Migraine sufferers know that the pain of a migraine is unlike anything else. It isn’t just a headache; it’s a full-body experience of major pain that can last for days. And the pain isn’t even the worst part – the nausea and light sensitivity can steal entire days from your life. Although there are plenty of remedies, both prescription and over-the-counter, to relieve migraines, they don’t work for everyone. Perhaps for those people, the Cefaly headband will finally provide relief.

The headband makes the wearer look a little like a princess in a tiara, but its purpose is much more serious than playing dress-up. On the inside of the headband, a self-adhesive electrode attaches to the forehead. A weak electrical charge, powered by a battery, is then fed through the device to deliver transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), a technique that has proven effective in treating certain types of muscle pain. Now, the FDA has approved the Cefaly for the prevention of migraines.

The device is approved for adults 18 and over, who can wear the device for up to 20 minutes a day. Although it’s technically delivering an electrical charge to your body, the only side effects are a slight tingling sensation and some mild muscle spasms, both of which go away when the headband is taken off. In a recent study, the odd-looking headband led to significantly fewer migraine days for most of the study participants.

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Chronic pain affects millions of people and can easily make a sufferer feel like he or she is going crazy. Finding an effective treatment for chronic pain relief usually involves a combination of medication and physical therapy, but Thimble Bioelectronics is developing an easier way to find relief. Their stick-on pain relief patch uses Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), the same low-power electrical shocks used in physical therapy to relieve certain types of pain.

TENS therapy is typically delivered with the use of a small machine and several stick-on electrodes. But the patch being developed by Thimble Bioelectronics sticks on the skin like an adhesive bandage, allowing the wearer to administer his or her own pain relief when it’s most needed. The patch will come with Bluetooth connectivity and pair with a mobile device. A special app will track the user’s pain and pain management. Although the device is still quite far away from hitting the market, the concept was a finalist in the Wearable Technologies Innovation World Cup.

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