Headache Study

In 2004, the University of Western States received a $560 thousand grant, from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, to study the dose-response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache.  Eighty volunteers participated in this randomized controlled trial.  Participants received eight or sixteen treatments over eight weeks, each consisting of spinal manipulation or light massage at one of nine area clinic locations.    

Results:  Clinically important differences between spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) and the control light massages were observed favoring SMT.  Sixteen visits provided little more benefit than eight visits.  

Haas M, Spegman A, Peterson DH, Aickin M, Vavrek D. Dose-response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Spine J. 2010 Feb; 10(2):117-28.  

Haas M, Aickin M, Vavrek D. A preliminary path analysis of expectancy and patient-provider encounter in an open-label randomized controlled trial of spinal manipulation for cervicogenic headache. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2010 Jan;33(1):5-13.  

Haas M, Schneider M, Vavrek D.  Illustrating risk difference and number needed to treat from a randomized controlled trial of spinal manipulation for cervicogenic headache. Chiropr Osteopat. 2010;18:9.  

Vavrek D, Haas M, Peterson D. Physical exam and pain outcomes in a chronic headache study: what can we learn for outcome measures in the future? J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2010 Jun;33(5):338-48.