Muscle Energy Technique With And Without Myofascial Release in Patients With Cervicogenic Headache

NCT07574112 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: MS-UOL-2024-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial compared the effects of Muscle Energy Technique (MET) with and without Myofascial Release (MFR) in patients with cervicogenic headache. Forty participants aged 20-40 years were randomly assigned into two groups: MET only and MET combined with MFR. The intervention was delivered over five sessions across two weeks. Outcomes included pain intensity (VAS), cervical range of motion, and disability (Neck Disability Index), assessed at baseline and post-intervention. The study evaluated which intervention produced greater improvements in pain, function, and cervical mobility.

Conditions

Cervicogenic Headache

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Pain Intensity (Viscual Analogue Scale)

  Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The scale ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates worst possible pain. Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.

  Baseline and 2 weeks post-intervention

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Cervical Range of Motion

  Baseline and 2 weeks post-intervention

• Neck Disability Measured by Neck Disability Index (NDI)

  Baseline and 2 weeks post-intervention

Study Arms (2)

Muscle Energy Technique (MET)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in this group received Muscle Energy Technique (MET) alone. The intervention was applied over five treatment sessions within two weeks. This group served as the comparison group to evaluate the effects of MET without Myofascial Release.

Procedure: Muscle Energy Technique (MET)

Muscle Energy Technique (MET) + Myofascial Release (MFR)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group received a combination of Muscle Energy Technique (MET) and Myofascial Release (MFR). The intervention was delivered over five treatment sessions within two weeks to evaluate its combined effect on pain, cervical range of motion, and disability.

Procedure: Muscle Energy Technique (MET); Procedure: Myofascial Release (MFR)

Interventions

Myofascial Release (MFR) PROCEDURE

Sustained manual pressure applied to cervical and upper trapezius muscles to release fascial restrictions.

Muscle Energy Technique (MET) + Myofascial Release (MFR)

Muscle Energy Technique (MET) PROCEDURE

Muscle Energy Technique (MET) was applied to the cervical region muscles using isometric contractions followed by passive stretching. The technique was performed in a controlled manner to improve muscle flexibility, reduce pain, and enhance cervical mobility over five treatment sessions within two weeks.

Also known as: Muscle Energy Technique

Muscle Energy Technique (MET); Muscle Energy Technique (MET) + Myofascial Release (MFR)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Participants aged 20 to 40 years
• Diagnosed with cervicogenic headache
• Both male and female participants
• Participants willing to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• History of cervical fracture or surgery
• Neurological disorders affecting the cervical region
• Severe cervical spine pathology
• Participants receiving other forms of manual therapy

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Lahore: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Lahore

Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Samreen Z, Waseem I, Mustansar A. Muscle Energy Technique With and Without Myofascial Release in Patients with Cervicogenic Headache. Insights in Journal of Health Research. 2025. https://doi.org/10.71000/vy8k2r11

  RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Post-Traumatic Headache

Interventions

Myofascial Release Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Headache Disorders, Secondary; Headache Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Massage; Therapy, Soft Tissue; Musculoskeletal Manipulations; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: This study used a parallel-group randomized controlled design. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups: one receiving Muscle Energy Technique (MET) alone and the other receiving a combination of Muscle Energy Technique and Myofascial Release (MFR). Both interventions were delivered over a fixed treatment period, and outcomes were compared between groups after completion of the intervention.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 1, 2026
• First Posted: May 7, 2026
• Study Start: February 25, 2025
• Primary Completion: November 25, 2025
• Study Completion: December 15, 2025
• Last Updated: May 12, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)