Placebo Effect Likely Cause to Migraine Relief after Chiropractic Therapy

For those with migraine, a trip to the chiropractor may not have any effect on the frequency of migraine, according to a recent study.

This study was the first manual-therapy randomized controlled trial on migraine patients to document single-blinding (when researchers, but not the subjects are aware of which subjects are receiving treatment and which are not) placebo group.
Participants were divided into three groups. One group received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy (CSMT) and another received a sham procedure. According to researchers, “participants with migraine were unable to distinguish between real and sham CSMT.” The final group was a control group that received “usual pharmacologic management.”

Patients were assessed over a 17-month span.

The study found the number of migraine days for both the group receiving the real and sham CSMT reduced significantly. Authors of the study, including lead author Aleksander Chaibi, MChiro, concluded the effect of CSMT “was probably a placebo response.”

Comparing CSMT and sham groups to the control group, migraine duration and intensity were also significantly reduced.

Adverse events, according to the study, were few, mild, and temporary; however, they did occur more frequently in the CSMT group.

Despite the authors’ conclusion that the effect of CSMT to be a placebo response, the authors suggested CSMT may be considered if the patient is unable to tolerate medication. “CSMT might be considered in situations where other therapeutic options are ineffective or poorly tolerated,” the authors said.

This study was published in the European Journal of Neurology.