Trial reportHeadache2020
Smartphone-Delivered Progressive Muscle Relaxation for the Treatment of Migraine in Primary Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Trial report in Headache, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 28 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of Educational and Behavioral Interventions on Medication-Overuse Headache: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Pain research & management · 2026Pooled it
- Behavioral interventions for migraine prevention: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Headache · 2025Pooled it
- User Engagement With mHealth Interventions to Promote Treatment Adherence and Self-Management in People With Chronic Health Conditions: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- Prescription of therapeutic exercise in migraine, an evidence-based clinical practice guideline.The journal of headache and pain · 2023Guideline
- Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Smartphone-Based Muscle Relaxation for Migraine in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2025Trial
- A Prescribed Digital Health App and Number of Migraine Days: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Psychological interventions for migraine.Nature reviews. Neurology · 2026Review
- Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed characteristics, administration modalities, and implementation of psychological interventions for chronic headache? An updated systematic review.Health psychology and behavioral medicine · 2026Review
- A comprehensive guide to digital neurology. An update on current development on digital neurology derived from the Digital Neuro Hub project.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025Review
- Mobile App-Based Interactive Care Plan for Migraine: Survey Study of Usability and Improvement Opportunities.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- The impact of neuroscience education therapy, behavioral economics, and digital navigators on patient migraine treatment adherence to a mobile health application: a prospective pilot randomized controlled trial.NPP - digital psychiatry and neuroscience · 2025Article
- What Is Combination Treatment in Migraine? Moving Toward a Uniform Definition of a Familiar Principle.Neurology and therapy · 2024Article
- Incorporating Therapeutic Education and Exercise in Migraine Management: A Biobehavioral Approach.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Influence of next-generation artificial intelligence on headache research, diagnosis and treatment: the junior editorial board members' vision - part 1.The journal of headache and pain · 2024Review
- [Interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy in headache disorders].Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2024Review
- Beyond Audio-Video Telehealth: Perspective on the Current State and Future Directions of Digital Neurological Care in the United States.JMIR neurotechnology · 2024Article
- Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Primary Headaches-A Focused Review.Brain sciences · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issuedErratum.2021
Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveScalable, accessible forms of behavioral therapy for migraine prevention are needed. We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) delivered by a smartphone application (app) in the Primary Care setting.
methodsThis pilot study was a non-blinded, randomized, parallel-arm controlled trial of adults with migraine and 4+ headache days/month. Eligible participants spoke English and owned a smartphone. All participants were given the RELAXaHEAD app which includes an electronic headache diary. Participants were randomized to receive 1 of the 2 versions of the app-one with PMR and the other without PMR. The primary outcomes were measures of feasibility (adherence to the intervention and diary entries during the 90-day interval) and acceptability (satisfaction levels). We conducted exploratory analyses to determine whether there was a change in Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) scores or a change in headache days.
resultsOf 139 participants (77 PMR, 62 control), 116 (83%) were female, mean age was 41.7 ± 12.8 years. Most patients 108/139 (78%) had moderate-severe disability. Using a 1-5 Likert scale, participants found the app easy to use (mean 4.2 ± 0.7) and stated that they would be happy to engage in the PMR intervention again (mean 4.3 ± 0.6). For the first 6 weeks, participants practiced PMR 2-4 days/week. Mean per session duration was 11.1 ± 8.3 minutes. Relative to the diary-only group, the PMR group showed a greater non-significant decline in mean MIDAS scores (-8.7 vs -22.7, P = .100) corresponding to a small-moderate mean effect size (Cohen's d = 0.38).
conclusionSmartphone-delivered PMR may be an acceptable, accessible form of therapy for migraine. Mean effects show a small-moderate mean effect size in disability scores.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.