Can light be the answer to neck headaches? new trial tests laser therapy
NCT ID NCT07163208
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tests if low-level laser therapy (LLLT) with different light wavelengths can help people with cervicogenic headache, a type of headache caused by neck problems. Adults aged 18-65 with this headache for at least 3 months will try one of three LLLT treatments along with regular physical therapy. The study will check pain levels, headache frequency, neck movement, and quality of life over 6 weeks, with follow-ups at 3 and 6 months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) using wavelengths 675nm, 820nm, or a mix of wavelengths
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a safe, non-drug option to reduce headache pain and frequency for people with cervicogenic headache.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study without a placebo group, so results may not be conclusive. The benefit over standard physical therapy alone is uncertain.
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 150 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2024
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2025
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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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * Patients aged 18-65 years diagnosed with cervicogenic headache based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) criteria. * Persistent headaches for at least 3 months. * No previous exposure to low-level laser therapy (LLLT). Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with other primary headache disorders (e.g., migraine, tension-type headache). * History of cervical spine surgery. * Pregnant or lactating women. * Patients with a history of photosensitivity or taking photosensitizing medications.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Department of Physiotherapy, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
RECRUITINGLahore, Punjab Province, 54000, Pakistan
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