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Researchers say they may have found a safe and effective alternative to treating migraine pain. The discrete new medical device, called Nerivio Migra, uses remote electrical stimulation instead of medication to reduce pain.
In a study published this week in the journal Neurology, researchers found that 64 percent of trial participants who used the device reported an improvement in pain reduction.
The “smart patch” device, which features two adhesive electrodes mounted on an armband, is powered by a custom smartphone app. For the trial, researchers pre-programmed the device to run one placebo treatment and four active 20-minute treatments at varying frequencies of 80 to 120 Hz, with pulse widths of 200, 150, 100, and 50 microseconds. The placebo program was set at 0.1-Hz frequency with 45-microsecond-long pulses.
Trial participants were asked to wear the device on their upper arm and activate a treatment program via the smartphone app as soon as they experienced migraine pain. The app was programmed to randomly select one of the five pre-programmed treatments. Participants were asked not to take medications for 2 hours while using device.
Dr. David Yarnitsky, the study’s lead author and Director of the Department of Neurology at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, Israel, told Medscape Medical News that the electrical stimulation is not intended to cause pain. It creates a tingling effect similar to the sensation experienced when an arm or hand “falls asleep” due to decreased blood flow.
Researchers say that tingling feeling activates the brain’s pain inhibition centers and creates a generalized analgesic effect.
The study’s findings could mean good news for migraine sufferers who complain that migraine medications leave them with low energy.
"It may not be necessary to take drugs to abort a migraine attack," says Dr. David Yarnitsky. “There may be healthier and simpler ways to do it that involve fewer side effects."
To learn more about the study, read the entire Medscape article.