Those of us who suffer from migraines know how debilitating, even disabling the pain can be; to the extent that severe migraine suffers are likely to try anything that will help allay the problem for them. New developments in the field of headaches and migraines have shown fresh hope to sufferers –
According to reports an implantable, pacemaker like device can help migraine sufferers manage their pain. It is estimated that there is a toll of billions of dollars in lost work days because of migrainessuffered by a significant proportion of the workforce and this device will hopefully help redress the problem.
The device was tested in a 157 patient study, when it had been implanted in the chest with leads threaded under the skin at the back of the head, where mild electrical signals were delivered.
The device is made by St Jude, which also makes pacemakers.
Similarly a device that is to be surgically implanted into the gum in a bundle of nerves that are located behind the cheekbone, which is controlled by a remote control can also help to relieve migraine, as per a Danish study.
The remote control is used to activate electrical signals that will help bring relief from the pain in about 15 minutes.
While the above devices are not yet available in the United States, the FDA has actually approved the use of Botox for treating headaches and migraine.
This treatment is supposed to be for people who suffer the kind of debilitating migraines that occur for 14 days or more in a month, or which are persistently occurring over many years.
According to Neurologist Alfred DeMaria from Wilmington Health, Botox injections have successfully been used to treat severe migraines, with improvement in severity of symptoms as well as the frequency of the headaches.
One patient of migraine, Erica Sinclair who had been experiencing migraines for years, along with nausea, used the Botox treatment for them and found that her headaches went away and that they have not recurred after the treatment.
To relieve migraine, Botox injections are administered to the forehead and the neck which help relieve the pain for a period of about three months. According to those who have successfully had their migraines treated with the Botox, the small amount of discomfort, and the burning that the injections could produce, is a small price to pay, for having the awful and disabling migraine pain go away.
