Effects of Electroacupuncture and Myofascial Release on Headache

Tension-type headaches (TTH) last from thirty minutes to seven days, were ranked second among the primary types of headaches. The diagnosis of TTH is made according to the diagnostic criteria of the Second Beta version of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. The causes of TTH include the activation of extremely tense peripheric afferent neurons through the head and neck muscles, muscle sensitivity and stress. Additionally, a limited range of motion (ROM) in the neck may also lead to TTH.

The treatment of TTH involve both pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods. It is known that the pharmacological treatment of TTH has a limited effect. However, previous studies have shown that physical therapy programs that include methods such as acupuncture, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), exercise, biofeedback, manipulation, cryotherapy, massage, strengthening of the neck muscles, stretching exercises are effective in alleviating TTH.

It has been observed that the trigger points in muscles play a role in TTH. Trigger points are generally defined as hyper-irritable points inside taut bands. It has been demonstrated that myofascial release, which is applied to the trigger points and is effective in relaxation treatments through stimulation of the neuromuscular system, relieves headaches via muscle relaxation. Electroacupuncture is another method used in relieving myofascial pain origin that involves the application of acupuncture needles to particular points and delivery of an electrical current at a specific frequency. The stimulation of muscle and skin tissues in affected areas is carried out by means of needles and the electrical current relieves pain and muscle spasms. In a meta-analysis study, it was found that electroacupuncture had a higher pain-relieving effect. However, a review of related studies deemed them to be lacking because the assessments were too limited to make it possible to unequivocally state that electroacupuncture has a high level of therapeutic efficacy.

The studies performed, however, did not examine the efficacy of electroacupuncture and myofascial release on TTH. Given that situation, the purpose of our study is to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture and myofascial release applied to points of tension in the neck muscles and trigger points of people suffering from TTH in terms of the headache intensity and frequency, neck functions, sleep quality and depression status.

The 19 individuals who were referred to Bahçeşehir University's Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at the School of Health Sciences, with TTH, and who were 18 years of age and older, were recruited for the study. The individuals were randomly allocated into electroacupuncture and myofascial release groups with the Research Randomizer program.

Evaluation Methods A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to evaluate pain levels of the participants, CROM (Cervical Range of Motion) to evaluate neck ROM, Beck's Depression Inventory to evaluate depression status, Neck Pain Disability Scale to evaluate to evaluate the effect of their neck pain on the activities of the daily living Headache Diary to evaluate clinical features of the headache

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Indiviuals with cervical tension headache
* aged 18 years or older
* Accepting voluntary participation in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

* Epilepsy seizures,
* Heart disease
* Pacemaker,
* Patients with a history of stroke