JUNE 2014
A non invasive and side effect free electrical device that has been transforming the lives of migraines sufferers across Europe and the US is being launched in the UK this week.
Welcomed by Migraine charities and neurologists, Cefaly® is worn as a small headband which applies precise neurostimulation via electrical impulses at the centre of the forehead onto the Supraorbital nerve, a nerve which has been implicated in migraine activity. Patients wear the device for twenty minutes every day as a preventative measure and it can also be used at the start of a migraine to help to relieve the symptoms of an attack.
Already available in many countries around the EU, Cefaly was recently approved by the FDA in America as the only medical device for migraines and it is now available there on prescription
In a recent double blind, randomised, sham controlled study carried out on 67 patients across five centres in Belgium, 38% of patients who used
Cefaly reported at least a 50% reduction in their migraine frequency and a 37% reduction in the amount of medication that they took each month.
(1) In addition, a satisfaction survey of 2,313 purchasers of the device found that 55% were satisfied enough to purchase the device after a trial period. (2)
The Migraine Trust estimate that around eight million people in the UK suffer from migraine. Currently there is no cure, with treatment usually limited to over the counter or prescription drugs, many of which have significant and unpleasant side effects. This often leaves patients facing

a dreadful dilemma between living with migraine pain and accepting a significant reduction in their quality of life.
According to neurologist Jean Schoenen, Honorary Full Professor at the
Headache Research Unit University of Liège and former President of the
International Headache Society who led the independent research, for many of those patients, Cefaly may prove to be a way to reduce that burden.
‘Our research concluded that Cefaly helped around 40% of patients. This compares with a pharmaceutical success rate of 50%-60%. On the other hand, Cefaly is almost entirely side effect free whereas many of our patients report very difficult side effects from some of the drugs we use to treat them,’ explains Professor Schoenen.
‘Therefore I tell my patients that Cefaly is not a last chance device to try when all else has failed. Rather it is a useful first line treatment which may help around 40% of patients at least to lessen their symptoms to the point where they can begin to reduce their drug burden. If it works it may mean that the patient can stay drug free or at least have fewer drugs with fewer side effects. If Cefaly doesn’t work for them, then the patient should be managed with other treatments.’
Wendy Thomas of the charity The Migraine Trust comments:
‘Neurostimulatiom is proving to be an exciting development in the treatment of migraines and the research on the efficacy of Cefaly is so far positive. We welcome new studies and any treatment which can add to the range of options available for the many numbers of people whose lives are blighted by migraine.’
Christabel Thorpe, 32, from Surrey has been suffering from severe and regular migraines since she was 25. Married with two young children, her life was made miserable by her excruciating headaches which left her unable to function for days at a time.
‘It seemed as if anything could trigger them off,’ says Christabel, who is married with two small children. ‘I couldn’t work, have a social life and it was a real struggle to look after my children. I had scans, I was on maximum amount of pain killers, including Amiltriptyline and I spent hours in hospital out-patient clinics.
‘In April last year (2013) I bought a Cefaly device. I thought I had nothing to lose. It took a few weeks to have an effect, but gradually the frequency and severity of the attacks decreased. I stopped taking pain killers and was able to reduce my Amiltriptyline to a tiny dose. My last full migraine attack was in November, which is a miracle. I still use
Cefaly as a preventative measure twice a week. My life is now

transformed. I can work, have a social life, relax with the children. I can enjoy life again.’
Bharat Vadukul, a Director of BHR Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the company behind the UK launch of Cefaly, says; ‘We are delighted to be making
Cefaly available to migraine suffers in the UK. As the research shows, the device can provide a helpful addition to the treatment already available for migraine, particularly for prevention, with no significant side effects.’
Caefaly is available in the UK from 10 th June 2014 online from www.cefaly.co.uk
. Price £295 it comes with a six week refundable guarantee. Electrodes are available in packs of three priced £19.99 and one electrode lasts between fifteen and thirty uses.
For more information on Cefaly go to www.cefaly.co.uk
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References:
1.
Migraine prevention with a supraorbital transcutaneous stimulator:A randomised controlled trial. Jean Schoenen, Bart Vandersmissen, Sandrine Jeangette, et al.
Neurology Feb 6,2013.
2.
Safety and patients’ satisfaction of transcutaneous Supraorbital
NeuroStimulation (tSNS) with the Cefaly ® device in headache treatment: a survey of 2,313 headache sufferers in the general population. The Journal of
Headache and Pain 2013 14.95