Immediate Effect of Ischemic Compression Therapy to Release Suboccipital Trigger Points in Tension-Type Headache among Adult Population of GCUF

Abstract

Tension-type headache is a nervous illness and characterized by pain, causes stretch on both sides and stiffness which feels like a band or pressure leads to disruption in daily activities. Objective: To see the immediate effects of ischemic compression therapy to release sub-occipital trigger points in tension type headache. Methods: It was a quasi-experimental study. Study population was students and faculty members of GC University, Faisalabad from age between 25 to 35 years. Sample size of the study was 35. A convenient sampling technique was used to select individuals according to the defined inclusion criteria. Trigger points were evaluated by palpating the occipital region. Data collection tools including visual analogue scale (VAS) and HIT-6 was used to measure intensity of pain and tension-type headache. SPSS version 25.0 was used to analyze the data. Results: Post-treatment values of VAS showed the reduction in pain intensity (mean=0.57) as compared to the pre-intervention values (mean = 5.03). A notable reduction in HIT-6 impact from (mean = 65.13) to (mean = 40.40) was observed. Paired sample t-test showed a p-value below 0.05 for both VAS and HIT-6, highlighting the positive effects of ischemic compression therapy to release sub-occipital trigger points in tension type headache. Conclusions: There was a notable reduction of pain intensity immediately after the treatment session. Ischemic compression therapy was significantly effective to release sub-occipital trigger points in patients with tension type headache.