Hands-On therapy and simple exercises may ease stubborn headaches
NCT ID NCT05617365
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether combining osteopathic manipulation (a hands-on therapy) with targeted head exercises can reduce headache frequency, intensity, and duration in women with chronic cervicogenic headache—a type of headache caused by neck problems. Thirty women aged 18 to 75 will be randomly assigned to receive the treatment or standard medical care over 12 weeks. The goal is to see if the treatment improves symptoms and restores normal neck muscle function.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- osteopathic manipulation and targeted head exercises
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a non-drug treatment option to reduce chronic headache pain and improve neck muscle health.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase study with only 30 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The treatment may not work better than standard care.
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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Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2022
- Expected to finish
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Jun 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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Female participants only
- 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: Females diagnosed with chronic cervicogenic headache. Exclusion Criteria: * Have you been involved in a rear-end motor vehicle accident within the past 3 years? * Have you had spinal surgery performed on your neck? * Do you have a pinched nerve in the neck that produces pain radiating down your arm. * Have you been diagnosed with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or ankylosing spondylitis. * Do you have ongoing central nervous system pathology such as hemiparesis, cervical radiculopathy, spondylolisthesis grade III or IV, central nervous system causes of balance \& coordination deficits, orthostatic hypotension, vestibular disorders, pregnancy, recent spinal fractures, moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.
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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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Michigan State University
RECRUITINGEast Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Two Hands-On neck techniques go head to head for headache relief
- 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