Authors | Intervention (N) | Intervention description | Comparator (N) | Primary outcome measures | Secondary outcome measures | Duration and frequency of intervention | Measurement time points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bodes-Pardo et al. [51] | Trigger point therapy + stretching (10) | Passive progressive manual pressure over trigger points (hyperirritable spot within a taut band of a skeletal muscle that elicits a referred pain upon examination) | Sham trigger point therapy (10) | HI (NPRS 0–10) | Cervical ROM (degrees). Pressure pain sensitivity (analogical algometer). Deep cervical flexors motor performance (CCFT) | 3 sessions over 1 week | Baseline; 1 week |
Chaibi et al. [52] | Cervical manipulation (4) | High-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation | Sham manual therapy (4); Control (4) | HI (VAS 0–10), HF (days/month) | HD (hours/day), Headache Index (HI × HF × HD) | 12 sessions over 3 months | Baseline; 3 months; 6 months; 12 months |
Dunning et al. [53] | Cervical and thoracic manipulation (58) | High-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation | Cervical and thoracic mobilization and cranio-cervical flexion exercises (52) | HI (NPRS 0–10), HF (days/week) | HD (hours/week), Disability (NDI), Global Rating of Change Scale (GRCS), Medictions intake | 6–8 sessions over 4 weeks | Baseline; 1 week; 4 weeks; 3 months |
Esin et al. [54] | Kinesiotaping (34) | Application of elastic tape over the vertical and horizontal portions of the trapezius muscle | Sham taping (34); Education and autonomous rehabilitation instructions (33) | HI (VAS 0–100), HF (days/month) | Pressure pain threshold | 20 applications over 4 weeks | Baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks |
Haas et al. [55] | Cervical and thoracic manipulation—8 sessions (20); Cervical and thoracic manipulation—16 sessions (20) | High-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation | Moist heat and light massage—8 sessions (20); Moist heat and light massage—16 sessions (20) | HI (MVK 0–100), HF (days/4 weeks) | Disability (MVK 0–10), Others headache frequency, Medications intake | 8 or 16 sessions over 8 weeks. Groups undergoing 8 sessions also had 8 sessions of discussion and manual assessment | Baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 20 weeks, 24 weeks |
Haas et al. [56] | Cervical and thoracic manipulation—6 sessions (65); Cervical and thoracic manipulation—12 sessions (64); Cervical and thoracic manipulation—18 sessions (63) | High-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation | Sham massage (64) | HI (VAS 0–10), HF (days/4 weeks) | Disability (MVK), Drugs intake (N in the past 4 weeks), Other headache frequency (episodes in the past month) | 6, 12 or 18 sessions over 6 weeks depending on group allocation. In the remaining visits, light massage was applied to experimental groups | Baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 18 weeks, 24 weeks, 39 weeks, 42 weeks |
Hall et al. [57] | C1-2 SNAG (16) | The self-directed use of a self-SNAG strap to emphasize C1-2 rotation through passive motion | Sham SNAG (16) | Headache index (HI × HF × HD) | CROM (FRT), perceived benefit (VAS 0–10) | Daily self-administration for 12 months | Baseline, 4 weeks, 12 months |
Jafari et al. [58] | Trigger point therapy (9) | Passive progressive manual pressure over trigger points | No treatment control (10) | HI (VAS 0–10), HF (days/2 weeks) | Change in elastic modulus in trigger point area (Pa), Trigger point area (cm2), Pressure pain threshold (Algometer, VAS), CGH duration (hrs in the last 2 weeks) | 4 sessions over 8 days | Baseline, 3 weeks |
Jull et al. [59] | Spinal mobilization and manipulation (51); low load endurance exercises for cervico-scapular muscle (52); Comination of the above (49) | Spinal manipulation: High-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation Spinal mobilization: low-velocity spinal mobilization Low-load endurance exercise: a program of low-load exercises to train muscle control of the cervico-scapular region | No treatment control (48) | HI (VAS 0–10), HF (days/week) | Cervical pressure pain threshold (VAS), Deep Cervical flexors performance (CCFT), Pain with neck movement (VAS 0–10), Neck pain index (Northwick Park), CGH duration (hrs in the past week), Medication intake | 8 to 12 sessions over 6 weeks | Baseline, 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months |
Malo-Urriès et al. [60] | Upper cervical mobilization (41) | Low-velocity spinal mobilization | Control (lay supine for 30') (41) | HI (VAS 0–10) | General cervical spine ROM (using CROM device), Upper cervical spine ROM (using CROM device during FRT), Cervical, suboccipital, trapezius pressure pain threshold (Algometer, Kg/cm2) | Single intervention | Baseline, immediately after treatment |
Nilsson et al. [61] | Cervical manipulation (28) | High-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation | G2: Deep friction massage, trigger point therapy to upper back and neck, laser light therapy (26) | HI (VAS 0–100) | Medications intake | 6 sessions over 3 weeks | Baseline; 5 weeks |
Sedighi et al. [62] | Sub-occipital and trapezius dry needling (15) | An invasive intervention where a solid filament needle is inserted into a trigger point | Sham sub-occipital and trapezius dry needling (15) | Headache index (HI × HF) | Cervical spine ROM (4-points scale), Sub-occipital and trapezius pressure pain threshold (4-points scale, Function (FRI) | Single intervention | Baseline, post-intervention, 1 weeks |
Sharma et al. [63] | Multimodal therapy (9); G2: exercise therapy (low load and mobility exercise program for the cervical spine, postural correction intervention) (9) | Multimodal therapy: spinal mobilization, low load and mobility exercise program for the cervical spine, postural correction intervention) | Postural correction (9) | HI (MVK 0–100), HF (days/week) | Deep Cervical flexors performance (CCFT), Disability (NDI), CGH duration (hrs in the past week) | 12 sessions over 4 weeks | Baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks |
von Piekartz et al. [64] | Manual therapy + exercise (22) | TMJ mobilization, trigger point therapy and stretching, TMJ coordination-ROM-home exercises | Usual care (cranio-cervical manual and exercise therapy) (21) | HI (CAS 0–10) | Anamnestic questionnaire (AQ), Graded-chronic pain status (GCPS-NL, scale 1 to 4), Temporo-mandibular pressure pain threshold (Digital algometer, Kgf), Disability (NDI), TMJ noise (presence/absence of click, TMJ-related disability (GCPS), TMJ ROM (cm), Pain with TMJ opening, Mandibular deviation (presence/absence) | 6 sessions over 3–6 weeks | Baseline, 3 months, 6 months |
Yang and Kang [65] | Hot pack and low frequency therapy on trapezius + cranio cervical flexion exercises (10); Hot pack and low frequency therapy on trapezius + sub-occipital relaxation (10) | Cranio-cervical exercise: low-intensity exercise aimed at recruiting deep cervical spine flexors painlessly Sub-occipital relaxation: light, prolonged manual pressure over the suboccipital muscles | Hot pack and low frequency therapy on trapezius (10) | HI (VAS 0–100) | Muscular fatigue (Hz), Muscle tone (N/m) | 20 sessions over 4 weeks | Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks |
Youssef and Shanb [66] | Cervical mobilization and exercise (20) | Low-velocity spinal mobilization | Massage and exercise (18) | HI (VAS 0–10), HF (days/4 weeks) | Cervical spine ROM (cm), Disability (NDI), HD (hours/week) | 12 sessions over 6 weeks | Baseline, 7 weeks |
Abdel et al. [67] | Exercise Therapy (stretching, isometric contractions, postural correction) + Graston technique (30) | Graston technique: an instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization | Exercise Therapy (stretching, isometric contractions, postural correction) (30) | HI (VAS 0–100), HF (days/week) | Disability (NDI), Cervical spine ROM (CROM device), HD (hours in the past week), Medication intake | 12 sessions over 4 weeks | Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks |
Dunning et al. [68] | Spinal manipulation and electrical dry needling (74) | High-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation Electrical dry needling: application of needles over the cervical, occipital, temporal and oculo-frontal areas with low-frequency electrostimulation | Spinal mobilization and scapular and cranio-cervical exercise (68) | HI (NPRS 0–10), HF (days/week) | HD (hours in the past week), Disability (NDI), Global Rating of Change (GROC), Medication intake | 4 to 8 sessions over 4 weeks | Baseline, 1 week, 4 weeks, 3 months |
Lerner-Lentz et al. [69] | Spinal manipulation, cranio-cervical and scapular exercise (24) | Spinal manipulation: High-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation | Spinal mobilization and scapular and cranio-cervical exercise (21) | HI (NPRS 0–10) | Disability (NDI, HIT-6), GRC, Patient Acceptable Symptoms Scale (PASS) | Two sessions, uncertain timing | Baseline, 2 days, 1 week, 1 month |
Moustafa et al. [70] | Myofascial release, spinal mobilization, cranio-cervical and scapular exercise, Dennerol cervical extension traction (30) | Dennerol cervical traction: the use of an orthotic device in supine position creating cervical spine traction | Myofascial release, spinal mobilization, cranio-cervical and scapular exercise (30) | HF (days/2Â weeks) | Disability (HIT-6; HDI), Radiographic cervical alignment variables, Daily Defined Dose (DDD) | 30 sessions over 10Â weeks | Baseline, 10Â weeks, 1Â year, 2Â years |