Abstract / Summary
Introduction: Migraine is a prevalent neurological disorder that significantly affects an individual’s daily functioning and overall quality of life. Complementary manual therapy techniques, such as Craniosacral Therapy (CST) and Myofascial Release (MFR), have gained growing attention for their potential therapeutic benefits. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of CST and MFR in managing migraine symptoms and enhancing the quality of life among affected individuals. Aim: To analyse the comparative efficacy of CST and MFR in reducing pain intensity and improving quality of life in individuals with migraine headaches. Materials and Methods: The present was a comparative interventional study conducted at physiotherapy outpatient clinics, affiliated with the College of Physiotherapy, Dayananda Sagar University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India from July 2025 to December 2025, spanning a total duration of six months. A total of 36 participants clinically diagnosed with migraine per the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3) criteria, aged 18-50 years, with restricted cervical rotation, were randomly assigned to two intervention groups-Group A received CST, while Group B underwent MFR techniques. Each participant received three sessions per week, lasting 30-45 minutes, over six weeks. Demographic parameters including age and sex were recorded at baseline. Pain intensity was assessed using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), headache-related disability with the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), and quality of life through the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MSQOL). Statistical analyses included paired t-tests for within-group pre-post comparisons and independent t-tests for between-group comparisons, with a significance threshold of p<0.05. Results: Both CST and MFR groups demonstrated significant within-group improvements in pain intensity and headache impact after six weeks (p<0.001). In the CST group, NPRS reduced from 5.83±1.38 to 3.11±1.28 (d=2.68), HIT-6 decreased from 60.83±2.46 to 48.17±2.26 (d=10.66), and MSQOL improved from 44.89±4.10 to 63.11±3.97. In the MFR group, NPRS reduced from 5.28±1.57 to 3.11±1.13 (d=3.06), and HIT-6 decreased from 61.22±2.76 to 54.72±3.88 (d=2.82), while no significant improvement was observed in MSQOL (55.22±3.95 to 54.83±4.27; p=0.488). Between-group analysis showed no statistically significant difference in NPRS scores between the CST and MFR groups (p=1.000). However, CST demonstrated greater improvement in headache impact and migraine-specific quality of life outcomes compared to MFR. (p<0.001). Conclusion: CST was found to be more effective than MFR in alleviating pain intensity, reducing headache-related disability, and enhancing the overall quality of life in individuals with migraine.