NCT07724639

Brief Summary

Cervicogenic Headache (CGH) is a painful condition that has pronounced impacts on quality and activity of daily lives. It is often associated with decreased mobility, muscular tightness, and postural deviations. When neck muscles become tight, weak, or irritated, they change the way the neck moves and put pressure on nearby joints and nerves. This pressure delivers pain signals to the head, causing a Cervicogenic headache.

Trial Health

65
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
48

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
5mo left

Started Jul 2026

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable

Status
not yet recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress18%
Jul 2026Dec 2026

Study Start

First participant enrolled

July 1, 2026

Completed
20 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

July 21, 2026

Completed
3 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

July 24, 2026

Completed
5 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 15, 2026

Expected
15 days until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 30, 2026

Last Updated

July 24, 2026

Status Verified

July 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

6 months

First QC Date

July 21, 2026

Last Update Submit

July 23, 2026

Conditions

Cervicogenic Headache

Keywords

Cervicogenic Headache, Graston Technique, Neck Disability Index, Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Myofascial Release Therapy, Range of Motion

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

  • Neck Disability Index (NDI)

    upto 4 weeks

  • Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)

    Patient level of pain will be assessed using this scale. This scale ranges from 0 to 10. 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "worst pain".

    upto 4 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

  • Universal Goniometer (UG)

    upto 4 weeks

  • Global Rating of Change (GROC) scale

    upto 4 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Group A: Graston technique

EXPERIMENTAL

Patients will receive the Graston technique with conventional treatment

Other: Graston technique

Group B: Myofascial release therapy

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Patients will receive Myofascial release therapy with conventional treatment.

Other: Myofascial Release Therapy

Interventions

Graston techniqueOTHER

* Applied to: Sternocleidomastoid, Upper trapezius, Levator scapulae, Suboccipitals and cervical paraspinals. * Duration: 5-7 minutes per session, depending on patient tolerance and therapist assessment. * Frequency: 2-3 sessions per week, for 4 weeks

Group A: Graston technique
Myofascial Release TherapyOTHER

* Manual release applied to same regions as above using sustained pressure and fascial stretch. * Duration: 7-10 minutes per session. * Frequency: 2-3 sessions per week, for 4 weeks.

Group B: Myofascial release therapy

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 40 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • Males and females between age 18-40 years \[A30.1\]of age with Cervicogenic Headache
  • Diagnosed with Cervicogenic headache according to ICHD-3 criteria (3)
  • Presence of active myofascial trigger points in the SCM and upper trapezius and subocvcipital levator scapuli (confirmed \[A31.1\]via palpation and referred pain) simens \[A32.1\]criteria
  • Positive Cervical Flexion Rotation Test

You may not qualify if:

  • Any history of cervical trauma, fracture, or recent surgery.
  • Diagnosis of migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache (9).
  • Any cervical spine pathology e.g. cervical myelopathies and arthropathies.
  • Pregnant or lactating women.
  • Skin conditions or open wounds that contraindicate use of Graston tools e.g. open wounds, skin infections and burns etc.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Related Publications (10)

  • Bogduk N, Govind J. Cervicogenic headache: an assessment of the evidence on clinical diagnosis, invasive tests, and treatment. Lancet Neurol. 2009 Oct;8(10):959-68. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(09)70209-1.

    PMID: 19747657BACKGROUND

  • Hall TM, Briffa K, Hopper D, Robinson K. Comparative analysis and diagnostic accuracy of the cervical flexion-rotation test. J Headache Pain. 2010 Oct;11(5):391-7. doi: 10.1007/s10194-010-0222-3. Epub 2010 May 28.

    PMID: 20508964BACKGROUND

  • Nambi G, Alghadier M, Pakkir Mohamed SH, Vellaiyan A, Ebrahim EE, Sobeh DE, Kashoo FZ, Albarakati AJA, Alshahrani NA, Eswaramoorthi V. Combined and isolated effects of workstation ergonomics and physiotherapy in improving cervicogenic headache and work ability in office workers: a single-blinded, randomized controlled study. Front Public Health. 2024 Nov 28;12:1438591. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1438591. eCollection 2024.

    PMID: 39697289BACKGROUND

  • Lerner-Lentz A, O'Halloran B, Donaldson M, Cleland JA. Pragmatic application of manipulation versus mobilization to the upper segments of the cervical spine plus exercise for treatment of cervicogenic headache: a randomized clinical trial. J Man Manip Ther. 2021 Oct;29(5):267-275. doi: 10.1080/10669817.2020.1834322. Epub 2020 Nov 5.

    PMID: 33148134BACKGROUND

  • Verma S, Tripathi M, Chandra PS. Cervicogenic Headache: Current Perspectives. Neurol India. 2021 Mar-Apr;69(Supplement):S194-S198. doi: 10.4103/0028-3886.315992.

    PMID: 34003165BACKGROUND

  • Mingels S, Granitzer M, Jull G, Dankaerts W. The occurrence of cervicogenic headache: A mapping review. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2025 Jun;77:103290. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103290. Epub 2025 Feb 20.

    PMID: 40031141BACKGROUND

  • Robinson CL, Christensen RH, Al-Khazali HM, Amin FM, Yang A, Lipton RB, Ashina S. Prevalence and relative frequency of cervicogenic headache in population- and clinic-based studies: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cephalalgia. 2025 Mar;45(3):3331024251322446. doi: 10.1177/03331024251322446. Epub 2025 Mar 17.

    PMID: 40094720BACKGROUND

  • Olesen J. International Classification of Headache Disorders. Lancet Neurol. 2018 May;17(5):396-397. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30085-1. Epub 2018 Mar 14. No abstract available.

    PMID: 29550365BACKGROUND

  • Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS) The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. Cephalalgia. 2018 Jan;38(1):1-211. doi: 10.1177/0333102417738202. No abstract available.

    PMID: 29368949BACKGROUND

  • Al Khalili Y, Ly NK, Murphy PB. Cervicogenic Headache. 2022 Oct 3. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507862/

    PMID: 29939639BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Post-Traumatic Headache

Interventions

Myofascial Release Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Headache Disorders, SecondaryHeadache DisordersBrain DiseasesCentral Nervous System DiseasesNervous System Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

MassageTherapy, Soft TissueMusculoskeletal ManipulationsComplementary TherapiesTherapeuticsPhysical Therapy ModalitiesRehabilitation

Study Officials

  • Sofia Rahim, MSPT*

    Riphah International University

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Sumrod Akram

CONTACT

03324806143samrood.akram@riphah.edu.pk

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
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

July 21, 2026

First Posted

July 24, 2026

Study Start

July 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 15, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2026

Last Updated

July 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share