Category: Treatment

Coping, Treatment

Free online course in migraine management begins Jan. 16

Kerrie Smyres

Imagine reducing the severity of your migraine symptoms and/or the intensity of your distress during a migraine attack without medication. Now imagine learning the skills to do so in a free course that you can take from the comfort of your own home.

The Resources for Migraine Management course, offered by the Danielle Byron Henry Migraine Foundation, can help you do exactly that. The free e-course begins this Saturday, January 16. (Registration link: Resources for Migraine Management virtual course registration)

What the Course Teaches

A 10-session online course, Resources for Migraine Management teaches a variety of biobehavioral treatments for migraine management. Each session will teach different methods for managing migraine symptoms and the associated stress and anxiety.

The goals of the program are to:

  • Teach relaxation techniques
  • Teach pain management strategies
  • Learn how to better cope with distressing thoughts and emotions
  • Build resources for greater resilience

About the Teacher

Dan Kaufman, PhD, a research assistant professor in neurology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, teaches the course. A scientist might seem an unusual choice to teach the course, but the story of how he got here is persuasive. In his scientific research on migraine, Dr. Kaufman became curious about the experience of people living with the condition. As he spoke with people to learn about their perspectives, he was compelled to offer help that was more direct than scientific research. He began training in biobehavioral therapies for migraine, which led to him opening a private practice to teach these therapies and, ultimately, to offer this course.

Firsthand Experiences

One woman who participated in last year’s class recently reported that, for the first time in years, she has been migraine-free for months and that her anxiety is virtually gone. While these results aren’t typical, it’s a stunning example of the potential effectiveness of biobehavioral techniques.

While I didn’t take this particular course, I have learned many of these techniques over the years. After the events of 2020 stirred up my stress-triggered migraine attacks, these methods helped me return to my migraine baseline and cope more effectively. They have also been invaluable in teaching me to cope with the onslaught of migraine. Living with chronic migraine is still hard and frustrating, but it is so much easier than before I had these strategies.

Course Logistics

The next class begins on Saturday, January 16. Sessions are on Zoom on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m. MST. Each one teaches you new skills that build on previous sessions. Classes include opportunities to practice the techniques and get feedback from the instructor, so attendance at the scheduled times is preferred. However, if you’re unable to attend a session live, recorded sessions will available so you can catch up.

Registration

Here’s the link to register: Resources for Migraine Management virtual course registration.

Photo by Oliver Augustijn on Unsplash

Treatment

SpringTMS, sTMS mini Alternatives

Kerrie Smyres

If you had success with the SpringTMS or sTMS mini, what can you do for treatment in the wake of the eNeura bankruptcy news? A number of you have asked this question and, unfortunately, there’s no great answer. eNeura had no backup plan in place for patients to continue accessing the device and there’s no news about another company purchasing the assets. (Though it’s been just over two months since eNeura filed for bankruptcy, so that may still happen in time.)

Here are some ideas for alternatives to talk to your health care provider about.

TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. This technology first became known as an in-office treatment for depression and is offered by psychiatrists. If you only used the SpringTMS as an acute treatment, it’s worth checking to see if any psychiatrists near you offer the treatment in their offices. The device and protocol are different, but the basic technology is the same. A psychiatrist might be willing to work with you to find an effective use for migraine. (I admit this is a long shot. It’s the only way I know to access TMS currently.)

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a less well-known therapy that has been studied for migraine. When I first wrote about TMS, a tDCS researcher reached out to tell me that he thought tDCS was a more effective treatment. That’s about all I can tell you—it has been researched and has shown some promise—but I don’t know how similar it is to TMS. It does seem closer to TMS than the other available devices, but my take is not rooted in a careful scientific analysis. However, it is something to talk to your health care provider about in case tDCS is a good alternative for you.

And that’s really your best option—talk with your health care provider about what might be a good treatment given your particular migraine symptoms and frequency and which treatments you have responded to in the past. Other devices (like gammaCore, Cefaly, or Nerivio) are possibilities, though their technologies are different than TMS. Or maybe a CGRP inhibitor would be a good option for you. Only you and your health care provider can find the best solution for you.

I wish I had better suggestions. My heart hurts for everyone who has experienced an increase in the frequency or severity of their migraine attacks from no longer having access to this device. I will share any new information as it becomes available.

Note: I’m having some temporary issues with comments not appearing on the blog. I still see comments you leave and if you check the box that says “Notify me when new comments are added to this post,” you’ll get an email when I reply. I’m working on getting the comment view fixed ASAP.

Treatment

Cefaly Now Available Without a Prescription

Kerrie Smyres

You can now purchase a Cefaly Dual without a prescription. It’s currently $399 on the Cefaly website and has a 60-day trial period.

I have mixed feelings about Cefaly being available over-the-counter. Cefaly has brought at least some relief to many people I know. I also know others who have had a lasting worsening of their migraine attacks after using it. While that could be coincidental, headache specialists have told me that they’ve seen the same. My headache specialist told me that of all the devices, Cefaly is the only one he’s seen patients have a lasting worsening of symptoms with.

Early on, some providers recommended patients push through the increased pain for weeks to months to see if they would eventually notice an improvement. That’s when my specialist noticed the lasting increase in symptoms with his patients. The continued use through pain could very well be the problem—not the use itself—so a short-term trail may be just fine.

I don’t want to dissuade people from trying Cefaly—but do caution you to be mindful when doing so. Here are some recommendations for trying it:

  • Even though you don’t need a prescription, consult the health care provider who would have prescribed the device before you try it. Ask for their recommendations for safe use. Be sure to ask the questions that will help you feel comfortable using it.
  • Start on the lowest setting and see how you do. If you notice an improvement, try sticking at that level for a while to see if it’s enough before increasing the intensity. If you don’t notice an improvement, ease into an increase slowly.
  • If you notice a worsening of your symptoms when you use the device, don’t try to push through to see if things improve. Consult your health care provider instead. You may want to try it several times to be sure the device is the culprit and the worsening isn’t coincidence (which it very well could be), but that’s best to do under the supervision of a health care provider.

A friend shared the news of Cefaly’s OTC availability and mentioned that her implanted nerve stimulator experience was a nightmare. She said that experience has made her cautious about trying anything that might make her worse. Similarly, my nerve stimulator implant also made me aware that the things we try to improve our health can instead exacerbate our symptoms. I’m sure I am more cautious than most people—I got that way out of experience and fear of worsening my already tenuous health.

So take what I say here with a grain of salt if you need to. I don’t want to scare anyone, but do recommend an abundance of caution when trying Cefaly.

News & Research, Treatment

SpringTMS, sTMS mini no longer available?

Kerrie Smyres

The maker of SpringTMS and sTMS mini, eNeura, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Friday, August 7. In Chapter 7 bankruptcy, companies liquidate their assets, so this doesn’t look good for short-term access to SpringTMS. I don’t know anything for certain, though—all the information I have is the bankruptcy filing and that eNeura’s customer service is not responding “due to unforeseen circumstances,” as the auto replies say. Despite this, their website is still active.

That’s unfortunately all I can say for certain right now. I have industry contacts keeping an eye out for the SpringTMS to become available to patients again, whether from eNeura or another company that purchases the technology.

I’m sorry to share such bad news. My heart hurts for everyone who relies n these devices for migraine management and wish I had more information for you. I’ll keep you posted if I learn anything new.

Community, Patient Education, Resources, Treatment

Virtual RetreatMigraine This Weekend—Join Me!

Kerrie Smyres

Please join me this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 17-19, for the virtual RetreatMigraine experience—a series of information sessions on migraine that will stream on Facebook Live on the Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patient’s Facebook page. Here’s a schedule of the free events so you can watch live. I’ll be on a panel on Friday and will be leading a session on self-care on Saturday that I’m really excited about. I’d love for you to join me!

virtual RetreatMigraine schedule

If you’re not familiar, RetreatMigraine is an annual in-person retreat sponsored by CHAMP. The second annual retreat was scheduled for this weekend in California. When it had to be rescheduled, CHAMP decided to make some of the sessions virtual and open them up to anyone who was able to attend. It’s a great lineup of knowledgeable speakers, so I hope you’re able to watch some of the events.

Relevant links: