New Research: Migraine treatment with noninvasive external neurostimulation
By: Brooklyn A. Bradley, BS; Medically edited by Dr. Deena E. Kuruvilla
This week we will be highlighting Dr. Kuruvilla and her colleague’s most recent publication – “Migraine treatment with external concurrent occipital and trigeminal neurostimulation–A randomized controlled trial.”
Dr. Kuruvilla and her colleagues researched the safety of a non-invasive stimulation device for the occipital and trigeminal nerves, which are often activated inmigraine. The occipital nerves are located at the back of the head and extend into the scalp, while the trigeminal nerves branch out to different parts of the face and jaw. Irritation of these nerves is very common in migraine.
In this study, the participants were patients with migraine (with or without aura). The researchers were interested in measuring reduction of migraine headache, pain relief, and pain freedom following treatment with the new device. The study found that 60% of participants using the device reported pain relief at 2 hours after the first treatment, compared to 37% in the control group. In addition, 46% of participants in the active treatment reported pain freedom at 2 hours without rescue medication.
The study shows that external concurrent occipital and trigeminal neurostimulation is a well-tolerated, safe, and effective, as needed, migraine treatment. The device provided fast relief from migraine pain and the associated symptoms. These results suggest that this type of neurostimulation can be a welcome addition to currently available acute migraine treatments.
Feel free to check out Dr. Kuruvilla’s latest publication at the link below! As always, text, call or email us at the Westport Headache Institute, today!
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