Study Shows Pressure Applied To The Acupoint PC6 Neiguan Using Sea-Band Effective At Controlling Nausea During Migraine

Main Category: Headache / Migraine
Also Included In: Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine
Article Date: 27 Jul 2012 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Study Shows Pressure Applied To The Acupoint PC6 Neiguan Using Sea-Band Effective At Controlling Nausea During Migraine

Migraine can be a disabling neurological disorder, often aggravated by accompanying nausea. Stimulation of the acupoint PC6 Neiguan, an approach to controlling nausea adopted by traditional Chinese medicine, has never been documented by published clinical studies in medical literature for the control of migraine-related nausea, until now. Published in a recent Neurological Sciences (journal of the Italian Neurological Society)*, "Acupressure in the control of migraine-associated nausea" is a clinical trial demonstrating that continuous stimulation of the acupoint PC6 Neiguan on the inner wrist, as provided by Sea-Band® wristbands, showed statistically significant improvement in migraine-related nausea versus not using the wristbands.

Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of Sea-Band and its continual stimulation of the acupressure point PC6 for nausea relief due to motion sickness, postoperative nausea and chemotherapy-induced nausea. However, this study is the first published research aimed at verifying that pressure applied to the acupoint PC6 with Sea-Band is effective at relieving nausea during migraine.

Migraine affects more than 29.5 million Americans, according to the National Headache Foundation, and is considered by the World Health Organization as the 19th leading cause of all years lived with disability for both males and females. Eight out of every 10 people in the U.S. who are diagnosed with migraine report experiencing nausea.

"This new research supports what millions of Sea-Band users already know; that the acupressure wristbands provide fast, consistent, drug-free relief for nausea associated with migraine headaches," commented Leonard Nihan, president, Sea-Band U.S. "We're pleased to have this published study to reinforce Sea-Band's efficacy to the scientific and medical communities."

The Italian study included 40 female patients suffering from migraine without aura, if nausea was always present as an accompanying symptomatology of their migraine. The patients were treated randomly for a total of six migraine attacks: three with the application of Sea-Band wristbands, which applies continual pressure to the PC6 acupoint (phase SB), and three without it (phase C).

The intensities of nausea at the onset at 30, 60, 120 and 240 minutes were evaluated on a scale from zero to 10. The values were always significantly lower in phase SB than in phase C. Also the number of patients who reported at least a 50 percent reduction in the nausea score was significantly higher in phase SB than in phase C at 30, 60 and 120 minutes. The average nausea scores dropped in the SB phase from 6.36 ± 0.35 in T0, to 4.60 ± 0.39 in T1, to 3.11 ± 0.40 in T2, to 1.88 ± 0.31 in T3 and to 0.92 ± 0.22 in T4. At each time step taken into consideration after the application of the Sea-Band wristbands, there was a statistically significant improvement over the non-treated phases. Moreover, there were a high percentage of responders to the treatment: i.e. 46.8 percent at 60 minutes; 71.8 percent at 120 minutes; 84.3 percent at 240 minutes with a consistent response over time.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our headache / migraine section for the latest news on this subject. *Neurol Sci (2012) 33 (Suppl 1):S207-S210; DOI 10.1007/s10072-012-1069-y; Gianni Allais, Sara Rolando, Ilaria Castagnoli Gabellari, Chiara Burzio, Gisella Airola, Paola Borgogno, Paola Schiapparelli, Rita Allais and Chiara Benedetto. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Women's Headache Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. Published in Neurological Sciences, ISSN 1590 – 1872, 5/20/2012, vol 33, suppl 1:207-10.
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Migraine Increases Risk Of Depression In Women

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Main Category: Headache / Migraine
Also Included In: Depression
Article Date: 23 Feb 2012 - 12:00 PST Current ratings for:
Migraine Increases Risk Of Depression In Women

Research released today and scheduled to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, April 21 to April 28, shows that women who have a tendency for migraines or have had them in the past, have a greater risk for developing depression.

The study gathered data on more than 36,000 women, who were all classified as not having depression. They were enrolled in the Women's Health Study and gave information about their history of migraines.

The women were categorized as either having :
Active migraine with auraActive migraine without auraPast history of migraine (but not within the last year)No history of migraine. The women also gave information about diagnoses of depression.

From 36,154, a total of 6,456 had current or past problems with migraines, and during the following 14 years of the study, more than half of them developed depression.

Those that had a history of migraines were nearly twice as likely to develop depression as those that had no history of the affliction. The results did not vary substantially, regardless of the type of migraine. Those with aura, which is described as visual disturbances that appear as flashing lights, zigzag lines or a temporary loss of vision, had the same risks as other types of migraine.

Tobias Kurth, MD, ScD, with Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and Inserm in France and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology said :

"This is one of the first large studies to examine the association between migraine and the development of depression over time ... We hope our findings will encourage doctors to speak to their migraine patients about the risk of depression and potential ways to prevent depression."

It's useful information that patients and doctors alike should be aware of when treating depression.

Written by Rupert Shepherd.
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posted by Veronika on 15 Mar 2012 at 12:50 pm

Wow! I didn't know the fact that migraine increases risk of depression in women. I definitely have a headache once a week but I don't know is it migraine or not! Usually I don't care about it... I have to think and visit a doctor. I don't want to have a depression.
Some days ago I found a blog of one poor thing who is in depression... Not good!

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posted by momo on 23 Feb 2012 at 1:51 pm

Really?
So, feeling like you've been hit on the head with a baseball bat (with no hope of a cure) increases your chances of feeling hopeless and sad?
Yes, oddly enough people with chronic and frequent pain are more likely to not "look on the bright side of life".
.
Seems a no brainer to me. But of course prior to triptains I used to get migraines every other day.
How much money was spent on this research?

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Migraine sufferers are more prone to hangovers

While a headache after a night of drinking for the general public can be quite general, new studies show that hangovers may be more frequently in migraine sufferers. Researchers at the Jefferson headache Center developed a model to study the effects of alcohol on rats who suffer recurrent migraines, compared to rats that do not get headaches. The results, which were presented at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, in Chicago, are quite fascinating.

Migraine headaches are associated with hypersensitivity to light, sound and light touch on the head and face. The researchers measured rats sensitivity to touch around the eye in four different test groups: two groups received repeated dural simulation to cause headache, followed by an oral ingestion of saline or alcohol (the equivalent of one to two shots of liquor). Two control groups received no inflammatory stimulation, but the same each received oral intake of salt or alcohol.

The rats that received the stimulation followed with alcohol increased pain sensitivity after 4-6 hours, while the control groups had no change in pain sensitivity. The researchers made sure that dehydration and alcohol impurities were excluded as causes of increased sensitivity by hydrating the rats and ensuring the alcohol was free of contaminants.

According to the study leader Dr. Michael Oshinsky, Ph.d., Assistant professor of Neurology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, "the alcohol itself or a metabolite must be causing the hangover-like headache." Dr. Oshinsky ultimately concluded that "these data confirm the clinical observation that people with migraine are more sensitive to alcohol-induced headaches."

For more information about the causes and treatments for Hangover headache symptoms, visit www.headaches.org.

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4 Gene Loci Discovered That Predispose People To The Most Common Subtype Of Migraine

Main Category: Headache / Migraine
Also Included In: Genetics
Article Date: 12 Jun 2012 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
4 Gene Loci Discovered That Predispose People To The Most Common Subtype Of Migraine

Researchers studied genetic data of more than 11 000 people and found altogether six genes that predispose to migraine without aura. Four of these genes are new and two of them confirm previous findings.

The new genes identified in this study provide further evidence for the hypothesis that dysregulation of molecules important in transmitting signals between brain neurons contribute to migraine. Two of the genes support the hypothesis of a possible role of blood vessels and thus disturbances in blood flow.

The researchers carried out what is known as a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to zoom in on genome variants that could increase susceptibility to migraine; they compared genomes of 4800 migraine patients with more than 7000 non-migraine individuals. The project was performed by the International Headache Genetics Consortium consisting of leading migraine researches from Europe and Australia.

This was the third report on genes predisposing people to common forms of migraine, but the first one on the most common migraine subtype. "The study establishes for the first time a specific gene that contributes to this common disease" said Professor Aarno Palotie at FIMM and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the chair of the International Headache Genetics Consortium.

The carefully studied migraine patients collected from specialized headache clinics were provided a strong basis for the success of this study.

Migraine affects approximately one in six women and one in eight men, making it a leading cause of work absence and short-term incapacity: 25 million school or work days are lost for migraine each year. A US report measures its economic costs as similar to those of diabetes and WHO lists it as one of the top twenty diseases with the causes of years lived with disability (YLDs). In up to one third of migraine patients, the headache phase may be preceded or accompanied by transient neurological disturbances, the so-called aura (i.e. migraine with aura), while the majority of patients suffer from migraine without aura.

"Studies of this kind are possible only through large-scale international collaboration - bringing together the wealth of data with the right expertise and resources. The identified genes open new doors to investigate how this type of migraine comes about," said Dr. Arn van den Maagdenberg, one of the senior authors on the paper.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
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Migraine Sufferers Find Relief From Handheld Magnetic Device

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Main Category: Headache / Migraine
Also Included In: Pain / Anesthetics;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 24 Sep 2012 - 5:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Migraine Sufferers Find Relief From Handheld Magnetic Device

A handheld magnetic device may be a way for migraine sufferers to take treatment into their own hands. At a congress last week, researchers revealed how three months of treatment with the device relieved or reduced headache pain in 73% of patients treated.

Headache specialists at several clinics around the UK, including in Aberdeen, Bath, Exeter, Hull, Liverpool and London, are prescribing the non-invasive single pulse Spring Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) device, made by eNeura Technology in California.

The new data, from a trial involving 60 migraine sufferers treated with TMS at UK clinics, was presented at the 3rd European Headache and Migraine Trust International Congress in London on Friday.

The news comes in the wake of a warning by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in England and Wales, that painkiller overuse can cause headaches.

The TMS device costs about £500 and is about the size and weight of a portable radio. As soon as he or she senses a migraine coming on, the user holds it to the back of the head and pushes a button. This sends a brief magnetic pulse into the brain.

Scientists suggest that magnetic pulses could halt migraines before they get the chance to build. Scientists believe the magnetic pulse somehow short-circuits the electrical storm that builds up at the start of migraine headaches.

The congress also heard how the TMS improved other symptoms of migraine in 63% of the trial participants: symptoms such as vertigo, nausea, memory problems, and hyper-sensitivity to light and noise.

And over half (53%) reported a reduction in the number of headache days.

Andy Bloor took part in the UK trials. He suffers from chronic migraines and says the TMS device worked for him:

"The key for me was using the device quickly - as soon as the migraine started."

He says when he did that, the migraine stopped.

"The plus of the device is it reduces my reliance on strong drugs like cocodamol," he adds, in a report on the congress by the UK Press Association.

Findings from a trial of the efficacy of the TMS device were published in The Lancet Neurology in 2010. They say the device offers efficient pain relief for up to 48 hours after treatment in some patients with migraine with aura, and does not cause any serious side-effects.

Professor and neurologist Peter Goadsby, one of the world's leading headache experts and researchers, was joint chair of the London congress. He told the press:

"For the many migraine sufferers whose medicines just do not do the job, it is exciting to see such an innovative, novel approach to treatment that provides new optimism."

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
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posted by Steve H on 24 Sep 2012 at 10:06 am

Magnetic fields applied to water will cause the positive and negative ions to line up making the water more conductive. I assume as the human body is made up of a large proportion of water the same principle applies which will cause the electrical eddy currents causing the migraine to quickly dissipate through the increased conductivity of body fluids

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Chronic Migraine Headache Sufferers Benefit Only Modestly From Botox Injections

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Main Category: Headache / Migraine
Article Date: 24 Apr 2012 - 13:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Chronic Migraine Headache Sufferers Benefit Only Modestly From Botox Injections

A study published in the April 25 issue of JAMA reveals that individuals suffering from chronic migraine headaches and chronic daily headaches may receive a small to modest benefit using botulinum toxin A ("Botox") injections. However, the researchers found botox did not provide greater benefit than placebo for preventing episodic migraine or chronic tension-type headaches.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved botox for preventive treatment for chronic migraines.

The researchers explained:

"Migraine and tension-type headaches are common. Although up to 42 percent of adults experience tension-type headaches sometime in their life, most do not seek medical advice.

Migraines are less common, with a worldwide prevalence between 8 to 19%, but as associated with greater disability. Migraine headaches are responsible for $1 billion in medical costs and $16 billion in lost productivity per year in the United States alone."

Clinicians first observed that patients with chronic headaches experienced an improvement after receiving cosmetic botulinum toxin A injections. This resulted in various studies suggesting that botox injections were beneficial for patients with headaches. However, medical literature on botulinum efficacy for headaches has been mixed.

In order to determine whether botox is effective as preventative treatment of migraine, tension, or chronic daily headaches in adults, Jeffrey L. Jackson, M.D., M.P.H., of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and his team examined 27 randomized placebo-controlled trials that included 5,313 individuals, as well as 4 randomized comparisons with other medications.

The researchers categorized headaches as: Episodic - less than 15 headaches per month
Chronic- (15+ headaches per month) migraine and episodic or chronic daily or tension headachesThe researchers found that individuals with chronic daily headaches who received botox had less headaches per month (1,115 patients, -2.06 headaches per month), as did those with chronic migraine headaches (1,508 patients, -2.30 headaches per month).

However, they found no considerable association between the use of botox and reduction in the number of chronic tension-type headaches (675, -1.43 headaches per month) or episodic migraine (1,838 patients, 0.05 headaches per month).

Compared with placebo, the researchers found that botox was linked to: Skin tightnessNeck stiffnessNeck painMuscle weaknessParesthesias (a prickly, tingling sensation)Greater frequency of blepharoptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid)In addition, the team discovered that botox did not lower the frequency of headache compared with topiramate (1.4 headaches per mont) or amitriptyline (2.1 headaches per month) for prophylaxis against chronic migraine headaches.

The researchers explained:

"Botulinum toxin A was not associated with a reduction in headache frequency vs. valproate in a study of patients with chronic and episodic migraines (0.84 headaches per month) or in a study of patients with episodic migraines (0.3 headaches per month).

Botulinum toxin A was associated with a greater reduction in average headache severity than methylprednisolone in a single trial among patients experiencing chronic tension-type headaches (-2.5 headaches per month)."

They conclude:

"Our analyses suggest that botulinum toxin A may be associated with improvement in the frequency of chronic migraine and chronic daily headaches, but not with improvement in the frequency of episodic migraine, chronic tension-type headaches, or episodic tension-type headaches.

However, the association of botulinum toxin A with clinical benefit was small. Botulinum toxin A was associated with a reduction in the number of headaches per month from 19.5 to 17.2 for chronic migraine and from 17.5 to 15.4 for chronic daily headaches."

Written By Grace Rattue

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'Chronic Migraine Headache Sufferers Benefit Only Modestly From Botox Injections'

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Identification Of Female Gene Link Offers New Hope For Migraine Sufferers

Main Category: Headache / Migraine
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 05 Jun 2012 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Identification Of Female Gene Link Offers New Hope For Migraine Sufferers

New hope has arrived for migraine sufferers following a Griffith University study with the people of Norfolk Island.

Led by Professor Lyn Griffiths from the University's Griffith Health Institute, the team has identified a new region on the X chromosome as playing a role in migraine.

The research provides compelling evidence for a new migraine susceptibility gene involved in migraine. The study also indicated that there may be more than one X chromosomal gene involved and implicated a gene involved in iron regulation in the brain.

All females have two X chromosomes whilst males have an X and a Y chromosome.

"These results provide more support for the role of the X chromosome in migraine and may explain why so many more females suffer from the disorder," said Professor Griffiths.

Tracking down and identifying the various genes that cause migraine is very important as it provides insights to allow us to develop better means of diagnosis and more targeted treatments.

"Currently, 12 per cent of the population suffers from migraine. Even though we have some very good treatments for this very debilitating disease, they certainly don't work for everyone and can have some adverse side effects. Hence there is a real need to develop new migraine treatments."

This National Health and Medical Research Council funded work involved a unique population study of the remote Norfolk Island where 80 per cent of inhabitants are able to trace their ancestry back to the famous historical event, The Mutiny on the Bounty.

"This population was used due to its unusual pedigree structure in which genetic relationships can be traced through genealogical data to the island's original founders, and also the high incidence of migraine sufferers in this population. It's very useful for gene mapping purposes because of the reduced genetic and environmental diversity," said Professor Griffiths.

A comprehensive chromosome analysis of around 300 Norfolk participants from a large multigenerational Norfolk family, including many who are affected by migraine, was conducted using DNA samples obtained from the islanders.

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St. Jude Medical's Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Study Confirms Benefit For Chronic Migraine Patients

Main Category: Headache / Migraine
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 04 Oct 2012 - 2:00 PDT Current ratings for:
St. Jude Medical's Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Study Confirms Benefit For Chronic Migraine Patients

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ), a global medical device company, has announced publication of results from the first large-scale study of peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) of the occipital nerves in patients suffering from chronic migraine. The study results, published online by Cephalalgia the journal of the International Headache Society, show a significant reduction in pain, headache days and migraine-related disability.

Conducted at 15 medical centers in the U.S., the study followed 157 participants who, on average, suffered from headache approximately 21 days per month. At 12 weeks, patients receiving PNS therapy reported an average of six fewer headache days a month.

Additional key findings at 12 weeks were as follows: 43 percent improvement in overall disability scores, as measured using the Migraine Disability Assessment questionnaire (MIDAS) 53 percent of the patients ranked their relief as excellent or good Patients reported a 42 percent improvement in pain relief "One of the primary reasons that patients seek therapy is to try to find a way to lessen the number of days they experience migraine," said Stephen D. Silberstein, M.D., past president of the American Headache Society, director of the Jefferson Headache Center, and the principal investigator in the study. "For the millions who suffer from chronic migraine, these study results are important, as they confirm that peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) of the occipital nerve may help improve their quality of life and lessen the number of days per month they suffer with this debilitating condition."

PNS therapy for this condition involves the delivery of mild electrical pulses to the occipital nerves that are located just beneath the skin at the back of the head. A small electrical lead or leads are placed under the skin and connected to a neurostimulator, which produces pulses of stimulation.

In this prospective, randomized, controlled study, participants were implanted with the St. Jude Medical Genesis™ neurostimulator and randomly assigned to an active or control group for 12 weeks. The active group received stimulation immediately upon implantation, while patients in the control group did not receive stimulation until after the first 12 weeks. Both the investigators and the patients were blinded to treatment.

Although statistical significance was demonstrated across most measures, it was not observed for the primary endpoint (defined as the difference in the percentage of patients in the active group versus control who achieved 50 percent or greater pain reduction at 12 weeks). However, patients in the active group were more likely than control patients to experience 30 percent or greater pain reduction, which is considered clinically meaningful.

"When this study was initially designed, the primary endpoint was based on a reduction in pain, which at the time was the standard measurement for neurostimulation studies," said, Dr. Mark Carlson, chief medical officer and senior vice president of research and clinical affairs for the St. Jude Medical Implantable Electronic Systems Division. "However during the course of the study, many neurologists began to recognize reduction in the number of headache days as a more significant improvement in patient quality of life than the measurement of pain reduction alone."

The most common adverse event was persistent pain and/or numbness at the implant site, followed by lead migration. The majority of adverse events were classified as mild or moderate in severity.

Preliminary data from this study was presented at the International Headache Congress (IHC) in 2011. The Genesis neurostimulation system used in this study is approved in Europe and Australia for the management of the pain and disability associated with intractable chronic migraine.

About Chronic Migraine

Chronic migraine is a disabling neurological disorder that can last for hours or days at a time. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.7 to 4 percent of adults have headache on more than 15 days per month. Compared with people who periodically experience migraine headache, individuals with chronic migraine experience significantly greater disability, economic burden, and impairments in health-related quality of life. According to the European Journal of Neurology the total annual cost attributed to migraine amounts to €111 billion in the EU.

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posted by Katie on 18 Oct 2012 at 12:11 pm

I am greatly interested in studies like this one in a long term state. As a daily sufferer of headache and migraines, reducing the number of days with head pain would be a great victory.
I hope that studies such as this one will continue to make progress in this field and find a way to drastically improve the quality of life in chronic migraine patients.

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