Osteopathic Manual Therapy (OMT) and Brain Structure and Function in Primary Headache Patients: A Pilot Study

Exploring the Mechanism of Osteopathic Manual Therapy (OMT) on Brain Structure and Function in Primary Headache Patients: A Pilot Study

Chronic headaches are associated with changes in brain structure and function that may be associated with increased suffering and disability. Understanding how Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy (OMT) affects these changes would reveal new insight into how the brain processes pain and returns to normal function. Also, demonstrating these changes would provide evidence regarding how OMT causes a reduction in pain and disability, supporting the recommendation for OMT as a primary treatment option for headaches.

Inclusion Criteria:

• current diagnosis of primary headache (migraine, tension-type, cluster) from a healthcare provider
• have experienced at least one headache episode a month for the previous 1 year (or longer)
• age of PH onset was less than 50 years, currently taking medication for headaches.

Exclusion Criteria:

• presence of headaches due to some other underlying medical condition (secondary headaches)
• traumatic brain injury
• fibromyalgia, epilepsy
• diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disorder
• history of brain tumor or cancer
• history of cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve in the neck)
• currently undergoing manual therapy type treatment or have a a treatment within 2 weeks of enrollment(chiropractic, OMT, massage, PT)
• currently pregnant
• have had an injection to treat headaches within the previous 3 months from study enrollment
• contraindications to MRI.