A small number of chiropractors, who align only the atlas C-1, or "top" vertebra in the spine, practice the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA) atlas correction procedure. This procedure uses a precise, non-invasive, gentle touch technique to correct misalignment of the atlas. Although NUCCA practitioners have long used this procedure in the treatment of headache, it has not been formally studied using clinical trials. There is some data indicating that NUCCA correction can increase intracranial compliance. This intracranial compliance can be measured by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study before and then after a NUCCA procedure. In this study, the investigators hope to show that the correction of an atlas misalignment will increase intracranial compliance in subjects with migraine.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
11
A chiropractic procedure involving correcting a misalignment of the atlas or "top" vertebra in the spine.
Foothills Hospital
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Change in intracranial compliance; comparing the baseline period to one month post treatment, 4 weeks after initiation of NUCCA care and maintained correction of atlas misalignment, as measured by phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging.
Time frame: At baseline, at 4 weeks, at 8 weeks
Days with headache per month
Patients use headache diaries to track the number of days with headaches.
Time frame: At baseline, at 4 weeks, at 8 weeks
Average headache intensity on headache days
Patients rate headache pain from 0-10 on 3 segments of the day (morning, afternoon, evening) using headache diaries. These numbers are used to calculate the average intensity of the headache on headache days.
Time frame: At baseline, at 4 weeks, at 8 weeks
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