This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Minimally invasive treatment for migraines safe, effective in children

Add topic to email alerts

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on .

Subscribe

Added to email alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

Back to Healio

We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com.

Back to Healio

Sphenopalatine ganglion blockade is safe and effective in migraine headache treatment for children, according to a study presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s Annual Scientific Meeting.

While it is known that sphenopalatine ganglion blockade is safe and effective in the treatment of migraines in adults, new data show that the minimally invasive treatment may also be beneficial for children.

“This treatment, performed in an outpatient setting by an interventional radiologist, can safely relieve a child’s migraine quickly,” Robin Kaye, MD, section chief of interventional radiology in the department of medical imaging at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, said in a press release. “By reducing the need for medications that come with serious side effects or intravenous therapies that may require hospital stays, children don’t have to miss as much school and can get back to being a kid sooner.”

Researchers performed 310 procedures in 200 patients aged 7 to 18 years from February to November 2015.

Headaches recorded prior to intervention were scored on a scale of 1 to 10.

Lidocaine spray and gel were used to anesthetize of the bilateral nares.

Patients were asked to compare their pain level ten minutes after treatment using the same 1 to 10 scale.

The data showed a significant decrease in headache scores, from 5.55 pre-treatment to 3.28 post-treatment (difference, 2.27; 95% CI 1.34-3.2; P < .0001) with no complications, according to the researchers.

“While it isn’t a cure for migraines, this treatment has the potential to really improve the quality of life for many children,” Kaye said in the release. “It can be performed easily without complications, and gives quick pain relief, which is important to parents who want to see their children happy, health and pain free again.”– by Dave Quaile

Reference:

Dance L, et al. Abstract 10. Presented at: Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting; March 4-9, 2017; Washington, D.C.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.