Effectiveness of a manual therapy protocol based on articulatory techniques in migraine patients. A randomized controlled trial.

Authors: Elena Muñoz-Gómez, Marta Inglés, Pilar Serra-Añó, Gemma V Espí-LópezJournal: Musculoskeletal science & practicePublished: September 21, 2021DOI: 10.1016/j.msksp.2021.102386

Moderate EvidenceRandomized Controlled Trial

Migraines

Key Findings: what this randomised trial found about migraines

✓Manual therapy based on articulatory techniques resulted in significant reduction of migraine frequency in treated patients compared to control groups.
✓The intervention demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in migraine-related disability and quality of life measures in the treatment group.
✓Effects of the manual therapy protocol were maintained at follow-up assessments, suggesting sustained therapeutic benefits beyond the treatment period.

What This Means for You

This randomized controlled trial shows promise for manual therapy in migraine management, but the evidence is moderate—more research with larger groups is needed before making it your primary treatment choice.

What This Means for Practitioners

Evidence supports incorporating articulatory manual therapy techniques into migraine treatment protocols, though outcomes should be tracked individually and combined with other evidence-based approaches.

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Migraines: common questions

What does this study say about migraines?

What did this study find?

Manual therapy based on articulatory techniques resulted in significant reduction of migraine frequency in treated patients compared to control groups. The intervention demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in migraine-related disability and quality of life measures in the treatment group. Effects of the manual therapy protocol were maintained at follow-up assessments, suggesting sustained therapeutic benefits beyond the treatment period.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a randomised trial and we rate its evidence moderate. It was published in Musculoskeletal science & practice. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.