The Migraine Treatment You Don't—But Should—Know About

When something stands in the way of you being the best version of yourself, it often becomes a priority to squash it, fix it—whatever you need to do to improve your quality of life.

If you suffer from migraines and haven't found a treatment to help manage your symptoms, you are still on the journey to being your best self and living your best life. It can be a long journey, but don't get discouraged.

A recent HealthyWomen survey found that the majority (76 percent) of the 1,005 female respondents between the ages of 18 and 60 years old who have been diagnosed with migraines by a healthcare professional said migraines interfere with their daily activities such as work or school.

Upon completion of the survey, the interference of migraine in these women’s lives was strikingly apparent, with key findings such as:

• Nearly half (48 percent) of respondents have tried four or more migraine treatments
• 91 percent have tried prescription medicine, and 84 percent have tried over-the-counter medication
• Fewer than one in five (18 percent) say they are completely satisfied with their migraine treatment, and nearly nine out of ten people (86 percent) agree (completely or somewhat) that they are willing to try non-drug treatments for their migraines
• About half (51 percent) agree completely that they are willing to try non-drug treatments for their migraines

The good news is that there are non-drug migraine treatments now cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including a non-invasive vagus nerve stimulator (nVNS) therapy to treat acute pain associated with migraine.

Here's the thing: Only 36 percent of migraine sufferers are aware of alternative migraine treatments like this, and seeing that a third (33 percent) of migraine sufferers agree that they prefer to avoid medication to treat their migraine headaches, we have some educating to do. So here's everything you need to know about nVNS.