title: A pilot study to investigate the short-term effects of specific soft tissue massage on upper cervical movement impairment in patients with cervicogenic headache.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Upper cervical movement impairment and muscle dysfunction have been identified as core components of cervicogenic headache (CGH) pathogenesis. The purpose of this single-group pre-post test pilot study was to investigate the short-term effects of a specific soft tissue massage (SSTM) intervention to the cervical spine on range of upper cervical motion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight subjects (mean age 28.1 years) with published criteria of CGH (mean history of headache for 7.1 years) were investigated. Range of rotation of the upper cervical spine to the left and right was determined by the flexion-rotation test. Movement was assessed in three phases: pre-intervention, intervention, and post-intervention. The SSTM intervention consisted of an 8-minute soft tissue massage to the cervical muscles bilaterally.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre-intervention measures of flexion-rotation test range of motion prior to the intervention over two assessment points were consistent. In contrast, a repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a significant improvement in range of rotation to the left and right after the first (P<0.01), second (P<0.01), but not third intervention (P = 0.19), from an average range of 27.5° at baseline to 45.9° at the third treatment session. After the 2-week post-intervention phase, range of motion remained stable without decline, and was considered full range.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study provides preliminary evidence of the potential for SSTM to improve, at least in the short-term, upper cervical range of motion in people with CGH.
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Curtin Health Innovation Research, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Curtin Health Innovation Research, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Yogita
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bajaj
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Curtin Health Innovation Research, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Chor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kei Choi
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Curtin Health Innovation Research, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Curtin Health Innovation Research, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Toby
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Curtin Health Innovation Research, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Curtin Health Innovation Research, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Briffa
keywords: Cervical movement impairment; Cervicogenic headache; Flexion–rotation test; Massage