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Intramuscular Electrical Stimulation for the Treatment of Trigger Points in Patients With Migraine

NCT05893914 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 4

Last updated 2025-05-08

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this single-case experimental study is to investigate the effects of intramuscular electrical stimulation for the treatment of trigger points on reducing the frequency of headaches in a small sample of patients with chronic migraine. Additionally, this study seeks to investigate the effects of intramuscular electrical stimulation to trigger points on reducing the overall headache intensity, impact and disability using research validated questionnaires.Intramuscular electrical stimulation is a treatment that uses needles to deliver electrical current into muscles, or trigger points, for reducing pain and improving function. Trigger points are painful spots within taut bands of muscle that produce pain when pressure is applied or spontaneously. Participants will be included if they have at least a 6-month history of chronic migraine headache. Due to the nature of the single case experimental design study, participants will each serve as their own controls and be randomized to various baseline measures where they will record headaches and symptoms using an electronic headache diary. During the intervention phase, participants will receive dry needling treatment with intramuscular electrical stimulation, and will continue recording in the electronic headache diary and complete all self reported outcome measures at the final treatment session.

Conditions

  • Chronic Migraine

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Dry Needling and intramuscular electrical stimulation to trigger points

Dry needling will be applied to trigger points in at least two of the following posterior cervical muscles; splenius capitis, splenius cervicis, semispinalis capitis/cervicis, cervical multifidi (from C2-4) and obliquus capitis inferior. Following elicitation of a local twitch response, needles will be left in place and connected to a charge generating device for intramuscular electrical stimulation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Thomas W. Perreault, PT

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Thomas Perreault, DPT · Massachusetts General Hospital

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-08-04
Primary Completion
2024-10-07
Completion
2024-10-07

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT05893914 on ClinicalTrials.gov