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Breathing rapidly flowing room air at the onset of a migraine nearly doubles the chances of complete pain relief.  Cleveland Clinic neurologists presented the results of their preliminary clinical trials using a novel air pump called the Mi-Helper to the 2025 American Academy of Neurology meeting.

By blowing room air about 20 degrees cooler than body temperature into the nose, the device targets the sphenopalatine ganglion, a nerve plexus deep in the side wall at the back of the nose.  The randomized phase 2 study involved 74 patients: 49 were treated with the device using 3 levels of air flow while 25 received sham treatments.  All received treatments for 10 minutes within one hour of noticing migraine onset.

Those receiving air flow at 10 liters/min, the highest tested, obtained the most relief with 47% enjoying complete pain relief at 2 hours compared with only 16% in the control group.  In addition, 41% had sustained pain relief over 24 hours without the need for rescue medication compared with only 16% in the control group.  These air treatments were well tolerated by all participants.

The Mi-Helper is about the size of a small CPAP device, but smaller versions are in the works.  Larger, better controlled studies are planned, but this technology could well be a useful nonpharmacologic alternative for patients trying to avoid medications or opioids…..someday soon.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/transnasal-cooling-promising-migraine-2025a10008dh?ecd=a2a

#migraines #cooling #sphenopalatineganglion #mihelper