Can a chinese neck adjustment stop headaches? new study investigates
NCT ID NCT06434051
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tests whether a traditional Chinese cervical manipulation technique can reduce headaches that originate from the neck. 84 adults with cervicogenic headache will receive either the real manipulation or a sham version over 4 weeks. Researchers will track neck function, headache frequency, and painkiller use to see if the treatment is safe and effective.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- traditional Chinese cervical manipulation
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free option to reduce headache pain and improve neck function for people with cervicogenic headache.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early pilot study with only 84 people, so results may not apply to everyone. The sham control may also produce some benefit, making it hard to prove real effect.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 84 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2024
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. The diagnostic criteria of cervical spondylosis according to "The expert consensus on the classification, diagnosis, and non-surgical treatment of cervical spondylosis (2018)" are as follows: 1. Patients must have a chief complaint of abnormal sensations such as pain in the occipital, neck, or shoulder area, and can be accompanied by related localized pain and tenderness 2. X-ray imaging shows degenerative changes in the cervical spine 3. Other conditions that could cause symptoms of the neck are excluded 2. The diagnostic criteria of CGH as listed by ICHD-3: a. Any headache fulfilling criterion C b. Clinical and/or imaging evidence of a disorder or lesion within the cervical spine or soft tissues of the neck, known to be able to cause headache c. Evidence of causation demonstrated by at least two of the following: i. headache has developed in temporal relation to the onset of the cervical disorder or appearance of the lesion ii. headache has significantly improved or resolved in parallel with improvement in or resolution of the cervical disorder or lesion iii. cervical range of motion is reduced and headache is made significantly worse by provocative manoeuvre iv. headache is abolished following diagnostic blockade of a cervical structure or its nerve supply v. Not better accounted for by another ICHD-3 diagnosis 3. Of age between 18 to 65 years old 4. Headache recurs for at least three months 5. The frequency of headaches in the past three months is at least once a week 6. The frequency, dosage, and type of painkillers have remained stable over the past 6 weeks 7. Score at least 10 points on the Neck Disability Index - Exclusion Criteria: 1. Presented with red flag presentations of headache listed in the SNNOOP10 list (systemic symptoms/signs and disease, neurologic symptoms or signs, onset sudden or onset after the age of 40 years, and change of headache pattern), including fever, vascular and non-vascular intracranial diseases, history of brain tumor, brain neurological dysfunction or disorder, etc. 2. With suspected cervical spinal stenosis, cervical spinal cord lesions, cervical vascular disease, cervical nerve root disease, cervical instability, or cervical fracture 3. Has suffered from a whiplash injury within the past 6 weeks 4. Had surgery on the neck or head 5. Currently pregnant or breastfeeding
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Hong Kong Baptist University
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Lui Seng Chun,119 Lai Chi Kok Road, Mong Kok
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Neck sense test may forecast headache recovery
- Hands-On therapy may offer Drug-Free relief for Neck-Linked headaches
- Can Hands-On therapy or targeted exercise ease headaches from the neck?
- Can a physical exam tell a headache from neck pain?
- Could poor posture be fueling teen headaches? a new study investigates