NCT06841627

Osteopathic Manual Therapy (OMT) and Brain Structure and Function in Primary Headache Patients: A Pilot Study

Exploring the Mechanism of Osteopathic Manual Therapy (OMT) on Brain Structure and Function in Primary Headache Patients: A Pilot Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 31 (actual)
• Sponsor: Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Chronic headaches are associated with changes in brain structure and function that may be associated with increased suffering and disability. Understanding how Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy (OMT) affects these changes would reveal new insight into how the brain processes pain and returns to normal function. Also, demonstrating these changes would provide evidence regarding how OMT causes a reduction in pain and disability, supporting the recommendation for OMT as a primary treatment option for headaches.

Conditions

• Primary Headaches (Migraines, Tension, Cluster Headaches)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy	Evaluation looking for Somatic Dysfunction (SD) involving the head, neck, upper thoracic spine, rib cage and sacroiliac joint. OMT techniques will include a mix of the following: Osteopathic Cranial Manipulative Medicine, Muscle Energy Technique, Facilitated Positional Release, Indirect Myofascial Release, and Counterstrain.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-08-05
• Primary completion: 2025-10-01
• Completion: 2026-01-01
• First posted: 2025-02-24
• Last updated: 2026-03-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States