An innovative of retraining of cervical muscles in an elite swimmer with combined headache types

What is it about?

This case report introduces an innovative and novel way of functionally retraining the sport specific cervical function in a 13-year-old elite water polo player with a combined tension type headache and cervicogenic headache. After an evidence based assessment and manipulative physical therapy management regime, consisting of manual mobilization and exercise focused on retraining the deep cervical flexors and suboccipital extensors, the patient was left with persistent residual complaints inhibiting competitive level sport participation. Re-assessment and subsequent retraining of a specific provocative functional task was facilitated by using the Cervical TrainerTM. Using a wireless sensor worn on the head, this device registers three-dimensional movement and displays this on a computer screen, providing direct feedback on movement performance. After a 6-week period of training sessions, the residual complaints subsided and her score on the Headache Impact Test-6 questionnaire improved from 51 to 36 signifying no impact of her headache on daily life activities.

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Why is it important?

Functional and direction-specififc retrainingof local motor control is an effective management in most musculoskeletal disorders. And while especially well researched in the cervical spine, not yet often used so specifically.