Effectiveness of combined cranial and cervical mobilization in management of cervicogenic headache

Abstract Background Inadequate joint circulation, tension in the deep cervical muscles, or long-term improper posture can cause cervicogenic headaches. Manual therapy is a compelling treatment option for cervicogenic headaches. Our objective is to evaluate how cranial and cervical mobilization management affects the severity, frequency, and duration of headache episodes and forward head position in cervicogenic headache sufferers. Forty people diagnosed with cervicogenic headaches participated in the research. We randomly allocated the patients into two equal groups. The study group (A) and the control group (B) both got conventional physiotherapy maneuvers for eight sessions, with the study group additionally getting cervical and cranial mobilization management. The examination consisted of evaluating perceptual pain severity using a visual analog scale (VAS), self-reporting the frequency and duration of headache episodes, and monitoring forward head position with a ruler or a tape measure. We measured all parameters before and after three and eight treatment sessions. Results Following therapy, both groups exhibited a considerable, significant reduction in the severity of perceptual headache pain, the frequency of headache episodes, the duration of headache episodes, and forward head position. After 8 sessions, there was a difference that was statistically significant between the two groups in terms of headache pain severity, as well as headache episode frequency, both of which favored the study group. After three and eight sessions, the study group showed a statistically significant decrease in the duration of headache episodes. After therapy, neither group showed significant change in forward head position. Conclusion Including cervical and cranial mobilization maneuvers in the rehabilitation routine improves the symptoms of patients with cervicogenic headaches.