Craniosacral Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Sham-controlled Trial

The Clinical Journal of Pain
Heidemarie HallerGustav Dobos

Abstract

With growing evidence for the effectiveness of craniosacral therapy (CST) for pain management, the efficacy of CST remains unclear. This study therefore aimed at investigating CST in comparison with sham treatment in chronic nonspecific neck pain patients. A total of 54 blinded patients were randomized into either 8 weekly units of CST or light-touch sham treatment. Outcomes were assessed before and after treatment (week 8) and again 3 months later (week 20). The primary outcome was the pain intensity on a visual analog scale at week 8; secondary outcomes included pain on movement, pressure pain sensitivity, functional disability, health-related quality of life, well-being, anxiety, depression, stress perception, pain acceptance, body awareness, patients' global impression of improvement, and safety. In comparison with sham, CST patients reported significant and clinically relevant effects on pain intensity at week 8 (-21 mm group difference; 95% confidence interval, -32.6 to -9.4; P=0.001; d=1.02) and at week 20 (-16.8 mm group difference; 95% confidence interval, -27.5 to -6.1; P=0.003; d=0.88). Minimal clinically important differences in pain intensity at week 20 were reported by 78% within the CST group, whereas 48% even ha...Continue Reading

Associated Clinical Trials

References

Jun 1, 1997·Journal of Public Health Medicine·C JenkinsonJ Stradling
Dec 29, 2000·Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry·G J Devilly, T D Borkovec
Jun 19, 2002·BMC Medical Research Methodology·Ronald J Feise
Nov 22, 2002·The Australian Journal of Physiotherapy·Manuela L FerreiraChristopher G Maher
Nov 19, 2003·The Journal of Pain : Official Journal of the American Pain Society·Mark P JensenAndrew M Brugger
Jan 14, 2004·Psychological Bulletin·Christopher A MoyerJames W Hannum
Jul 13, 2004·Spine·Anita R GrossUNKNOWN Cervical Overview Group
Jul 7, 2005·European Spine Journal : Official Publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society·René FejerJan Hartvigsen
Jan 17, 2007·Spine·Kien TrinhTheresa Kay
Jan 20, 2007·Explore : the Journal of Science and Healing·Lewis Mehl-MadronaWoodson Merrell
Jun 7, 2007·Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development·Gabriel TanJennie C I Tsao
Dec 1, 2007·The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine : Research on Paradigm, Practice, and Policy·Cynthia J Price, Elaine Adams Thompson
Dec 7, 2007·The Journal of Pain : Official Journal of the American Pain Society·Robert H DworkinStojan Zavisic
Feb 7, 2008·Spine·Eric L HurwitzUNKNOWN Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders
Feb 7, 2008·Spine·Sheilah Hogg-JohnsonUNKNOWN Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders
Feb 7, 2008·Spine·Pierre CôtéUNKNOWN Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders
Jan 23, 2008·Health and Quality of Life Outcomes·Arndt BüssingGötz Mundle
Apr 12, 2008·BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders·Francisco M KovacsUNKNOWN Spanish Back Pain Research Network
Jun 11, 2008·BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine·John D MannSusan A Gaylord
Jul 12, 2008·Forschende Komplementärmedizin = Research in Complementary Medicine·Florian SchwerlaKarl-Ludwig Resch
Sep 5, 2009·Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM·Guillermo A Matarán-PeñarrochaMaría Dolores Onieva Zafra
Jan 11, 2011·The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine : Research on Paradigm, Practice, and Policy·Rachel E Harrison, John S Page
May 31, 2011·Journal of Pain and Symptom Management·Marianne Jensen HjermstadUNKNOWN European Palliative Care Research Collaborative (EPCRC)
Feb 2, 2012·The Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy·Joel E BialoskyMichael E Robinson
Apr 11, 2012·Clinical Anatomy : Official Journal of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists & the British Association of Clinical Anatomists·Kourosh Kahkeshani, Peter J Ward
Nov 8, 2012·Complementary Therapies in Medicine·Anne Jäkel, Philip von Hauenschild
Dec 20, 2012·The Clinical Journal of Pain·Holger CramerGustav Dobos
Jan 23, 2013·Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice·Thuridur Solveig Arnadottir, Arun K Sigurdardottir
Aug 27, 2013·Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy : SRA·Antonio SteccoMarta Imamura
Feb 1, 2014·Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases·Damian HoyRachelle Buchbinder
Mar 20, 2014·BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders·Holger CramerAndreas Michalsen
Aug 21, 2014·Pain Medicine : the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine·Romy LaucheGustav J Dobos

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Feb 18, 2018·BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine·Albin GuillaudNicolas Pinsault
Oct 14, 2017·PloS One·Cynthia J PriceSunny Chieh Cheng
Sep 2, 2016·Medicine·Francesco CerritelliNicola Vanacore
Jan 2, 2020·BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders·Heidemarie HallerHolger Cramer
Mar 2, 2021·Complementary Therapies in Medicine·Heidemarie HallerHolger Cramer
Apr 4, 2021·Medicina·Jesús Requena-GarcíaDavid Varillas-Delgado
Aug 8, 2021·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Paulina GolanskaMonika Lukomska-Szymanska

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Clinical Trials Mentioned

NCT01526447

Software Mentioned

Power
SAS
STAT
SPSS

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.