The effect of suboccipital muscle inhibition (SMI) as a home exercise and suboccipital muscle inhibition administered by an osteopath on headache and neck pain in a cervicogenic headache (CGH) patient. A single-case study.
Item
- Title
- The effect of suboccipital muscle inhibition (SMI) as a home exercise and suboccipital muscle inhibition administered by an osteopath on headache and neck pain in a cervicogenic headache (CGH) patient. A single-case study.
- Author(s)
- Graser, B
- Abstract
- Background: CGH sufferers have a substantial quality-of life burden. Although a variety of therapeutic approaches are used for the management of CGH, scientific evidence of their effectiveness is scarce and very little research exists investigating the effects of SMI on CGH. Objective: to assess the effectiveness of suboccipital muscle inhibition, both as a home exercise and administered by an osteopath, on headache intensity and neck pain in a CGH patient compared to baseline. Design: ABAC single case research design Methods: One ESO student participant with CGH performed daily SMI as a home-exercise for 2 weeks. After a 2-week withdrawal phase, 4 SMI treatments were administered over a 2 week period. Headache intensity was recorded daily on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and neck pain was assessed 3 times per week, using algometry. Microsoft Excel 2013 was used to collect raw data and report descriptive summary statistics. Results: no statistically significant difference was seen in neck pain during both SMI intervention modalities when compared to baseline. Measurement of headache intensity was invalidated by the low headache frequency and intensity of the participant. Mean values of headache intensity showed a decrease during both SMI intervention modes in comparison to baseline but due to the invalidation, this decrease can only be considered as a trend. Discussion: Recent research has provided conflicting evidence that SMI can reduce headache and neck pain. The majority of studies focus on tension type headache (TTH) or have other study aims and methodologies, making direct comparisons difficult. Most studies reporting positive effects on headache and neck pain have applied SMI in combination with other manual therapy modalities, supporting a multimodal management approach. Conclusion: this study implies that SMI, both performed by an osteopath and as an exercise, does not decrease neck pain in CGH sufferers. Due to the invalidation of headache measures, the decrease of headache intensity during both SMI intervention modes can only be considered as a trend. Future studies with demographically diverse CGH patients and varying levels of headache intensity and frequency could shed light on which type of CGH patient may be most responsive to SMI.
- presented at
- European School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2018
- Date Submitted
- 25.1.2019 17:18:25
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 16395
- Inst-Identifier
- 1229
- Keywords
- Cervicogenic headache
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Graser, B, “The effect of suboccipital muscle inhibition (SMI) as a home exercise and suboccipital muscle inhibition administered by an osteopath on headache and neck pain in a cervicogenic headache (CGH) patient. A single-case study.”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.org/s/orw/item/369