Migraines affect millions of people worldwide. Currently, there is no cure for this disease, however, there are medications with which the symptoms can be managed.
Migraine is a type of headache characterized by recurrent attacks of moderate to severe throbbing and pulsating pain on one side of the head. In addition to pain, it can also cause nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to sound and light.
There are several pharmacologic options available for the management of migraine. Additionally, non-invasive neuromodulation devices stimulating a single peripheral nerve or anatomic distribution are routinely used by patients with migraine refractory to the first-line drugs. Concurrent occipital and trigeminal stimulation has previously been used for migraines in invasive settings but clinical data on its external (non-invasive) use in migraine is limited.
Clinical Trial
A clinical trial has shown promising results for this type of migraine treatment called external concurrent occipital and trigeminal neurostimulation.The treatment involves using a device that sends electrical impulses to the nerves in the back of the head (occipital nerves) and the face (trigeminal nerves). The idea behind the treatment is that the electrical stimulation can disrupt the pain signals that are being sent to the brain, which can reduce or eliminate the pain of a migraine.
The clinical trial involved 109 patients who had a diagnosis of migraine with or without aura. They were randomly assigned to two groups. One group received the concurrent neurostimulation while the other group did not (they received a placebo treatment that looked and felt like the real treatment but did not actually provide any electrical stimulation).