OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate effects of head-neck massage on heart rate variability (HRV), mood states, and pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) in patients with chronic tension-type headache (CTTH). METHODS: Eleven patients (8 females), between 20 and 68 years old, with CTTH participated in this crossover study. Patients received either the experimental treatment (massage protocol) or a placebo intervention (detuned ultrasound). Holter electrocardiogram recordings (standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval, square root of mean squared differences of successive NN intervals, index HRV, low-frequency component, and high-frequency component), PPT over both temporalis muscles, and Profile of Mood States questionnaire (tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, vigor, fatigue, confusion) were obtained preintervention, immediately after intervention, and 24 hours postintervention. Self-reported head pain was also collected preintervention and 24 hours postintervention. Separate analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were performed with each dependent variable. The hypothesis of interest was group x time interaction. RESULTS: The ANCOVA showed a significant group x time interaction for index HRV (F = 4.5, p = 0.04), but not for standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval (F = 1.1, p = 0.3), square root of mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (F = 0.9, p = 0.3), low-frequency component (F = 0.03, p = 0.8), or high-frequency component (F = 0.4, p = 0.5) domains. Pairwise comparisons found that after the manual therapy intervention, patients showed an increase in the index HRV (p = 0.01) domain, whereas no changes were found after the placebo intervention (p = 0.7). The ANCOVA also found a significant group x time interaction for tension-anxiety (F = 5.3, p = 0.03) and anger-hostility (F = 4.6, p = 0.04) subscales. Pairwise comparisons found that after the manual therapy intervention, patients showed a decrease in tension-anxiety (p = 0.002) and anger-hostility (p = 0.04) subscales, whereas no changes were found after the placebo intervention (p > 0.5 both subscales). No significant changes were found in PPT levels (right F = 0.3, p = 0.6, left F = 0.4, p = 0.5). A significant group x time interaction for pain (F = 4.8, p = 0.04) was identified. No influence of sex was found (F = 1.5, p = 0.3). Pairwise comparisons showed that head pain (numerical pain rating scale) decreased 24 hours after manual therapy (p < 0.05) but not after the placebo intervention (p = 0.9). CONCLUSIONS: The application of a single session of manual therapy program produces an immediate increase of index HRV and a decrease in tension, anger status, and perceived pain in patients with CTTH.
Reprinted from the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics with copyright permission from the National University of Health Sciences.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher