Treatment of Tension-type Headache With Articulatory and Suboccipital Soft Tissue Therapy

All patients were assessed in the same conditions before the treatment, after the treatment (at 4 weeks), and at follow-up (after 8 weeks). Four treatment sessions (one session per week). Prior to each treatment session, the physiotherapist performed the vertebral artery test bilaterally, followed by a two-minute neck massage without lubricants and with no proven therapeutic effect, as a placebo for all study groups. The SI treatment aims to release the suboccipital muscle spasm10 that maintains the occiput-atlas-axis joint dysfunction. This technique, which was administered for 10 minutes, uses a deep and progressive gliding pressure applied with the fingertips towards the posterior arch of atlas.

All patients were assessed in the same conditions before the treatment, after the treatment (at 4 weeks), and at follow-up (after 8 weeks). Four treatment sessions (one session per week). Prior to each treatment session, the physiotherapist performed the vertebral artery test bilaterally, followed by a two-minute neck massage without lubricants and with no proven therapeutic effect, as a placebo for all study groups. The OAA manipulation was bilaterally administered and it attempts to restore the motion dysfunction of this complex. It is a structural technique performed on a vertical line along the odontoid process of axis; neither flexion nor extension is used, and lateroflexion is minimal.

All patients were assessed in the same conditions before the treatment, after the treatment (at 4 weeks), and at follow-up (after 8 weeks). Four treatment sessions (one session per week). Prior to each treatment session, the physiotherapist performed the vertebral artery test bilaterally, followed by a two-minute neck massage without lubricants and with no proven therapeutic effect, as a placebo for all study groups. The combination of both treatments aims to determine whether this combination has greater effects than the separate application of each treatment. After receiving the treatment, the subjects in the experimental groups stayed for five minutes in the supine resting position, in neutral ranges of cervical flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation.

All patients were assessed in the same conditions before the treatment, after the treatment (at 4 weeks), and at follow-up (after 8 weeks). Four treatment sessions (one session per week). Prior to each treatment session, the physiotherapist performed the vertebral artery test bilaterally, followed by a two-minute neck massage without lubricants and with no proven therapeutic effect, as a placebo for all study groups. The control group received four sessions of placebo treatment, followed by ten minutes of resting position.