Can an electronic patch reduce the pain of migraines?

It looks like a high-tech version of a nicotine patch, but Theranica Bio-Electronics’ wearable device has a different purpose: to knock out migraines… at least temporarily. Inside Theranica’s Neriva Migra patch are tiny electrodes that deliver a small electrical jolt to your body to mitigate headaches and other acute pains through what’s known as CPM (conditioned pain modulation).

CPM is a counterintuitive approach to pain management. The idea is that by introducing a secondary noxious stimulus (the electrical zaps from the patch), perception of the primary noxious stimulus — in Theranica’s case, migraines — can be reduced. Similar to a nicotine patch, you place the Neriva Migra device on your arm above the elbow. The device communicates wirelessly via Bluetooth with your smartphone, which regulates the electrical pulses and sets a timer. A 45-minute treatment can bring relief for pain within two hours. In Theranica’s clinical trials involving 252 patients across 12 sites in the US and Israel, “around two-thirds of patients got significant pain relief,” Theranica cofounder and chief operating officer Ronen Jashek tells ISRAEL21c. “More than 30 percent were pain free.” There’s one unavoidable hitch: The pain does come back eventually because this is not a cure, rather a treatment to deal with headaches at their worst. Theranica’s Neriva Migra device isn’t on the market yet – it’s currently being evaluated by the FDA and clearance is expected in a couple of months. Nor is the business model set, other than it will need a prescription. The cost is hoped to be equivalent to, or less than, common prescription drugs.-- More...

ISRAEL21c——Bio and Archives

ISRAEL21c was founded in 2001, in the wake of the Second Intifada, to broaden public understanding of Israel beyond typical portrayals in the mainstream media.

The organization’s founders – Israeli-American technology executives – understood the great power of the Internet and developed a first-of-its kind online product with global appeal and reach.