Daith Piercing in a Case of Chronic Migraine: A Possible Vagal Modulation

Headache alleviation with nasal irrigation following endoscopic endonasal surgery for pituitary adenomas

BACKGROUND

Headache is a common occurrence after endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) for pituitary adenomas and significantly impacts the quality of life of patients. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of nasal irrigation in relieving postoperative headache after EES.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 101 patients (Cohort I) who underwent EES for pituitary adenomas to explore the risk factors associated with postoperative headache. Another cohort of 72 patients (Cohort II) who received adjuvant nasal irrigation following surgery was enrolled for further analysis. The Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) was used to score the severity of headache, and patients with a HIT score > 55 were classified as having headache.

RESULTS

In Cohort I, 21.78% of patients experienced headache one month after EES, which decreased to 5.94% at the three-month follow-up. Multivariate analysis revealed that postoperative nasal sinusitis (OR = 3.88, 95%CI 1.16-13.03, p = 0.028) and Hardy's grade C-D (OR = 10.53, 95%CI 1.02-109.19, p = 0.049) independently predicted the presence of postoperative headache at one month. At the three-month follow-up, patients with sinusitis had higher HIT-6 scores compared to those without sinusitis (44.43 ± 9.78 vs. 39.72 ± 5.25, p = 0.017). In Cohort II, the incidence of sinusitis at three months was significantly lower than that in Cohort I (p = 0.028). Importantly, both the incidence of headache and HIT-6 scores in Cohort II were significantly lower than those in Cohort I at the one- and three-month follow-ups.

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative sinusitis is an independent risk factor for the development of headache following EES for pituitary adenomas. Prophylactic nasal irrigation helps relieve postoperative headache, possibly by preventing the occurrence of sinusitis.

Daith piercing: Revisited from the perspective of auricular acupuncture systems. A narrative review

BACKGROUND

Daith piercing is a special ear-piercing method that punctures the crus of the helix. The penetrated site at the ear's innermost point is assumed to stimulate a pressure point associated with the vagus nerve. It has been reported that the pierced spot relieves migraine and tension-type headaches by activating vagal afferents, leading to the inhibition of neurons in the caudal trigeminal nucleus via the nucleus tractus solitarii.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this narrative literature review is to summarize the current state of knowledge concerning daith piercing for the treatment of migraine and tension-type headaches from the perspectives of the Chinese and Western auricular systems.

METHODS

PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched using the keywords "daith piercing," "auricular points," "headache," and "acupuncture" from database inception to September 1, 2023. Only studies on humans were eligible; otherwise, no further restrictions were applied to the study designs, type of headache, or patient population of the identified articles. Bibliographies of all eligible studies were screened for further eligible studies. The main outcome of interest was a quantitative measure of pain relief by daith piercing. Secondary outcomes were relapse time of headache and further outcomes related to daith piercing, if available.

RESULTS

From a total of 186 identified articles, one retrospective study and three case reports fulfilled the inclusion criteria. No clinical trial was identified. The obtained studies describe patients experiencing chronic headaches undergoing daith piercing without changing or reducing their usual medication. In all case studies and the retrospective study, patients reported substantial reductions in pain immediately after daith piercing; however, headache symptoms recurred several weeks to months thereafter. From the perspective of the Chinese and Western auricular systems, no sufficient explanation for the described treatment effect of daith piercing was found.

CONCLUSION

The available literature, combined with the reported recurrence of pain as well as the associated side effects of daith piercing, indicate that current evidence does not support daith piercing for the treatment of migraine, tension-type headaches, or other headache disorders.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

This paper summarizes what we know about Daith piercing (DP) for chronic migraine and tension-type headache and discusses how DP might work. Current evidence does not support DP as an effective treatment of chronic migraine and tension-type headache. These findings might assist clinicians in discussing this subject with patients as well as guide future research.

Migraine Symptoms Induced by an Auricular Piercing in a 27-Year-Old Female: A Case Report

Introduction

Migraines are common and debilitating, and have high direct and indirect costs. They can be difficult to treat, and many patients make use of alternative medicine techniques. One of these is acupuncture applied to locations on the auricle thought to modulate migraine symptoms. Some patients obtain piercings in these locations in hopes of relieving their symptoms; however, the literature does not address the possibility of migraine symptoms being worsened or even induced by such piercings.

Case Presentation

We present a case of a 27-year-old female with a history of transient hemiplegia without headaches who developed headaches, visual disturbances, and nausea after a piercing of the inferior crus of her left antihelix (known as a rook piercing). No abnormalities were found on workup, and symptoms were treated with supportive care. After removing the piercing 9 months later, the patient's symptoms resolved.

Conclusion

The mechanism linking the piercing with the migraine symptoms is unclear, but may involve modulation of trigeminal or vagal pain pathways, as both of these cranial nerves innervate this area of the auricle. Regardless, in patients presenting with migraine symptoms, history and physical exam should not overlook piercings as potential contributory factors.

Management of chronic migraine

Chronic migraine is a neurologic disorder associated with considerable disability, lost productivity, and a profound economic burden worldwide. The past five years have seen a dramatic expansion in new treatments for this often challenging condition, among them calcitonin gene related peptide antagonists and neuromodulatory devices. This review outlines the epidemiology of and diagnostic criteria and risk factors for chronic migraine. It discusses evidence based drug and non-drug treatments, their advantages and disadvantages, and the principles of patient centered care for adults with chronic migraine, with attention to differential diagnosis and comorbidities, clinical reasoning, initiation and monitoring, cost, and availability. It discusses the international guidelines on drug treatment for chronic migraine and evaluates non-drug treatments including behavioral and complementary therapies and lifestyle modifications. Finally, it discusses the management of chronic migraine in special populations, including pediatrics, pregnancy, and older people, and considers future questions and emerging research in the field.

The crux of helix curvature: A potential surface landmark for the anterior border of the sigmoid sinus in minimally invasive presigmoid approaches

Background:

Surgical landmarks are widely used across all surgical specialties to assist surgeons in accurately estimating the deep anatomical structures. We describe the crus of helix curvature as a potential indicator for the anterior border of the sigmoid sinus (SS) in the setting of minimally invasive presigmoid approaches.

Methods:

Anatomy investigations were performed on injected cadaveric heads to identify consistent surface surgical landmarks estimating the curse of the SS.

Results:

Presigmoid mastoid was noted in the center of the skin incision in 100% of the specimens. The crus of helix curvature was superimposed on the anterior border of the SS on 6 sides (60%). On the other four sides, the curvature lays within 5 mm of the anterior SS border (40%).

Conclusion:

For the minimally invasive presigmoid approaches, the “crus of helix curvature” can be used as a landmark for the anterior border of the SS, which can aid in the speed and safety of the procedure. The ease of use of this landmark makes it particularly convenient for physicians early in training.

The efficacy and safety of atogepant for the prophylactic treatment of migraine: evidence from randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Migraine is a common neurovascular disorder that has a severe impact on the individual daily life. Atogepant (AGN-241689) is an orally ingested, small-molecule drugs belonging to calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, which has been initiated for the prophylactic treatment of migraine. However, there is no comprehensive literature to study the efficacy and safety of atogepant for the treatment of migraine. In this article, we present a meta-analysis of the available studies.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched before October 20, 2021 for any relevant literature. Eventually, three randomized clinical trials (RCTs) with 2,466 patients were included in our study.

RESULTS

We pooled 2,466 patients from 3 RCTs and primary outcome was mean monthly migraine days, the secondary endpoints were monthly headache days, acute medication use days per month and ≥ 50% reduction in monthly migraine days, baseline to end of trials. It was found that atogepant (10 mg, 30 mg, 60 mg once a day) led to a significant reduction in monthly migraine days (P < 0.00001, P < 0.00001, P = 0.007), monthly headache days (P < 0.00001, P < 0.00001, P = 0.001), and monthly medication use days (P < 0.00001, P < 0.00001, P = 0.0001), and an increase in the proportion of people with ≥ 50% reduction in monthly migraine days (P = 0.0008, P = 0.02, P = 0.04) in comparison with placebo. Moreover, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in outcomes of adverse events between atogepant and placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

Atogepant has shown good efficacy and safety in the prophylactic treatment of migraine, and further studies are expected.

Temporary resolution of hemicrania continua following ipsilateral ear piercing

Background

Hemicrania continua is an uncommon subtype of trigeminal autonomic cephalgia that exhibits dramatic therapeutic response to indomethacin. Unfortunately, indomethacin is associated with a range of adverse effects, including neuropsychiatric complications, which limits its use in many patients. Although no other effective pharmacologic agents exist, there is emerging evidence for interventional treatments such as occipital nerve and vagus nerve stimulation, which may act by modulating neural activity within the trigeminovascular system.

Case

We present a 30-year-old woman with long-standing refractory hemicrania continua who suffered adverse effects to indomethacin. She experienced temporary, but near-complete, symptom resolution following piercing of the crus of the ear helix ipsilateral to her headache, whereas contralateral piercing produced no benefit.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this case is the first to describe a therapeutic benefit following ear piercing in a patient with trigeminal autonomic cephalgia. We argue that symptom relief was obtained through a similar mechanism to occipital or vagus nerve stimulation.

Perceptions Regarding Daith Piercing in Migraine, A Survey of Pediatric Patients

The treatment of migraine is evolving to include non-traditional approaches, as pharmacologic therapy alone is unsuccessful in many patients. Daith piercing, a cartilaginous ear piercing, has become popular as a potential nonpharmacological treatment option for migraine. However, there are no systematic data on the utilization and efficacy of these piercings. Therefore, we investigated the perceptions of pediatric patients regarding Daith piercing and gathered initial retrospective data for patients who had already received it. Patients presenting to a pediatric neurology clinic were invited to complete a questionnaire to assess knowledge about and attitudes towards Daith piercing and their willingness to undergo such a treatment. For those with a Daith piercing, the effects on headaches, function, and mood were evaluated. Of the 171 respondents, 61% had prior knowledge of Daith piercings, 27% knew someone with a Daith piercing, and 60% of patients presenting with headache were willing to undergo piercing. Of the eight patients (5% of respondents) who had already undergone piercing, six (75%) reported improvement in headaches, five (62%) had missed fewer days of school or work, and seven (87%) reported mood improvement. The high proportion of pediatric patients willing to undergo this form of treatment speaks to the desire for and acceptance of nonpharmacologic treatments. Although based on a small sample, the data from children who have already undergone Daith piercing is promising and supports a need for further systematic investigation into this treatment approach.

Safety and Efficacy of Fremanezumab for the Prevention of Migraine: A Meta-Analysis From Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: Fremanezumab (TEV-48125) is a fully-humanized immunoglobulin G isotype 2a selective monoclonal antibody that potently binds to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). It is one of the novel therapeutic drugs for the prevention of migraine, which is one of the most common neurological diseases worldwide. Several controlled trials have been conducted to investigate the safety and efficacy of fremanezumab, however, there is no systematic review of the existing literature has been performed. Hence, in our study, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the safety and efficacy of fremanezumab for the prevention of migraine. Method: Pubmed (MEDLINE), Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from January 2001 to August 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Five RCTs with 3,379 patients were finally included in our study. Result: We pooled 3,379 patients from 5 RCTs; the primary endpoints were mean monthly migraine and headache days, baseline to week 12. We found that fremanezumab led to a significant reduction in migraine days (P < 0.0001) and headache days (P < 0.0001) during 12 weeks compared with placebo. Moreover, after using fremanezumab, the risk of at least one adverse event (AE) (P = 0.001) and AE related to the trial regimen (P = 0.0005) significantly increased compared with the placebo. Conclusions: Fremanezumab showed good efficacy for the prevention of migraine. The administration of fremanezumab can cause some mild adverse events but no serious adverse events.

Daith Piercing: Wonder Treatment or Untested Fad?

Daith piercing is a form of body piercing that involves the crux of the ear's helix. While daith piercing has been used as an esthetic piercing since the 1990s, it is gaining popularity in the general population as an alternative treatment in chronic headaches, especially migraines. Despite its use, the evidence is currently lacking. Postulated hypotheses include vagal neuromodulation vs. placebo effect. We present a case of a 47-year-old female patient suffering from refractory cluster headache who underwent daith piercing. We aim to raise awareness among the general practitioners of this health-related practice prevalent in the community.

Complementary and Integrative Medicine for Episodic Migraine: an Update of Evidence from the Last 3 Years

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to evaluate evidence from the last 3 years on complementary and integrative medicine treatment options for episodic migraine. Using Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases, research published from 2015-2018 evaluating the modalities of mind/body therapies, supplements, and manual therapies for treatment of migraine were assessed.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although many studies had major methodological challenges that limit interpretation, several studies reported decreased headache frequency, improved quality of life, or less affective responses to pain. The evidence is currently most promising for the mind/body treatment options of mindfulness, yoga, and tai chi. Mindfulness meditation may be as effective as pharmacological treatment for medication-overuse headache after the offending medication is withdrawn. While older research has shown magnesium, riboflavin, feverfew, and butterbur to be helpful in migraine treatment, new research is promising to suggest potential benefit with melatonin, vitamin D, higher dosages of vitamin B₆ (80 mg)/folic acid 5 mg combinations, and the combination of magnesium 112.5 mg/CoQ10 100 mg/feverfew 100 mg. Omega 3s have limited evidence of efficacy in migraine. Butterbur needs to be free of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) to ensure safety given their hepatotoxicity. Physical therapy (PT) continues to have strong evidence of support, and acupuncture is superior to sham acupuncture and placebo. Side effects and risks reported were minimal and well tolerated overall, with the exception of the life-threatening risk of cervical artery dissection with high-velocity chiropractic manipulation and hepatotoxicity with the PAs in butterbur. Several studies are ongoing to further evaluate mindfulness, melatonin, PT, exercise, chiropractic manipulation, and acupuncture. The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and American Headache Society (AHS) are currently updating the guidelines for integrative treatment options for migraine, so additional recommendations may be available soon. In conclusion, many complementary and integrative treatment options may be helpful for patients with migraines, and understanding potential efficacy, benefits, and risks can help providers discuss these modalities with their patients. Such a conversation can empower patients, build the therapeutic relationship, and increase self-efficacy, thus improving outcomes and patient-centered care.