Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31881911›Full record

ArticleTrials2019

Manual therapy as a prophylactic treatment for migraine: design of a randomized controlled trial.

Andreas Leonard Amons, Rene Franciscus Castien, Johannes C van der Wouden, Willem De Hertogh, Joost Dekker, Henriëtte Eveline van der Horst

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in Trials, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Integrating manual therapy into headache management: bridging the evidence gap.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Andreas Leonard AmonsHeadache Centre at Healthcare Centre Haarlemmermeer, Waddenweg 1, 2134XL, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. a.amons@amsterdamumc.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7060-1069
Rene Franciscus CastienHeadache Centre at Healthcare Centre Haarlemmermeer, Waddenweg 1, 2134XL, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands.
Johannes C van der WoudenDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centres (location VUmc), Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1018BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Willem De HertoghDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
Joost DekkerDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centres (location VUmc), Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1018BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Henriëtte Eveline van der HorstDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centres (location VUmc), Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1018BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
African Studies Centre · NLAmsterdam University Medical Centers · NLUniversity of Antwerp · BE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeople with migraine often experience disability with serious consequences for their social life and work productivity. The pharmacological prophylactic management of migraine is effective in reducing migraine attacks. However, many people are reluctant to use daily prophylactic medication, leading to a demand for non-pharmacological treatment options. We present the design for and discuss the feasibility of a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of a multimodal manual therapy (MT) treatment compared to usual care by the general practitioner (GP) for the prophylactic treatment of migraine.

methodsEligible participants will be recruited in primary care using the International Classification of Headache Disorders III criteria for migraine of the International Headache Society. Participants will be randomized to either multimodal MT treatment or usual care provided by the GP. GPs will be asked to treat the usual care group according to the Dutch GP guideline for headache. The multimodal MT intervention will include manual pressure techniques, neck muscle-strength exercises and mobilization of the cervical and thoracic spine. The trial will consist of a 12-week treatment period and follow-up measurements at 12, 26 and 52 weeks. The primary outcome measure is the number of migraine days per 4 weeks, assessed with a headache diary. Secondary outcome measures are the number of migraine attacks, medication use, disability due to headache, headache intensity, number of participants reporting a 50% migraine reduction, measurement of cervical pressure pain thresholds, presence of allodynia, endurance of cervical flexor muscles, days of absence of work and global perceived effect. DISCUSSION: The results of the trial will show whether a multimodal MT intervention is an effective non-pharmacological treatment option for people with migraine.

trial registrationDutch Trial Register, NL7504. Registered on 7 February 2019.

Indexed as

AdultGeneral PracticeHumansMigraine DisordersMusculoskeletal ManipulationsOutcome Assessment, Health CarePragmatic Clinical Trials as TopicRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicResearch DesignManual pressure techniquesManual therapyMigraine

Identifiers

PMID31881911
PMCPMC6935086
OpenAlexW2997765004

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.