Participant eligibility includes age, gender, type and stage of disease, and previous treatments or health concerns. Guidelines differ from study to study, and identify who can or cannot participate. There is no guarantee that every individual who qualifies and wants to participate in a trial will be enrolled. Contact the study team to discuss study eligibility and potential participation.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Suffering from episodic migraines with and without aura occurring at least four times a month but less than 15 headache days a month at a severity of 5/10 pain level or greater.
- Willing to not start or stop any new medication to treat or prevent migraines during the six months of the trial.
- History fits the definition of migraine:
- Have a history of episodic headache lasting 4-72 hours with at least 2 of the 4 following: unilateral location, pulsating/throbbing quality, moderate-severe
intensity, aggravation by/causing avoidance of routine physical activity; and
- Have a history of at least one of the following: nausea and/or vomiting, photophobia (seek out a dark room during a headache because that feels better), phonophobia (seek out a quiet environment during a headache because that feels
better).
Exclusion Criteria:
- Headache in cheeks (infraorbital nerve distribution) in addition to scalp distribution.
- Women who report being currently pregnant or lactating or are of child-bearing potential or are likely to become pregnant during the medication phase and are unwilling to use a reliable form of contraception. Acceptable forms include:
- Hormonal methods, such as birth control pills, patches, injections, vaginal ring, or implants;
- Barrier methods (such as a condom or diaphragm) used with a spermicide (a foam, cream, or gel that kills sperm);
- Intrauterine device (IUD);
- Total hysterectomy or tubal ligation;
- Abstinence (no sex).
- Allergy or documented contraindication to amide anesthetics (bupivacaine, lidocaine, ropivacaine, prilocaine, mepivacaine, etidocaine or levobupivacaine) or
corticosteroids.
- Previously received peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs).
- Currently anticoagulated.
- Currently receiving Botox for migraine prophylaxis.
- Started on new medication in the prior two months with known migraine-preventive efficacy or planning to start any new medication during the study.
- Currently using opiate medications for pain.
- History of drug or alcohol abuse within the prior two years.
- Have unstable medical or surgical diseases that could impair participation in this study.
- History of craniotomies, burr holes, skull fractures and/or have open skull defects.
- Patients with implanted nerve stimulators or shunts.
- Phobia of needles.
- Active skin or soft tissue infection overlying injection sites.
- Diagnosis of medication overuse, cervicogenic, post-traumatic, or cluster headaches or history on pre-enrollment questionnaire of cluster headache symptoms.
Eligibility last updated 7/24/23. Questions regarding updates should be directed to the study team contact.