Summary: An Israeli company has built a remote neurostimulation device that beats most common medicines for migraine pain treatment in young adults. Migraine headaches are common in children and teens, too. But this age group has few treatment options. The FDA has approved very few drugs for migraine in children. So doctors often have to use drugs made for adults. Studies suggest that untreated migraine in children may hurt both schooling and brain growth.
Migraine headaches are common in children and young adults. Studies show that migraine and cluster headaches even affect preschool children. In school-aged children, almost 10% may have migraine headaches, and these numbers may be even higher for adolescent females.
Migraine headaches are a special problem at this age. They can disrupt school and affect development. Doctors also find these headaches hard to manage because there are so few treatment options. Most adult migraine drugs are not approved for children and young adults.
So doctors are left with few choices. They can prescribe over-the-counter drugs that often fail to give enough relief. Or they can prescribe adult migraine drugs like CGRP inhibitors, which is not an ethical way to treat these headaches.
Can untreated migraine affect a child’s brain development?
There is a reason doctors often use unapproved drugs for migraine in children and young adults. Studies show that frequent migraine attacks may affect neurodevelopment. It may cut the growth of ‘gray matter’ in parts of the brain.
So doctors face a hard choice. If they do not treat migraine, brain growth can suffer for years. But treating it with drugs not approved for young people carries real risks.
Doctors say we urgently need safer ways to treat migraine headaches in children and young adults. Now there seems to be one.
Does the Nerivio device work for migraine in teens?
Treating headaches with a device has clear benefits. One is a lower risk of surprise side effects. An Israeli medical tech company has built a device called Nerivio as a new migraine treatment for young and older adults.
It is a remote neuromodulation device (it changes how nerves fire from a distance). You wear it on the upper arm and run it from a phone app. It sends electric pulses that stimulate nerves and break up migraine pain signals. Early studies already show that it works, and it is simple to use.
In a new study published in the journal Pain Medicine, researchers demonstrated that Nerivio is safe and effective for treating migraine headaches in adolescents. The latest study followed 35 adolescents aged 12 to 17 with migraines. It ran for two months. Researchers compared how well the device eased migraine headaches against over-the-counter drugs and oral triptans.
The results were strong. After two hours, 37% of patients had complete pain relief, versus just 8.6% with medications. And more than 80% got some pain relief from the device, versus 57% with drugs.
The device was safe, caused no side effects, and worked far better than drugs. So experts concluded it could be a first-line treatment for young adults and teens. It is also fairly cheap and lasts a long time. And since it is FDA-approved, insurance covers it.
Theranica, the company that makes the device, plans to test whether it can also prevent migraine headaches. It also plans to test it on other chronic pain conditions beyond migraine.
Frequently asked questions
What can a teenager take for migraines?
The choices are narrow. The FDA has approved very few migraine drugs for children and teens. Most adult drugs are not approved for them. Over-the-counter medicines often fail to give enough relief. Newer drugs such as CGRP inhibitors were made for adults. That gap is why a drug-free option like the Nerivio neuromodulation device matters for this age group.
How common are migraines in children and teens?
More common than most parents expect. Almost 10% of school-aged children may have migraine headaches. The rate may run higher in teenage girls. Migraine and cluster headaches can even hit preschool children. Attacks disrupt school and may affect development. So migraine in young people needs real treatment, not just waiting it out.
How does the Nerivio migraine device work?
Nerivio is a remote neuromodulation device made by the Israeli company Theranica. You wear it on the upper arm and run it from a phone app. It sends electric pulses that stimulate nerves and break up migraine pain signals. It is simple to use and FDA-approved. It is a device, not a drug, so it carries a lower risk of surprise side effects.
Is Nerivio better than medication for teen migraine?
A two-month study in the journal Pain Medicine tested 35 adolescents aged 12 to 17. It compared the device with over-the-counter drugs and oral triptans. Two hours after treatment, 37% had complete pain relief with the device versus 8.6% with medication. More than 80% had some relief with the device versus 57% with drugs. The device caused no side effects.
Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
