CH. Two reviewers independently screened 365 articles for demographic information, characteristics of study design, study-specific intervention, and results. The Oxford 2011 Levels of Evidence and the Jadad scale were used.
RESULTS
Of a total of 14 articles selected, 11 were randomized control trials and three were quasi-experimental studies. The techniques studied were: spinal manipulative therapy, Mulligan's Sustained Natural Apophyseal Glides, muscle techniques, and translatory vertebral mobilization. In the short-term, the Jones technique on the trapezius and ischemic compression on the sternocleidomastoid achieved immediate improvements, whereas adding spinal manipulative therapy to the treatment can maintain long-term results.
CONCLUSIONS
The manual therapy techniques could be effective in the treatment of patients with CH. The combined use of MT techniques improved the results compared with using them separately. This review has methodological limitations, such as the inclusion of quasi-experimental studies and studies with small sample sizes that reduced the generalizability of the results obtained.
Topics: Humans; Manipulation, Spinal; Neck Muscles; Post-Traumatic Headache; Research Design; Tension-Type Headache
PubMed: 35294051
DOI: 10.1111/head.14278 -
Physical Therapy May 2021Dry needling is a treatment technique used by clinicians to relieve symptoms in patients with tension-type headache (TTH), cervicogenic headache (CGH), or migraine. This... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
Dry needling is a treatment technique used by clinicians to relieve symptoms in patients with tension-type headache (TTH), cervicogenic headache (CGH), or migraine. This systematic review's main objective was to assess the effectiveness of dry needling on headache pain intensity and related disability in patients with TTH, CGH, or migraine.
METHODS
Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Embase, PEDro, Web of Science, Ovid, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database/EBSCO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, Google Scholar, and trial registries were searched until April 1, 2020, along with reference lists of eligible studies and related reviews. Randomized clinical trials or observational studies that compared the effectiveness of dry needling with any other interventions were eligible for inclusion. Three reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to produce pooled-effect estimates (Morris dppc2) and their respective CIs.
RESULTS
Of 2715 identified studies, 11 randomized clinical trials were eligible for qualitative synthesis and 9 for meta-analysis. Only 4 trials were of high quality. Very low-quality evidence suggested that dry needling is not statistically better than other interventions for improving headache pain intensity in the short term in patients with TTH (SMD -1.27, 95% CI = -3.56 to 1.03, n = 230), CGH (SMD -0.41, 95% CI = -4.69 to 3.87, n = 104), or mixed headache (TTH and migraine; SMD 0.03; 95% CI = -0.42 to 0.48, n = 90). Dry needling provided significantly greater improvement in related disability in the short term in patients with TTH (SMD -2.28, 95% CI = -2.66 to -1.91, n = 160) and CGH (SMD -0.72, 95% CI = -1.09 to -0.34, n = 144). The synthesis of results showed that dry needling could significantly improve headache frequency, health-related quality of life, trigger point tenderness, and cervical range of motion in TTH and CGH.
CONCLUSIONS
Dry needling produces similar effects to other interventions for short-term headache pain relief, whereas dry needling seems to be better than other therapies for improvement in related disability in the short term.
IMPACT
Although further high-methodological quality studies are warranted to provide a more robust conclusion, our systematic review suggested that for every 1 or 2 patients with TTH treated by dry needling, 1 patient will likely show decreased headache intensity (number needed to treat [NNT] = 2; large effect) and improved related disability (NNT = 1; very large effect). In CGH, for every 3 or 4 patients treated by dry needling, 1 patient will likely exhibit decreased headache intensity (NNT = 4; small effect) and improved related disability (NNT = 3; medium effect).
Topics: Dry Needling; Humans; Migraine Disorders; Pain Measurement; Post-Traumatic Headache; Tension-Type Headache
PubMed: 33609358
DOI: 10.1093/ptj/pzab068 -
Cephalalgia : An International Journal... Aug 2022This systematic review assesses the effectiveness of physiotherapy on headache parameters and quality of life of patients with tension-type headache using network... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions on headache intensity, frequency, duration and quality of life of patients with tension-type headache. A systematic review and network meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
This systematic review assesses the effectiveness of physiotherapy on headache parameters and quality of life of patients with tension-type headache using network meta-analysis.
METHODS
A systematic search was conducted in the databases Web of Science, Medline, Cochrane Library and Physiotherapy Evidence Database up to August 2021. Randomised controlled trials investigating the effect of physiotherapy on tension-type headache were included. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Risk of bias tool 2.0. Results were presented according to the Cochrane handbook and the PRISMA statement.
RESULTS
Twenty reports were eligible and 15 were included in network meta-analysis for pain intensity and frequency. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation combined with physiotherapy was the most effective approach to reduce pain intensity compared to control (mean difference (MD): -4.18, moderate confidence) and usual care (MD: -3.8, moderate confidence) Manual therapy (joint mobilisation) plus exercise was the most effective intervention to reduce headache frequency compared to control (MD: -13.03, low confidence) and usual care (MD: -13.95, moderate confidence).
CONCLUSION
Results suggest a combination of passive physiotherapy techniques with exercise and/or transcutaneous electrical stimulation as the most effective physiotherapy intervention to reduce pain intensity and frequency in the short term. More research is needed to investigate mid-term and long-term effects.: This review was prospectively registered in www.aspredicted.org under the registration number #46098 and an updated protocol was registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF) with the registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/RVUEY.
Topics: Headache; Humans; Network Meta-Analysis; Physical Therapy Modalities; Quality of Life; Tension-Type Headache
PubMed: 35236143
DOI: 10.1177/03331024221082073 -
The Medical Journal of Australia Apr 2021To evaluate the efficacy and safety of paracetamol as an analgesic medication in a range of painful conditions.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of paracetamol as an analgesic medication in a range of painful conditions.
STUDY DESIGN
Systematic review of systematic reviews of the analgesic effects of paracetamol in randomised, placebo-controlled trials. Conduct of systematic reviews was assessed with AMSTAR-2; confidence in effect estimates (quality of evidence) was assessed with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria.
DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; systematic reviews published 1 January 2010 - 30 April 2020.
DATA SYNTHESIS
We extracted pain and adverse events outcomes from 36 systematic reviews that assessed the efficacy of paracetamol in 44 painful conditions. Continuous pain outcomes were expressed as mean differences (MDs; standardised 0-10-point scale); dichotomous outcomes were expressed as risk ratios (RRs). There is high quality evidence that paracetamol provides modest pain relief for people with knee or hip osteoarthritis (MD, -0.3 points; 95% CI, -0.6 to -0.1 points) and after craniotomy (MD, -0.8 points; 95% CI, -1.4 to -0.2 points); there is moderate quality evidence for its efficacy in tension-type headache (pain-free at 2 hours: RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4) and perineal pain soon after childbirth (patients experiencing 50% pain relief: RR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.5-3.8). There is high quality evidence that paracetamol is not effective for relieving acute low back pain (MD, 0.2 points; 95% CI, -0.1 to 0.4 points). Evidence regarding efficacy in other conditions was of low or very low quality. Frequency of adverse events was generally similar for people receiving placebo or paracetamol, except that transient elevation of blood liver enzyme levels was more frequent during repeated administration of paracetamol to patients with spinal pain (RR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.9-7.4).
CONCLUSIONS
For most conditions, evidence regarding the effectiveness of paracetamol is insufficient for drawing firm conclusions. Evidence for its efficacy in four conditions was moderate to strong, and there is strong evidence that paracetamol is not effective for reducing acute low back pain. Investigations that evaluate more typical dosing regimens are required.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION
CRD42015029282 (prospective).
Topics: Acetaminophen; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; Case-Control Studies; Craniotomy; Data Management; Humans; Low Back Pain; Osteoarthritis; Pain; Pain Management; Placebos; Prospective Studies; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Safety; Tension-Type Headache; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33786837
DOI: 10.5694/mja2.50992 -
Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2019Headache is the most common neurological symptoms worldwide, as over 90% of people have noted at least one headache during their lifetime. Tension-type headaches,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Headache is the most common neurological symptoms worldwide, as over 90% of people have noted at least one headache during their lifetime. Tension-type headaches, cervicogenic headaches, and migraines are common types of headache which can have a significant impact on social, physical, and occupational functioning. Therapeutic management of headaches mainly includes physical therapy and pharmacological interventions. Dry needling is a relatively new therapeutic approach that uses a thin filiform needle without injectate to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying tissues for the management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments.The main objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of dry needling in comparison to other interventions on pain and disability in patients with tension-type headache, cervicogenic headache, and migraine.
METHODS/DESIGN
We will focus on clinical trials with concurrent control group(s) and comparative observational studies assessing the effect of dry needling in patients with tension-type headache, cervicogenic headache, and migraine. Electronic databases from relevant fields of research (PubMed/ Medline, Scopus, Embase®, PEDro, Web of Science, Ovid, AMED, CENTRAL, and Google Scholar) will be searched from inception to June 2019 using defined search terms. No restrictions for language of publication or geographic location will be applied. Moreover, grey literature, citation tracking, and reference lists scanning of the selected studies will be searched manually. Primary outcomes of this study are pain intensity and disability, and secondary outcomes are cervical spine ROM, frequency of headaches, health-related quality of life, and TrPs tenderness. Studies will be selected by three independent reviewers based on prespecified eligibility criteria. Three reviewers will independently extract data in each eligible study using a pre-piloted Microsoft Excel data extraction form. The assessment of risk of bias will be implemented using the Cochrane Back and Neck Review Group 13-item criteria and NOS. Direct meta-analysis will be performed using a fixed or random effects model to estimate effect size such as standardized mean difference (Morris's ) and 95% confidence intervals. Statistical heterogeneity will also be evaluated using the statistic and the χ test. All meta-analyses will be performed using Stata V.11 and V.14 softwares. The overall quality of the evidence for the primary outcomes will be assessed using GRADE.
DISCUSSION
All analyses in this study will be based on the previous published papers. Therefore, ethical approval and patient consent are not required. The findings of this study will provide important information on the value of dry needling for the management of tension-type headache, cervicogenic headache, and migraine.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019124125.
Topics: Acupuncture Therapy; Adult; Disabled Persons; Dry Needling; Female; Humans; Male; Migraine Disorders; Post-Traumatic Headache; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Research Design; Tension-Type Headache
PubMed: 31572570
DOI: 10.1186/s12998-019-0266-7 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2022Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common neurologic disease worldwide. Acupuncture is commonly applied to treat TTH, but evidence of acupuncture for TTH is...
BACKGROUND
Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common neurologic disease worldwide. Acupuncture is commonly applied to treat TTH, but evidence of acupuncture for TTH is contradictory based on previous meta-analyses. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to update the evidence of acupuncture for TTH and aimed to provide a valuable reference for clinical application.
METHODS
We searched 9 electronic databases from their inceptions to July 1, 2022 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for TTH. We also manually searched reference lists and relevant websites, and the experts in this field were consulted for possible eligible studies. Two independent reviewers conducted literature screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (ROB 2) was used to assess the risk of bias of included studies. Subgroup analyses were carried out based on frequency of acupuncture, total sessions, treatment duration, needle retention, types of acupuncture and categories of medication. Data synthesis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 16. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Approach (GRADE) was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence of each outcome. Meanwhile, the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) was used to assess the reporting quality of interventions in clinical trials of acupuncture.
RESULTS
30 RCTs involving 2,742 participants were included. According to ROB 2, 4 studies were considered as low risk, and the rest studies were some concerns. After treatment, compared with sham acupuncture, acupuncture had greater effect in improvement of responder rate [3 RCTs, RR = 1.30, 95%CI (1.13, 1.50), = 2%, moderate certainty] and headache frequency [5 RCTs, SMD = -0.85, 95%CI (-1.58, -0.12), = 94%, very low certainty]. In contrast to medication, acupuncture was more effective to reduce pain intensity [9 RCTs, SMD = -0.62, 95%CI (-0.86, -0.38), = 63%, low certainty]. Adverse events were evaluated in 16 trials, and no serious event associated with acupuncture occurred.
CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture may be an effective and safe treatment for TTH patients. Due to low or very low certainty of evidence and high heterogeneity, more rigorous RCTs are needed to verify the effect and safety of acupuncture in the management of TTH.
PubMed: 37234488
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.943495 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Nov 2022: The relationship between migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) with Parkinson's disease (PD) is controversial, while a common pathophysiological link remains... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
: The relationship between migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) with Parkinson's disease (PD) is controversial, while a common pathophysiological link remains obscure. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the association between PD, migraine and TTH. : Following PRISMA, we searched MEDLINE, WebofScience, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov up to 1 July 2022 for observational studies examining the prevalence and/or associations of PD with migraine and TTH. We pooled proportions, standardized mean differences (SMD) and odds ratios (OR) with random effects models. The risk of bias was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (PROSPERO CRD42021273238). : Out of 1031 screened studies, 12 were finally included in our review (median quality score 6/9). The prevalence of any headache among PD patients was estimated at 49.1% (760 PD patients; 95% CI 24.8-73.6), migraine prevalence at 17.2% (1242 PD patients; 95% CI 9.9-25.9), while 61.5% (316 PD patients; 95% CI 52.6-70.1) of PD patients with migraine reported headache improvement after PD onset. Overall, migraine was not associated with PD (302,165 individuals; OR = 1.11; 95% CI 0.72-1.72).However, cohort studies demonstrated a positive association of PD among lifetime migraineurs (143,583 individuals; OR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.28-1.84), while studies on 12-month migraine prevalence yielded an inverse association (5195 individuals; OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.43-0.97). Similar findings were reported by 3 studies with data on the TTH-PD relationship (high prevalence, positive association when examined prospectively and an inverse relationship on 12-month prevalence). These data were not quantitatively synthesized due to methodological differences among the studies. Finally, PD patients suffering from any headache had a lower motor unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) score (503 PD patients; SMD -0.39; 95% CI -0.57 to -0.21) compared to PD patients not reporting headache. There is an unclear association of headaches in genetic PD cohorts. : Observational data suggest that migraine and TTH could be linked to PD, but the current literature is conflicting.
Topics: Humans; Tension-Type Headache; Parkinson Disease; Migraine Disorders; Headache; Mental Status and Dementia Tests
PubMed: 36422223
DOI: 10.3390/medicina58111684 -
Scientific Reports Dec 2023Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common type of headache worldwide. It is defined and classified according to the International Classification of Headache... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common type of headache worldwide. It is defined and classified according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders. TTH is treated with over-the-counter medications, mostly paracetamol or ibuprofen. The purpose was to assess the effectiveness of paracetamol versus ibuprofen in treating episodic tension-type headache (ETTH) through direct and indirect comparisons of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We included RCTs comparing paracetamol with a placebo, ibuprofen with a placebo, or paracetamol with ibuprofen for acute ETTH treatment that were published between 1988 and 2022. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Web of Science. The Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias. We identified 14 studies including 6521 people with ETTH. None of the studies had a low risk of bias for all domains; this was most likely due to inadequate reporting and a small sample size. Ibuprofen (odds ratio (OR): 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-2.56) showed better efficacy than paracetamol (OR: 1.62, 95% CI 1.24-2.13) for pain-free status at 2 h, while paracetamol (OR: 1.42, 95% CI 0.87-2.30) showed better efficacy than ibuprofen (OR: 1.20, 95% CI 0.58-2.48) for pain-free status at 1 h. Paracetamol was associated with the lowest likelihood of rescue medication use (OR: 0.49, 95% CI 0.37-0.65). Ibuprofen was associated with a lower likelihood of the occurrence of any events and gastrointestinal adverse events compared with placebo and paracetamol (OR: 0.95, 95% CI 0.64-1.41 and OR: 0.81, 95% CI 0.44-1.50, respectively). Paracetamol and ibuprofen showed better efficacy than placebo in treating ETTH; there was no statistically significant difference in efficacy between the two drugs. For individuals at a higher risk (like renal insufficiency or risk of GI bleeding), paracetamol may be considered as a preferred option instead of Ibuprofen. Further meta-analyses of head-to-head trials are needed for direct comparisons in the future.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022340936.
Topics: Humans; Acetaminophen; Ibuprofen; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; Tension-Type Headache; Network Meta-Analysis
PubMed: 38057585
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48910-y -
Frontiers in Neurology 2022Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most prevalent headache in the clinical practice, leading to impaired social activities, work-related disability, and heavy financial...
BACKGROUND
Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most prevalent headache in the clinical practice, leading to impaired social activities, work-related disability, and heavy financial burdens. Previous studies have described possible inducement, potential pathophysiology, and clinical management of TTH; however, due to the lack of attention, literature involving bibliometric analysis is sporadic. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the current hotspots and future directions of the TTH field by bibliometric analysis.
METHODS
By using CiteSpace and VOSviewer, literature regarding TTH between 2002 and 2021 from the Web of Science database was summarized and extracted. Annual publication trend, the most productive countries/regions and institutions, distribution of categories, co-citation of journals and references, and co-occurrence of keywords were analyzed.
RESULTS
A total of 3,379 publications were included in the final visualization, indicating a stable trend in current research and a lack of breakthroughs over the past decades. These studies were mainly conducted in 120 countries/regions led by the United States and more than 600 institutions. Four eternal core themes were identified in TTH, including neurosciences, nursing, developmental psychology, and general/internal medicine. ranked first, with the highest number of literature, and is the most influential journal in this area. Keyword analysis demonstrated that the similarities and differences between migraine and TTH, epidemiological studies, clinical double-blind trials, and potential populations have become key issues in the TTH field.
CONCLUSION
TTH has received less attention and breakthroughs in the past 20 years. To promote coordinated development between regions to fight headaches, cooperation and exchanges between countries and institutions are essential in the future. Relevant studies about headaches in children and adolescents, inducing factors such as emotional triggers and sleep disorders, concomitant diseases, possible pathogenesis, and headache treatments, are in the spotlight in recent years. This study offers a powerful roadmap for further research in this field.
PubMed: 36119709
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.980096 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2023Tension-type headache (TTH) is one of the most common primary headaches. Several studies have confirmed the efficacy of acupuncture therapies for TTH, but it is...
BACKGROUND
Tension-type headache (TTH) is one of the most common primary headaches. Several studies have confirmed the efficacy of acupuncture therapies for TTH, but it is uncertain which treatment is most effective.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of different acupuncture therapies for TTH using Bayesian Network Meta-analysis to provide new ideas for treating TTH.
METHODS
Nine databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about different acupuncture therapies for TTH up to December 1, 2022. The outcome indicators analyzed in our study were total effective rate, visual analog scale (VAS), headache frequency, and safety. Pairwise meta-analysis and risk of bias assessment were performed using Review Manager 5.4. Stata 15.0 generated a network evidence plot and detected publication bias. Finally, a Bayesian network meta-analysis of the data was used by RStudio.
RESULTS
The screening process resulted in 30 RCTs that met the inclusion criteria, including 2,722 patients. Most studies failed to report details of trials and were therefore assessed as unclear risks. Two studies were considered high risk because they did not report on all pre-specified outcome indicators or had incomplete data on outcome indicators. The NMA results showed that for total effective rate, bloodletting therapy had the most considerable SUCRA value (0.93156136), for VAS, head acupuncture combined with Western medicine ranked first (SUCRA = 0.89523571), and acupuncture combined with herbal medicine was the most effective in improving headache frequency ( > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Acupuncture can be used as one of the complementary or alternative therapies for TTH; bloodletting therapy better improves the overall symptoms of TTH, head acupuncture combined with Western medicine is more effective in reducing VAS scores, and acupuncture combined with herbal medicine seems to reduce headache frequency, but the difference is not statistically significant. Overall, acupuncture for TTH is effective with mild side effects, but future high-quality studies are still necessary.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, PROSPERO [CRD42022368749].
PubMed: 37426434
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1194441