M.Tech. / The primary aim of this investigation was to evaluate the possible effectiveness of a cervical support pillow in combination with cervical spine manipulation versus cervical spine manipulation alone, in the management of cervicogenic headache. The secondary aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a cervical support pillow (Top Pillow) to the efficacy of the cervical support pillow used by Ross (2002) in the management of cervicogenic headache. During this study, thirty participants were recruited. The participants were divided into three groups of ten each. The three groups received the following treatments over a 3 week period: • Group one only received chiropractic cervical adjustments • Group two received a cervical support pillow and chiropractic cervical adjustments • Group three received only a cervical support pillow. After the treatment was concluded the recorded data was submitted to the staff at STATKON where the data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The results of the clinical trial revealed that the group that received chiropractic manipulation and the cervical support pillow showed the most significant changes of all three the groups in all planes of cervical range of motion, with all the results being statistically significant. The group that only received chiropractic manipulation also exhibited a significant increase in all planes of cervical range of motion, with only extension not being statistically significant. The group that only received a cervical support pillow, revealed a statistically significant increase in almost all planes of cervical range of motion except for flexion where no increase was noted the increases were, however, still markedly less than those of the former two groups that received chiropractic adjustments to specific restricted motion segments. With regard to perceived pain measured on the Numerical Pain Rating Scale, the two groups that received chiropractic adjustments improved to a much greater degree than the group that only received a cervical support pillow. With regard to Vernon-Mior Neck Pain and Disability Index all three groups had a statistically significant decrease in the perception of disability although the adjustment groups once again showed a much greater decrease in disability than the pillow only group. The already proven benefits that patients with cervicogenic headache receive from chiropractic spinal manipulation, can be successfully supplemented by the use of a cervical support pillow and the top pillow performed better than the pillow used by Ross et al. (2002) in the treatment of cervicogenic headache.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:8400 |
| Date | 20 May 2009 |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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