Researchers proposed a new solution for people suffering from chronic migraines: a magnetic device that could replace classic medication, and solve the problems of millions of people who’ve become intractable to medical therapies.

How does a world without migraines sound? For some, who’ve experienced excruciating headaches, nothing sounds better. The latest research in the field suggests that people suffering from migraines will be able to alleviate their pain without any medication.

The solution is a hand-held magnetic device that while held against the back of the head, is able to send magnetic pulses capable of short-circuiting the pain signals sent to the brain.

A typical migraine can last anything from 4 to 72 hours, and sometimes can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. While the exact causes remain unknown, the migraine is often treated with prescription medication.

Approximately one third of the population is affected by migraine at one point in their life; the prevalence is higher in females than in males, however, that changes with age. Some people experience a more severe form of migraine, called migraine with aura, which consists of neurological phenomena that accompanies the attack, such as disturbance in vision, olfactory hallucinations and sometimes even paresthesia.

Migraines have also been linked with an increased cardiovascular risk: the risk of stroke is two to three times increased in migraine sufferers. The risk is particularly increased in women who use oral contraceptives, researchers warned.

The regular treatment consists of painkillers, but for those who can’t stand taking medication, the new device might offer a useful alternative.

Medtronic, the medical device maker, sponsored a study called the Occipital Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Intractable Migraine (ONSTIM), in which they collected data from 66 patients, who they followed for three months.

According to Dr. Joel R. Saper, M.D., founder and director of the Michigan Head Pain and Neurological Institute, occipital nerve stimulation could prove to be the alternative therapy option for patients suffering from chronic migraine.

The study consisted of planting thin lead wires under the skin, near the occipital nerves, which were connected to a neurostimulator that delivered controlled electrical pulses to the occipital nerves.

Patients were randomly divided into three groups: one group received a neurostimulator, having the ability to control the level of stimulation, others were given a neurostimulator as part of a device control group, while the third group received standard medical treatment.

The occipital nerve stimulation therapy received a positive response, with a 50 percent reduction in the number of headache days a month, or a reduction in the pain intensity of three points on a 0-10 scale.

The effects of occipital nerve stimulation for chronic migraine have not been fully studied yet, but according to Saper, the early experience in the study was enough to prove that some chronic migraine patients who have ran out of treatment options might benefit from it.

Approximately 28 million Americans suffer from migraines, and 70 of them are women. The treatments available to date work in most cases, however, 3 to 14 percent of people suffering from migraines become intractable to medical therapies. According to Medtronic, these people could be perfect candidates for the occipital nerve stimulation treatment.

The World Health Organization ranked severe migraine among the highest seven disability classes, together with psychosis, dementia and quadriplegia.