Efficacy of manual therapy in the treatment of tension-type headache. A systematic review from 2000 to 2013

Background Clear definitions of study populations in clinical trials may facilitate application of evidence to clinical populations. This review aimed to explore definitions of study populations in clinical trials on migraine, tension-type headache, cluster headache, and cervicogenic headache. Methods We performed a systematic review of clinical trials investigating treatment efficacy for migraine, tension-type headache, cluster headache, and cervicogenic headache. We extracted data on diagnosis, inclusion criteria and baseline headache characteristics. Results Of the 229 studies reviewed, 205 studies (89.5%) defined their populations in adherence to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) criteria. Some studies ( n = 127, 55.5%) specified diagnosing through interview, clinical examination and diary entry. The most commonly reported inclusion criteria were pain intensity for migraine and tension-type headache studies ( n = 123, 66.1% and n = 21, 67.7%, respectively), episode frequency ( n = 5, 71.4%) for cluster headache studies, and neck-related pain for cervicogenic headache studies ( n = 3, 60%). Few studies reported details on the extent to which diagnostic criteria were present at baseline. Conclusions ICHD is routinely used in defining populations in headache studies. Details of baseline headache characteristics were not as consistently reported.

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Acupuncture as a therapeutic option for tension-type headache: A Systematic Review

10.5327/1516-3180.236 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Camila Puton, Caio de Almeida Lellis ◽

Caio Reis Borges ◽

Giovanna Garcia de Oliveira

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Relaxation Training ◽

Randomized Clinical Trials ◽

Therapeutic Option ◽

Control Process ◽

Tension Headache ◽

Primary Headache ◽

Tension Type Headache ◽

Type Headache

Introduction: Tension headache (TTS), the most common type of primary headache, is characterized by tightness pain, typically bilateral, lasting hours or days, significantly impairing daily activities. Objectives: To review the literature on the use of acupuncture in the management of TTS, evaluating its safety and efficacy. Design and setting: A systematic review conducted at the Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed in the PubMed, EMBASE and Virtual Health Library databases, with the terms: “Tension-Type Headache AND Acupuncture”. Randomized studies and clinical trials published in the last 10 years were selected. Results: Two studies, one clinical trial and one randomized trial, concluded that combining acupuncture with another therapy involving movement, such as stretching, physical therapy techniques, or relaxation training, led to reduced pain intensity and improved quality of life in patients with TTS. In contrast, other randomized clinical trials concluded that relaxation training decreased the intensity, frequency of attacks, and adjunctive symptoms of headache (sleep and vitality) more than acupuncture. Finally, acupuncture was compared with the simulated control process in the prevention of TTS, but there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups evaluated. Conclusion: The literature indicated that the combination of acupuncture with other therapeutic options was safe and effective in the management and prevention of TTS. Studies with greater scientific rigor should be conducted for a better understanding of this therapeutic option.

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Misperception of Visual Verticality in Patients with Primary Headache Disorders: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci10100664 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 664

Author(s):

Esteban Obrero-Gaitán ◽

María Manrique-Navarro ◽

Miguel Ángel Lérida-Ortega ◽

Daniel Rodríguez-Almagro ◽

María Catalina Osuna-Pérez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Primary Headache ◽

Tension Type Headache ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Headache Disorders ◽

Primary Headache Disorders ◽

Visual Vertical ◽

Newcastle Ottawa Scale ◽

Type Headache

Migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) are the two most prevalent primary headache disorders (PHDs) that may involve visual and vestibular impairments, neck pain, and postural unsteadiness. The perception of visual verticality (VV) has been studied in patients diagnosed with PHD to assess balance disorders showing varying findings. Our study aimed to assess the VV perception in patients diagnosed with PHD in comparison to healthy controls. A systematic review with meta-analysis was carried out in PubMed MEDLINE, Scopus, WOS, CINAHL, and SciELO. The Cohen standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to estimate the differences between exposed and healthy controls. Seven studies with 816 participants were included. The quality of included studies, according to the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS), was moderate (mean score of 5.2). Patients diagnosed with PHD showed a moderate misperception of VV as assessed with the subjective visual vertical (SVV) test (SMD = 0.530; 95% CI = 0.225, 0.836; p < 0.001). Specifically, a misperception of the SVV was found in patients with migraine (SMD = 0.369; 95% CI = 0.1, 0.638; p = 0.007) and with TTH (SMD = 1.122; 95% CI = 0.540, 1.704; p < 0.001). This review shows a misperception of VV in patients with migraine and TTH when assessed with the SVV test, being higher in patients with TTH, although the THH sample size was low.

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