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| ID | Type | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| LUC/CPGS/PDFRA/PDA20250530/001 | Registry Identifier | PhD, health Sciences, Lincoln university college Malaysia |
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A randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a pre-test and post-test design will be conducted to compare the therapeutic effectiveness of Dry Needling (DN), Acupressure Therapy (AT), and their combination (DN + AT) against a control group receiving Hot Pack Therapy in patients diagnosed with Cervicogenic Headache (CH).
This study follows the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) guidelines to ensure methodological transparency and rigor. The trial design includes:
Study Duration Total Duration: 1 year Intervention Period: 2 weeks Follow-Up: Pre-test, post-test, and 2-week follow-up Intervention Procedures
Group A (Dry Needling Therapy - DN)
Group B (Acupressure Therapy - AT)
Group C (Combined Therapy - DN + AT)
Group D (Control - Hot Pack Therapy)
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group A - Dry Needling (n=20) | Experimental | Dry needling at Myofascial trigger points |
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| Group B- Acupressure (n=20) | Experimental | Manual pressure applied at cervical and shoulder acupressure points |
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| Group C - Dry needling and Acupressure (n=20) | Experimental | Dry needling and acupressure therapy will be applied in the same session |
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| Control Group D - Hot Pack (n=20) | Experimental | Passive heat therapy applied to the cervical spine |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRY NEEDLING | Other | Myofacial trigger point dry needling used to treat taught bands superficial or deep inside of muscles . |
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| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Pain intensity (Numeric Pain Rating Scale, NPRS) | Pain intensity (Numeric Pain Rating Scale, NPRS) that is comprises over no's from 0 to 10 . 0 consider as no pain while 10 considered as worst pain. | 04 weeks |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| secondary out come measures | Cervical range of motion | A pre-test/post-test design with assessments at baseline and after two weeks of intervention. after 02 weeks intervention Week 3, and Week 4 for follow up total 02 weeks intervention and 02 weeks for followup |
| functional status |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Male and female patients aged 20 to 50 years Diagnosed with Cervicogenic Headache (CGH) based on International Headache Society (IHS) diagnostic criteria Chronic CGH symptoms (i.e., persisting for at least 3 months) No previous dry needling (DN) or acupressure therapy (AT) within the last 6 months Able and willing to provide informed consent and comply with treatment and follow-up protocols
Exclusion Criteria: History of cervical spine surgery, significant trauma, or vertebral tumors/neoplasms Congenital spinal deformities (e.g., scoliosis, spina bifida) Diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy, vestibular disorders, vertebrobasilar insufficiency, or cervical fractures Current use of anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, or analgesics that may affect pain perception Diagnosed neurological, musculoskeletal, or orthopaedic conditions that affect balance, gait, or functional mobility Pregnancy (optional, often excluded in physiotherapy/dry needling trials)
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| professor Dr. Sateesh babu Natarajan Supervisor, PhD | Lincoln University College Malaysia | Study Director |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHC(Doctors plaza physical therapy and Rehabilitation Centre) | Karachi | Sindh | 75600 | Pakistan |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507862/ |
| Label | URL |
|---|---|
| cervicogenic headache | View source |
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Due to ethical considerations and the need to protect participant confidentiality, individual participant data will not be shared. The informed consent obtained from participants does not include permission for data sharing with external researchers.
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only participants were unaware of treatment selection and choice of techniques would be applied.
| Acupressure | Other | Acupressure therapy based on traditional Chinese principles |
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| Dry needling and Acupressure therapy | Other | combination of dry needling and acupressure therapy on cervical trigger points |
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| Hot Pack | Other | Hot fermentation will be applied on cervical pain area |
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functional status by (Patient-Specific Functional Scale, PSFS). |
| A pre-test/post-test design with assessments at baseline and after two weeks of intervention. after 02 weeks intervention Week 3, and Week 4 for follow up total 02 weeks intervention and 02 weeks for followup |
| Quality of life of patients with cervicogenic headache | impact on human Quality of life of patients with cervicogenic headache will be measured by using Headache Impact Test | A pre-test/post-test design with assessments at baseline and after two weeks of intervention. after 02 weeks intervention Week 3, and Week 4 for follow up total 02 weeks intervention and 02 weeks for followup |
| Psycho-social characteristics | Psycho-social characteristics by (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, DASS-21 | A pre-test/post-test design with assessments at baseline and after two weeks of intervention. after 02 weeks intervention Week 3, and Week 4 for follow up total 02 weeks intervention and 02 weeks for followup |
| Sleep quality | Sleep quality by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI | A pre-test/post-test design with assessments at baseline and after two weeks of intervention. after 02 weeks intervention Week 3, and Week 4 for follow up total 02 weeks intervention and 02 weeks for followup |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D051298 | Post-Traumatic Headache |
| D019547 | Neck Pain |
| D006261 | Headache |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D051271 | Headache Disorders, Secondary |
| D020773 | Headache Disorders |
| D001927 | Brain Diseases |
| D002493 | Central Nervous System Diseases |
| D009422 | Nervous System Diseases |
| D010146 | Pain |
| D009461 | Neurologic Manifestations |
| D012816 | Signs and Symptoms |
| D013568 | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D000079245 | Dry Needling |
| D019050 | Acupressure |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D000529 | Complementary Therapies |
| D013812 | Therapeutics |
| D026741 | Physical Therapy Modalities |
| D064746 | Therapy, Soft Tissue |
| D026201 | Musculoskeletal Manipulations |
| D012046 | Rehabilitation |
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