Pain-Relieving Gadgets -- Do They Work?

Jan. 26, 2008 — -- Muscles so tight your shoulders threaten to swallow your head whole. Ankles so swollen they'd gross out the Elephant Man. Then there's that stabbing throb just below your brow that shoots through your skull after being ambushed at the parent-teacher conference -- who knew your angel hadn't turned in her math homework in a month?

We all have aches and pains. But temporary pain relief has moved from dreary medical supply stores to what are now dubbed health and wellness sections of home stores and tech-y catalogs.

But are these gadgets effective?

Dr. Timothy Collins, associate clinical professor of neurology at Duke University in Durham, N.C., says that while many of these devices may temporarily alleviate pain, those who experience chronic pain are -- for a variety of reasons -- especially susceptible to the placebo effect.

"When testing meds on headache patients we already know that they have a one-in-three chance of responding positively, even if they're not getting the actual drug," he says.

That makes it difficult for a researcher to know if, for example, that helmet-like "spa for the brain" does a better job of reliving your migraine than your own fingertips.

Still, feeling better is feeling better, right? The following represent just a few of the popular gadgets now on the market for do-it-yourself relief:

Gadget Universe's Head Spa Massager

OK, you'll look like an extra from "Star Trek" if you wear this thing in the office or subway, but this portable acupressure helmet has received stellar consumer reviews. Beneath the metal hardware lurks a team of small-fingered people all rubbing your scalp at once -- or at least that's what it's said to feel like.

Collins: "This thing looks hilarious! But every single migraine patient says that having the temples and back of head massaged makes them feel better. Even medical writings from Egypt talk about the benefits of tight bandages. … We've known for a long time that pressure on the head makes people feel better."