Diclofenac Gel in the Treatment of Cervicogenic Headache

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Trial end date: 2024-07-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The intervention will consist of the nursing staff applying 2 grams of diclofenac 1% gel topically to the posterior cervical region four times daily. The control group will receive petroleum jelly topically to the posterior cervical region four times daily. Patients will receive a pre-intervention and post-intervention survey incorporating the Numeric Assessment Scale and Headache Impact Test-6.

• Phase: Phase 3
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Loma Linda University
• Treatments: Diclofenac; Petrolatum

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18-90 Years old

• English Speaking

• Hospitalized at Loma Linda East Campus Rehabilitation Hospital

• Meet ICHD-3-III 11.2.1 criteria for cervicogenic headache (classified as "Definitive" when C4 is satisfied by trial participants, "Probable" when criteria A or B, together with D have been met and "Possible" when only 1 of the criteria listed in C together with criteria D has been met. Avijgan et al., 2019)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Headache secondary to intracranial pathology (i.e. tumors)

• History of cervical spine procedures

• Nerve blocks within past 4 weeks or steroid injections within past 6 months.

• Patients with fibromyalgia

• Chronic pain on continuous opiate regimen (use of opioids on most days >90 days)

• Known allergy to diclofenac gel

• History of coronary artery bypass graft or gastrointestinal bleed