Magnets may help migraine

Tuesday March 9th, 2010

Single doses of magnetic treatment could make a big difference to people who suffer from migraine headache, researchers have reported.

Nearly one in five patients benefited from using a hand-held magnetic stimulation device, according to the first systematic scientific study of the treatment.

In the study, reported in The Lancet Neurology, patients were given a genuine magnetic device or a fake one and told how to use them when they had a migraine attack.

Some 164 people who suffer from migraine with aura used the devices.

Researches found that 39 per cent of those who used the genuine device were free of pain two hours after treatment. This compared with 22 per cent using the fake devices. There were no obvious side-effects from using the treatment.

The devices gave what is known as single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation or sTMS. Similar devices, using higher doses, are already in use for treating depression.

The researchers, led by Dr Richard Lipton, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA, state: "Although the exact mechanisms of migraine remain under study, administration of sTMS in people with migraine with aura decreases progression of the attack in some individuals?and could be a promising acute treatment."

And writing in the journal, Hans-Christoph Diener from University Hospital Essen, Germany, hails the treatment as potentially "a major step forward" for treating migraine with aura.

The Lancet Neurology April 2010

Tags: Brain & Neurology | Europe | North America | Pain Relief

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