The effect of physiotherapy treatment on migraines
About this research
The study aims to examine the role of multimodal physiotherapy management (gentle manual therapy, exercises and education) in reducing the frequency and burden of migraine in individuals with migraine and neck pain.
Who can participate
You're eligible to participate if you:
- are between 18 and 65 years old
- have unilateral migraine as your dominant headache consistent with the ICHD-3 criteria
- have a headache frequency of at least 4 days per month (but not more than 15)
- have history of regular neck pain.
You're ineligible to particpate if you have:
- a medical condition that contraindicates manual therapy treatment of the neck
- changed migraine treatments or had neck manual therapy treatment in the last 3 months
- had head or neck trauma in the last 6 months
- active compensation/ medical litigation claims.
What’s involved
You'll be asked to:
- complete online surveys to screen for inclusion (10-15 minutes)
- complete a diary of daily symptoms (1-2 minutes per day for 3 blocks of 28 days)
- complete periodic online surveys to report symptom status (3x15 minutes)
- attend for in person physical assessments pre- and post-treatment (2 x 1hour) and 4 x 1-hour treatment sessions.
The in-person sessions will be conducted at Brisbane Physiotherapy & Podiatry West End, Brisbane. The interventions involve combined gentle physiotherapy / mobilisation based manual therapy, exercises and education which are considered low risk.
Benefits of participating
How to participate
If you meet the eligibility criteria and you're interested in participating, complete the survey.
Ethics approval
This study has been approved by The University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee [Approval No.2025/HE002390].
Contact
For any questions, contact Peter Farmer: