Tormenting headaches How the smartphone can help against migraines

New smartphone-based treatment for migraine

The treatment of a migraine is often difficult. In order to achieve relief, interdisciplinary measures from medical procedures, physical exercises, relaxation techniques and cognitive behavioral therapy are often required. Physicians now present a new form of treatment for migraine, in which the own smartphone plays a central role. An app is to document the headache in the ambitious project, identify triggers, assist in performing relaxation exercises and endurance sports, and include forums and specialist chats.

Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, is developing the new smartphone app "M-sense" with its partners in the "SMARTGEM" project. In the future, this will actively support migraine patients in order to reduce the frequency of attacks. This provides a new opportunity for 15 to 25 percent of all women and six to eight percent of all men who suffer from a migraine. Since many different approaches have to be taken into account when treating a migraine, according to the medical profession, an app can provide good support here. Even for people who do not live in large cities and have no good connection to different medical specialists, so a competent medical support can be guaranteed.

The new app M-sense is intended to provide comprehensive support for migraine patients. It should document migraine attacks, identify triggers, help with sports and relaxation, and include a specialist connection. (Image: ra2 studio / fotolia.com)

Location-independent, effective and time-saving

"With SMARTGEM, we want to investigate the effectiveness of a location-independent, effective and also time-saving form of therapy for migraine," reports project manager Dr. med. Lars Neeb from the Department of Neurology at Campus Charité Mitte in a press release about the project. For the patients the physicians hope for a clear reduction of the attacks and the consumption of painkillers. The aim is to improve the quality of life of patients and to prevent the chronification of the disease.

What should the new app do??

"With the smartphone app" M-sense ", patients can document their headaches," explain the experts. As a result, a therapy can be monitored and possible triggers for migraine attacks can be identified. In addition, the app includes a therapy module, which supports stress relief and endurance sports when performing relaxation procedures. In addition, patients can be individually trained in behavioral approaches via "M-sense".

Specialist connection included

Even for family doctors, the app can serve as a good source of information. With the help of "M-sense", they can telemedically network with experts in neurology to discuss possible treatment methods for their patients. For the patient medically moderated forums and expert chats should be offered in order to shorten the communication with medical specialists.

Documentation, therapy module and self-help training

As the doctors report, the app is a combination of documentation, therapy module and self-help training. Furthermore, telemedical consultations and medically moderated forums and expert chats are offered. The project is funded with more than three million euros. Since the access to medical headache experts and pain-specialized psychotherapists in both the urban and rural areas is limited, the app is here to remedy.

Supported by health insurance

Various health insurance funds such as the AOK Nordost, the BKK VBU, the IKK gesund plus and the BIG direkt gesund support the innovative care project. In addition to improving the quality of life, the work capacity of migraine patients should also be improved.

Nationwide supply in view

The effectiveness of the new form of care is currently being investigated in a controlled study involving 1,200 patients from Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt. Subjects must suffer from migraine attacks for more than five days a month. "If successful, SMARTGEM has a model character for the nationwide care of migraine patients," Dr. Neeb.

About migraines and what you can do yourself

Migraine is a common disease that can really knock those affected out of action. In addition to throbbing, throbbing and one-sided headache, additional symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, dizziness and loss of appetite often occur. Many migraineurs are also very sensitive to noise and light. In many cases the disease is treated medically. However, there are also a variety of natural methods and home remedies for migraines that can help. (Vb)