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Cervicogenic HeadacheNCT06733896

SCM Muscle Released in Patients with Cervicogenic Headache

A study testing trigger point pressure and neck exercises in people with Cervicogenic Headache, run by Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan at 1 site in Saudi Arabia.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Sternocleidomastoid syndrome is often characterized by referred pain in other areas. Like all muscles, the SCM can develop tight, and non-contracting bands called trigger points that can refer pain elsewhere. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 25 to 50 years
Conditions the study is for
Cervicogenic Headache
What is being tested?
trigger point pressure and neck exercises
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
52 participants
Where
1 siteSaudi Arabia
Study dates
1 Jan 2025to 10 Feb 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 25 to 50 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • History of CGH ≥ 3 months at Baseline 1, ≥5 days of CGH per month
  • CGH intensity ≥3 (0-10 scale)
  • Cervical spine dysfunction (cervical joint tenderness and/or restricted segmental motion)
  • Clear temporal sequence linking the source of CGH to the neck: headache preceded by neck pain, stiffness, movement and/or awkward postures

Who cannot join

  • Other headaches within one year of enrollment (e.g. migraine occurring on >1 day per month in the last year, medication overuse, daily, cluster, temporomandibular joint dysfunction related headaches, sinus, posttraumatic, tumor and glaucoma related, occipital neuralgia, metabolic/toxic/substance abuse related).
  • Spinal manipulative therapy, massage or exercise therapy for neck pain or headaches in the previous 3 months. Any other types of care by a licensed provider in the previous month for headaches or neck pain
  • Contraindications to study treatments (e.g., inflammatory arthropathies, cervical instability, severe osteoporosis, vertigo, dizziness)
  • Daily prescription or nonprescription pain medication; corticosteroid use in previous month
  • Cancer in the past five years
  • ear problem

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Saudi Arabia1 site
  • Umm Al Qura University

    Mecca

Other trials in Saudi Arabia

About this study

Official title: The Effectiveness of Sternocleidomastoid Muscle Pressure Points in Patients with Cervicogenic Headache

Sternocleidomastoid syndrome is often characterized by referred pain in other areas. Like all muscles, the SCM can develop tight, and non-contracting bands called trigger points that can refer pain elsewhere. For the SCM, the trigger point referral areas are the eye and forehead, the back of the head (occiput), front of the neck, cheek, and side of the head. Trigger points can be treated by direct manual massage, dry needling, or platelet-poor plasma injection.

Read the detailed description

Cervicogenic headache is a specific type of headache that originates from the cervical spine and is typically chronic in nature. Diagnostic criteria for CGH have been established by the International Headache Society (IHS) and are cited extensively in the literature. Diagnosis of CGH through manual examination is a more recent practice. To our knowledge, no systematic review of manual diagnosis of CGH has been performed.

Being tested
trigger point pressure, neck exercises
Keywords
trigger points, sternocleidomastoid, headaches
Medical subject headings
Post-Traumatic Headache, Headache

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • trigger point pressureOther

    The midpoint of the sternocleidomastoid muscle with abundant nerve distribution and the onset and endpoint of the sternocleidomastoid muscle were used as acupoints, which can relieve localised muscle spasms and promote nerve nutrition.

  • neck exercisesOther

    Manual Cervical Traction Technique and others

Study groups in NCT06733896
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
study groupExperimentalNot described
Receives: Other: trigger point pressure
control groupActive comparatorNot described
Receives: Other: neck exercises

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. cervical neck pain

    visual analogue scale: This pain scale is most commonly used. A person rates their pain on a scale of 0 to 10 or 0 to 5. Zero means "no pain," and 5 or 10 means "the worst possible pain."

    These pain intensity levels may be assessed upon initial treatment, or periodically after treatment.

    Measured: 4 weeks

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. biodex balance system

    assessment of posture stability, level eight was selected on the (the most stable level), then the dynamic limit of stability testing mode was selected and then the data of each patient were inserted into the device. The patient was instructed to try to achieve a centered position on the platform by moving their feet, once the platform was programmed to move. Visual feedback was provided on screen, with the cursor moving in relation to the feedback from the patients' feet. Once the cursor had been centered, the platform was kept level beneath the patient's feet while the patient was standing in a comfortable upright position

    Measured: 4 weeks

  2. neck stability index

    It is patient-completed, condition-specific functional status questionnaire with 10 items including pain, personal care, lifting, reading, headaches, concentration, work, driving, sleeping and recreation, each item scored with a possible 0-5 value with the larger number indicating a higher self-reported disability status. The score on this questionnaire can range from 0-50. In order to calculate a percentage, simply multiply the final value by two

    Measured: 4 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted13 Dec 2024
  2. Study start1 Jan 2025
  3. Primary completion10 Feb 2025
  4. Study completion10 Feb 2025

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
52 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06733896
Sponsor's protocol ID
Cervicogenic Headache
Status last verified
Feb 2025
First submitted
5 Dec 2024
Last updated
11 Feb 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing trigger point pressure and neck exercises in people with Cervicogenic Headache, run by Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan at 1 site in Saudi Arabia.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Feb 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Saudi Arabia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

cervical neck pain (time frame: 4 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Feb 2025.

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