AHN study: Wearable technology can help to alleviate migraine symptoms
More than 40 million Americans suffer from migraines, with many people in the Pittsburgh region going to Allegheny Health Network’s Headache Center inside West Penn Hospital to find relief.
Now, doctors say wearable technology and your smartphone could be the answer.
It’s called Nerivio, a discrete medical device controlled by a smartphone app worn on the upper arm. It uses Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) to stimulate the arm’s peripheral nerve, triggering the body’s pain inhibition mechanisms to alleviate symptoms like pain, nausea, or sensitivity to light or sound.
“It’s placed on the upper arm and controlled by the person who is experiencing the migraine to decrease or eliminate the symptoms,” said Dr. Andrea Synowiec, assistant director of the Headache Center at AHN Neurosciences Institute. “In some situations, a person might use it every other morning or every other evening, whether they have any symptoms or not. It’s been shown to suppress the symptoms of migraines from even coming on.”
A recent Nerivio study led by AHN headache specialists found that 74% of participants reported consistent two-hour pain relief over a long period of time at the onset of symptoms.
“That hadn’t been shown before. So it’s kind of neat to see that it’s not just — you try it once and it works today — but if it works, it really may continue to work for you over repeated uses,” Synowiec said. “That reassurance that my treatment is going to keep working for me and I can go to work, knowing that in two hours I’m going to start feeling better — it just reduces the disability associated with having a migraine disorder.”
Synowiec said it could be an answer for those who aren’t looking to take another pill or medication, telling Channel 11 that Highmark is considering covering the device for those who are insured.
“We do a lot of different types of treatments for migraines and most people think of pills — but some people do better with non-drug options,” Synowiec said.
To learn more about this treatment, you can contact AHN’s Headache Center. To request an appointment at the AHN Headache Center, call 412-578-3925 in Pittsburgh or 814-452-7575 in Erie.
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