Magnetic Field Device May Zap Away Migraines

Some migraine sufferers may be able to avoid medication by zapping away their pain with a hand-held magnetic device, new research suggests.

The hair dryer-size device, called a transcranial magnetic stimulation device, delivers brief magnetic impulses to the brain. The researchers, who presented their results today at the American Headache Society meeting in Boston, hypothesized that the magnetic field pulses could short-circuit the pain signals in the brain.

"I think for migraine, it's extremely likely that this [device] will become part of the therapeutic armamentarium," said Dr. Richard Lipton, director of the Montefiore Headache Center in New York. "I think for some people who don't like taking prescription medications ... or for people who have side effects to these drugs, this will prove to be a very useful option."

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In the new study, researchers looked at 201 patients who suffered from a kind of migraine called "migraine with aura" -- one that is often accompanied by vivid visual disturbances, or blind spots. These kinds of migraines, which 20 to 30 percent of migraine sufferers experience, are sometimes accompanied by other neurological symptoms such as numbness, weakness or unsteadiness.

Half the patients were given a genuine stimulation device, and the other half an identical-looking device that did not deliver any magnetic current. The researchers asked the patients to hold the device to the back of their heads as soon as they began to experience the aura signaling an oncoming migraine.

They found that 39 percent of those who used the real thing were pain-free two hours after using the device, compared with only 22 percent of patients who used the fake device.

Magnets, an Attractive New Option?

Proponents say the new option could be an important addition to migraine treatment, which more or less comprises three options. The first is to identify and avoid certain headache triggers, which can range from diet to the amount of sleep and exercise one gets. The second approach is called acute treatment, in which a patient takes medication -- usually a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug or a prescription pain reliever -- at the onset of a headache.