A recent systematic review and meta-analysis found that spinal manipulation may be an effective therapeutic technique to reduce migraine days and pain intensity. Researchers identified 6 randomized clinical trials (pooled n=677; range of n=42-218) eligible for meta-analysis and evaluated spinal manipulation and migraine-related outcomes through 2017. They found:
- Intervention duration ranged from 2 to 6 months; outcomes included measures of migraine days (primary), migraine pain/intensity, and migraine disability.
- Methodological quality varied across the studies.
- Spinal manipulation reduced migraine days with an overall small effect size, as well as migraine pain/intensity.
Rist PM, Hernandez A, Bernstein C, et al. The impact of spinal manipulation on migraine pain and disability: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Headache. 2019;59(4):532-542. doi: 10.1111/head.13501.