A recent survey found a significant underutilization of non-drug treatment options for migraine among female patients and healthcare providers.

A total of 1,005 adult females (ages 18 to 60) who have been diagnosed with migraines were surveyed about their experiences with migraine treatments, management of their symptoms, the impact of migraines on their quality of life, and knowledge of non-drug treatment options. Additionally, 402 healthcare professionals were surveyed about migraine treatments they use for patients, their perceptions of migraine patients, and their familiarity with the role of the vagus nerve in treating migraines.

The survey, sponsored by bioelectronic medicine company electroCore and completed in partnership with HealthyWomen, showed that only 18% of patients are completely satisfied with their current migraine treatment, yet only 8% of healthcare providers say they have treated patients with a non-drug therapy.

Perhaps even more telling is the fact that the survey revealed 86% of female migraine patients say they would be willing to try non-drug treatment options, while only 28% of healthcare providers said their patients would be willing to try non-drug treatments. These findings reveal a crucial knowledge gap between patients’ satisfaction and providers’ perceived patient satisfaction with commonly prescribed migraine treatments, as well as a lack of knowledge about non-drug migraine treatments.

“The survey is a clear indication from the marketplace that there are a considerable amount of demand and folks out there that are looking for non-drug alternatives to manage pain conditions, especially migraine and cluster headache,” electroCore CEO Frank Amato told MD+DI.

Current medications available to patients who suffer from migraines or cluster headache are inadequate in their efficacy, Amato said, and a lot of them have side effects or contraindications for cardiovascular events.

“Folks are just dissatisfied with the current treatment options,” he said.

In the following slides, we highlight several devices, including electroCore’s gammaCore Sapphire, that are either on the market or in development to tackle migraine and/or cluster headache.

Source:MDDI