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Published on: June 2, 2014
Craniosacral therapy for migraine: protocol development for an exploratory controlled clinical trial
John D Mann1, Keturah R Faurot, Laurel Wilkinson
1Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. mannj@neurology.unc.edu
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
|June 11, 2008
Summary
This study shows that a randomized controlled trial of Craniosacral Therapy (CST) for migraine prevention is feasible. Patients found the therapy acceptable, supporting further research into this non-pharmaceutical approach.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Background:
- Migraine affects 20% of the population, with suboptimal conventional care.
- Medication overuse can lead to chronic daily headaches.
- Non-pharmaceutical migraine prevention strategies warrant investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility and efficacy of Craniosacral Therapy (CST) for migraine prevention.
- To evaluate CST's impact on quality-of-life, migraine frequency, and clinical benefit.
- To utilize a rigorous randomized controlled trial design with an innovative attention control.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial comparing CST plus usual care to low-strength static magnets (LSSM) plus usual care.
- Inclusion criteria: age > 11, diagnosed migraine, 5-15 headache days/month.
- An 8-week baseline followed by randomization; videotaped sessions analyzed for bias.
Main Results:
- 109 of 169 screened individuals were eligible.
- Few participants withdrew, indicating intervention acceptability.
- The study design proved feasible for rigorous clinical trial execution.
Conclusions:
- A rigorous randomized clinical trial for CST in migraine is feasible.
- Standardized CST protocols and innovative controls are effective.
- High participant retention suggests CST and LSSM interventions are well-accepted.
