EFFECTS OF BOWEN THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH TENSION-TYPE HEADACHE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Background and Aim: Bowen therapy is a non-pharmacological method for treating a variety of pain conditions, but its effectiveness in treating tension-type headaches is unknown. We compared the effectiveness of Bowen therapy to a sham treatment. Methodology: In a multi-center randomized controlled trial, the young adults with a tension-type headache were selected from the Neurology Department of DHQ hospital Sargodha and Niazi Medical Complex, Sargodha, with convenient sampling. A priori sample size calculation determined that 44 participants were needed. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Bowen Therapy (n=22) and Sham Treatment (n=22) groups were enrolled. The Bowen therapy was devised for two weeks. The measurement was taken at baseline and after two weeks. SPSS 22 was used for data analysis. Results: At baseline, there was no difference found in the Bowen therapy and Sham treatment groups. We have noticed a significant decrease in the severity of pain and improvement in pain pressure threshold assessed by the visual analogue scale (VAS) and algometer in the Bowen therapy group after two weeks (<0.05). However, no changes in pain intensity were found in the sham therapy group. Furthermore, the headache frequency was also reduced in Bowen therapy compared to the sham therapy group (<0.05) after the study period. Conclusion: The findings suggest that Bowen Therapy might be a beneficial and effective treatment for a tension-type headache. Further studies are needed using older adult’s participants.