Global Research

For many years, countries around the world have been studying hands-on osteopathic treatment for people with headaches and migraines. The techniques differ from place to place, but the results repeatedly show the same thing: when the upper neck is treated properly, people usually feel better. Headaches become less frequent, the pain is not as strong, and many people are able to cut down on medication.

In Europe—Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands—researchers followed patients receiving manual therapy focused on the upper neck and surrounding soft tissues. Most studies reported fewer headache days, lower pain levels, and better daily function. Some even showed that osteopathic treatment worked better than standard medical care or placebo therapy.

In the United States and Canada, similar findings were seen. Patients receiving osteopathic manual therapy often reported better neck mobility, less tightness, fewer migraines, and an overall sense of relief that medication alone didn’t provide. Some studies also noted improvements in sleep and mood, which often happen when chronic pain finally eases.

Japan and Australia added their own important work. Japanese research looked at how hands-on work to the upper neck may calm areas of the brain that process pain. Australia contributed strong studies on soft-tissue techniques and movement retraining, again showing clear benefits for tension-type headaches and migraines.

Across all of this worldwide research, one key idea keeps coming up: the brainstem plays a major role in headaches. The brainstem is where the nerves from the upper neck and the nerves that carry headache pain all meet. If the neck is irritated, stiff, inflamed, or not moving well, the brainstem becomes over-sensitive. When that happens, even small triggers—stress, light, noise, lack of sleep—can turn into a headache or a migraine.

This is why treating the upper neck is so important. By improving how C0–C3 move and relaxing the tissues around them, the pressure on the brainstem decreases. When the brainstem calms down, headaches naturally lessen.

That simple idea is the foundation of the Pys Headache Method. And what is encouraging is that studies from all around the world—different countries, different schools, different techniques—are all pointing in the same direction: treat the neck, calm the brainstem, and people with headaches get better.

A large amount of research on Osteopathic Manual Therapy from around the world can be found online. Almost all of this research concludes:
a) "the osteopathic manual therapy (OMM) (OMT) intervention group had a significant decrease in symptoms"
b) Osteopathic Manual Therapy "revealed a notable significant difference in treatment groups, including decreased measures of migraine severity or pain"

Please download PDF with studies from around the world: >> Pys Headache Method Resources << (click here)