Oscillating Mechanical Stimulation of the Craniocervical Region as Physical Therapy for Chronic Migraine: A Pilot Trial ()
Affiliation(s)
1Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, St Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.
2Hotta Clinic, Shizuoka, Japan.
3Suzuki Osteopathic Clinic, Shizuoka, Japan.
4Department of Neurology, Japanese Red Cross Shizuoka Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan.
ABSTRACT
Objective: We conducted a prospective trial of oscillating mechanical stimulation (OS) of the craniocervical region as treatment for drug-refractory chronic migraine (CM). Methods: Ten patients (8 women, 2 men; mean age 47.0 ± 15.1 years) were enrolled. The treatment was administered over an 8-week period to 13, 4, and 9 sites on the face and head, neck, and upper back, respectively, at 5- to 15-pound intensity. The primary outcome measure was the number of days patients suffered a migraine (hereafter “number of migraine days”), and the secondary outcome measures were the six-item Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for migraine pain intensity and the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale scores. Results: Nine patients completed treatment. The number of migraine days remained unchanged, from a mean 21.7 ± 11.6 days/month before treatment to 19.3 ± 7.3 days/month upon completion of treatment. However, the HIT-6 scores improved from 67.0 ± 8.2 to 61.4 ± 7.1 (p = 0.007) after 3 weeks, 61.1 ± 11.5 (p = 0.01) after 6 weeks, and 59.9 ± 11.6 (p = 0.035) upon completion of treatment. Similarly, the VAS scores improved significantly from 7.3 ± 1.7 to 5.7 ± 3.1 (p = 0.018) at 6 weeks and 4.8 ± 2.8 (p = 0.011) upon completion of treatment. The GAD-7, PHQ-9, and allodynia scale scores remained unchanged. Conclusion: Our data suggest that OS is well tolerated and may become a feasible form of treatment for drug-resistant CM.
Share and Cite:
Shiraishi, M. , Hotta, M. , Suzuki, T. and Imai, N. (2019) Oscillating Mechanical Stimulation of the Craniocervical Region as Physical Therapy for Chronic Migraine: A Pilot Trial.
International Journal of Clinical Medicine,
10, 150-160. doi:
10.4236/ijcm.2019.103015.
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