A stream of air blown into the nose can relieve migraine pain in as little as 15 minutes. It works by cooling the nerves behind the nose that help trigger severe headaches.
A small trial in Texas this June found nearly half of participants who received the air therapy were pain-free afterward; others reported significant—though not complete—relief.
Old and New Ways to Treat Migraine Pain
Most migraine sufferers rely on over-the-counter painkillers or prescription drugs that shorten attacks. New drugs (CGRP inhibitors) can prevent migraine attacks. They are given as injections in the abdomen, arms, or legs. But these treatments are expensive and generally reserved for people who have severe migraines at least once or twice a week.
The new therapy targets a bundle of nerves behind the nose called the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG). The SPG connects to the trigeminal nerve, which supplies sensation to the face. When the trigeminal nerve is overstimulated by triggers like hormonal changes, alcohol, caffeine, or stress, it can set off a migraine.
The sphenopalatine ganglion helps send pain signals to the brain. In very severe cases, doctors sometimes inject anesthetic through the nose into this nerve bundle to numb it and stop it from transmitting pain messages. This procedure is called an SPG block.
However, pain relief from this method may last only a few weeks. The injection can also cause nasal bleeding, dizziness, and a tingling sensation in the throat.
This new migraine technique could be a much simpler alternative. It uses a process called transnasal cooling. Clinicians typically use transnasal cooling during cardiac arrest, though some researchers are exploring it as a way to cool the brain and limit damage.
How Was the Experimental Migraine Treatment Conducted?
In the treatment, patients wear a mask while dry air—stripped of moisture—is pumped into their nostrils. As the air moves over the soft tissues around the SPG, tiny surface moisture droplets evaporate. Evaporation draws heat away from the tissue, cooling the nerves.
Animal studies have shown that the cooling effect interrupts the transmission of headache signals. During a preliminary trial, researchers from the Department of Head and Facial Pain tested the treatment on 24 migraine patients.
Participants had to come to the research center as soon as they felt a migraine starting. They then underwent nasal ventilation with a device called the “transnasal thermoregulator CoolStat.”
Nearly 90% of patients experienced significant pain relief two hours after treatment. Almost half said their migraine completely disappeared, and some felt relief in as little as 15 minutes.
Researchers hope to shrink the device so patients can use it at home. Dr. Andrew Dawson called the results encouraging and said the approach is straightforward with few potential side effects. But the small number of patients tested so far is too low to prove effectiveness.
