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Surprise! Chiropractic Has a More Lasting Effect Compared to Drugs For the Treatment of Headaches |
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A
study done at Northwestern Chiropractic College in 1995 of 150
headache sufferers compared the effectiveness of spinal manipulation
and pharmaceutical treatment (amitriptyline) for chronic tension-type
headaches. The results showed that compared to the group taking
amitriptyline, the group receiving spinal manipulation showed a
reduction of 32% headache intensity, 42% headache frequency, 30% in
over-the-counter medication usage and an improvement of 16% in
functional health status. By comparison the amitriptyline
therapy group showed no improvement or a slight worsening from
baseline values in the same major outcome measures and the group also
reported a number of side effects from taking the medication.
Conclusion: Spinal
manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension type
headaches. Amitriptyline therapy was slightly more effective in
reducing pain at the end of the treatment period but was associated
with more side effects. Four weeks after stopping treatment,
however, the patients receiving spinal manipulative therapy
experienced sustained therapeutic benefit in all major outcomes in
contrast to patients that received amitriptyline therapy, who
reverted to baseline values.
Boline P, Kassak
K, Bronfort G, et al. Spinal Manipulation vs. amitriptyline for
the treatment of chronic tension type headaches - a randomized
clinical trial. J Manipulative Physiol Ther; 1995 18(3): 148-54
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